Where was Ada DAVIES born?

[SMJ]

I have a brick wall trying to find a birth/baptism and mother for Ada DAVIES my GtGm b.1870. What I have gathered so far is below.

1939
Husband, William Francis Wilding DAVIES, a widower and retired Railway Clerk, living with daughter Nelllie and her husband George Ernest Campion JONES at 2 Dalmeny Villas, Shrewsbury.

1911
Ada with WFW DAVIES (using Frank in Census return) and 4 of her 6 living children. 96 North Street, Shrewsbury. One child Amy at 7 North Street with Ellen Lewis, sister of WFW DAVIES. Ada aged 41 born (1870) Condover, Shropshire.

1901
Ada with WFW DAVIES (using Frank in Census return) and 5 children. 96 North Street, Shrewsbury. Ada aged 31 born (1870) Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

1894
February 25th, Marriage of Ada DAVIES age 24 Spinster of 13 Argyll Street, Shrewsbury to WFW DAVIES 25 Bachelor of 7 Tankerville Street, Shrewsbury (Brakesman).
Father of Groom - William DAVIES Basket Maker. Father of Bride - William DAVIES Farm Labourer. Note: 13 Argyll Street is unoccupied in the 1891 Census.
Both signed in own hand with one witnesses unreadable and E DAVIES (could be Ellen LEWIS from above)

1891
Possible location as 'Working in Service' was a bit of a family tradition.
Household of Charles Frederick FINNEY, Huyton House, Liverpool Road, Huyton with Roby, Widnes. (His death reported 8th February 1908 Liverpool Mercury)

Ada DAVIES Servant Single 21 (1870) Cook Domestic Servant b. Condover, Shropshire.

1881
Household of Thomas DAVIES brother of WFW DAVIES at Heckfield Place, Shrewsbury
Ada DAVIES Niece Age 11 (1870) Scholar b. Cheshire, Crewe. ??

1871 No suitable person found
Eliza A DAVIES b. 1869 Condover, Shropshire is Eliza Ann DAVIES in 1881 Census

1870 No suitable births in Condover, Shrewsbury or Crewe found. Name and age matches found so far appear in same location in later censuses and/or married to different people in the same timescale.

I'm not worried about at Shrewsbury/Condover locations as they are only 5 miles apart, but Crewe seems a bit strange - even so I haven't found a suitable birth in the Crewe area either. Maybe Uncle Thomas didn't know where Ada was born. I have tried a wider search for a William DAVIES as a Farm Labourer with a daughter Ada for 1871 with no luck.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Cas (stallc)]

Does not help with birth details but 1921 has her born 1869

1921 free index - view record for details

Ada Davies born 1869, Condover, Shropshire, England living St Mary, Atcham, Shropshire

Ada, Nellie, Amy and 2 others are on this record

Cas

[SMJ]

Thanks Cas,

Did have that on record, but forgot with the 1921 Census being addition cost. Amy is my Gm.

Incidentally, it seems the family had a flexible attitude to names. Amy was registered as Amy but baptised as Ada on 7th July 1896. She was called Amy throughout her life and used Amy on all official documents. My father, her son, is officially Morris Francis Charles JONES but used Morris Charles Francis. I only found this out after his death in 2010.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

< 1881
Household of Thomas DAVIES brother of WFW DAVIES at Heckfield Place, Shrewsbury
Ada DAVIES Niece Age 11 (1870) Scholar b. Cheshire, Crewe. ??  >

This would suggest Ada married her uncle???

[SMJ]

Sorry Mabel Bagshaw - my mistake!!

Complete transcription for 1881 is

Heckfield Place Shrewsbury

Thomas DAVIES Head Mar 35 Labourer Farm Servant Salop Preston Boats
Mary DAVIES Wife Mar 34 Shopkeeper Salop Church Stretton
Robert Henry DAVIES Son unMar 12 Scholar Salop Wroxeter
Edward Wilding DAVIES Son unMar 10 Scholar Salop Picklescott
Amy DAVIES Dau unMar 4 Salop Preston Boats
Ellen DAVIES Dau unMar 2 Salop Shrewsbury
Ada DAVIES Niece unMar 11 Scholar Cheshire Crewe

Must try better and not try to mix on-line activity with cooking the Sunday Roast.

It may be that this Ada is not connected to the Ada I'm looking for - I don't know. Thomas DAVIES is a brother to William DAVIES, the father of WFW DAVIES though.

[Dundee]

1894
February 25th, Marriage of Ada DAVIES age 24 Spinster of 13 Argyll Street, Shrewsbury to WFW DAVIES 25 Bachelor of 7 Tankerville Street, Shrewsbury (Brakesman).
Father of Groom - William DAVIES Basket Maker. Father of Bride - William DAVIES Farm Labourer. Note: 13 Argyll Street is unoccupied in the 1891 Census.
Both signed in own hand with one witnesses unreadable and E DAVIES (could be Ellen LEWIS from above)

William's father wasn't a basket maker was he?  Perhaps they have the occupations the wrong way around.  What do you know about Thomas and his wife's siblings?  I can see that his sister Hannah is still with her parents and unmarried in 1871. It is possible that Ada's surname wasn't DAVIES.

Debra 

[SMJ]

Hi Debra

I'm reasonably sure that William, father of WFW DAVIES, was involved in a rural occupation. He may have moved from heavy work to a more sedate occupation if his health failed. His father Robert DAVIES was a farmer. The WFW DAVIES side of the family is listed below.

William was present in the 1871 Census but somewhere else in 1881 and dead by 1891. Could he have been in the military, at 'Her Majesty's Pleasure' or simply a journeyman farm worker. The thought of searching through everything for a William DAVIES born about 1837 is daunting. He seemed to have no direct involvement with the family farm leaving it to his father Robert and brother Thomas, but his wife Emma and children were living next door to the farm in the 1881 Census having moved from the Shrewsbury side and across the river Severn.

One other possibility is that William may have been working the boats on the canals or River Severn. In 1891 Emma (now a widow) is listed as a 'Keeper of Boat' or barge living at Horse Boat House, Underdale Road, Shrewsbury. There was a ferry from Monkmoor to Castlefields that carried horses and people across the river where the tow path changes from one side to the other.

For interest, here is the WFW DAVIES family Census timeline - it seems as though every opportunity was used to add WILDING to the names of children which confuses the issue.

1841 HO 107/906/17/12/18 Preston (Boats) Ann DAVIES (87) a Farmer, Robert (45), Elizabeth (WILDING) 30, John (6), William (4), Hannah (2), Jane DAVIES House Servant (26), Robert BAGLEY Ag Lab (25).

1851 HO 107/1991/29/32 Preston Boat(e)s Robert DAVIES farmer of 38 acres with wife Elizabeth (WILDING) son William, dau Hannah, son Robert, son Thomas, Martha EVANS House Servant & John WOODHOUSE Farm Servant.

1861 RG 09/1867/45/4 Preston Boats, Robert DAVIES farmer of 50 acres with wife Elizabeth (WILDING) and son William, dau Hannah, son Thomas & James MEAKIN a Farmer

1871 RG 10/2767/41/4 Preston Fields, Boat House, Robert DAVIES, farmer 59 acres with wife Elizabeth (WILDING), dau Hannah, son Edward W & Thomas EATON & John PARRY both Farm House Servants.

1871 RG 10/2774/54/19 New Hall Court, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury William DAVIES a Farm Labourer with wife Emma, son William FW and dau Ellen.

1871 RG 10/2735/4/2 Picklescott Thomas DAVIES a Gardener with wife Mary (MASON), son Robert H, son Edward W.

1881 RG 11/2647/44/3 Preston Boats House, Robert DAVIES is farming 58? acres with son Thomas & Edward TOMLINE a Farm Labourer & Edward CHAPMAN also a Farm Labourer.

1881 RG 11/2647/44/3 Emma DAVIES (Oare) is living 3 doors away with son William F, dau Ellen D, son Robert H, son Albert G, dau Emma, son Arthur J, dau Mary. No sign of husband William but still Married. Emma is a widow in the 1891 Census.

1881 RG 11/2650/74/10 Heckfield Place, Shrewsbury, Thomas DAVIES (Labourer Farm Servant) with wife Mary (MASON), son Robert Henry DAVIES, son Edward Wilding DAVIES, dau Amy DAVIES, dau Ellen DAVIES and niece Ada DAVIES.

I’m may be wrong but I’m thinking the Thomas DAVIES at Preston Boats House and at Heckfield Place in 1881 are the same person. Was Thomas occasionally staying with his father now a widower aged 82.

More importantly, the day before the 3rd of April Census Day, authority was given to issue Robert Davies with Distress papers for non payment of rent to Robert Lingen Burton. Shropshire Archives Doc Ref D3651/D/26/55/1-7 System Ref XD3651/D/26/55. Other things may have been on their minds when working out who was where on that particular Sunday night.

Robert and Thomas carried on as joint tenants of the land they once owned after Robert's possessions and land where auctioned.