Jane Morgan - Where are her parents?

[littleem1906]

I'm struggling to find a death for Jane. Her husband William died on 16th July 1919. Address given was 41 Halesowen Street, Oldbury. I did look for Jane in the 1921 census but I couldn't find her so she could have died some time between 1911 and 1921.

Did Williams death certificate indicate whether he was widowed

I don't have this yet, but probate record shows his son is named, and not his widow. This, to me, would imply she had died before him.

[littleem1906]

An interesting development...

I looked at Burials Online and was able to see the burial register for William Ashcroft (Jane's husband). I was hoping to find out if he was widowed or not but nothing came up. However, I did discover that he was the second burial in the grave he is in. I looked to see who had been buried there before him and there is the following entry:

Mary Jane Ashcroft (age 62) - Died 24th March 1919 - Halesowen Street, Oldbury - new purchased grave.

Could it be that Jane Ashcroft was actually Mary Jane Ashcroft? This would woman had a birth date of 1857 which also fits my Jane. It would seem odd for William to be buried with another woman so my thinking is that I should be looking for a Mary Jane in earlier census records.

[HistoricalGenealogy]

I found a 1911 Census with her Husband, William and children:

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01sce/

It says that she was born in Oldbury.

[jonw65]

1881 Mary Morgan, Widow, Mother ( should be in Law ) is living with them.
Born c 1831 Warwickshire

Two Mary Morgans the same age in Oldbury in 1881.
Mary Ann Morgan died June qtr 1885, West Bromwich, age 64
Buried in Oldbury, address is Stone Street.

Possibly more likely (providing she stayed in Oldbury after 1881!)
Dec 1890 West Bromwich 6b 478
Morgan, Mary   
Age 60

Buried 10 Nov 1890 at Oldbury Cemetery
Residence Church Street, Oldbury

In the 1891 census the Ashcrofts are at 3 Waggon Yard, Church Street.

[jonw65]

Anything or nothing?
Death
June 1874 West Bromwich 6b 439
Morgan, Thomas
Age 67

Thomas Morgan buried 5 June 1874, Oldbury Cemetery, age 67.
Residence Green Street.
https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818bd81e93790de6a01d4f2

1871 census, Birmingham Street, Oldbury
Lodging house
Thomas Morgan Lodger mar 64 Vagrant, born Wilts Wootton...
Mary Morgan Lodger mar 33, born Warwick
George Morgan Lodger 13, where born not known
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KDDG-2KX

1861 census, Walsall Street, Bilston
Thomas Morgan Lodger M 54 Coach Trimmer, born Staff WHampton
Mary Morgan Wife M 42, born Warwick
George Morgan Son 5 Wolverhampton Staff
Jane Morgan Daughter 3 Wolverhampton
John Morgan Son 2 mo Wolverhampton
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7ZL-FWG
and
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7ZL-FWY

[jonw65]

I mean, at the moment I can't say it isn't the same Thomas Morgan in 1861 and 1871. The birth place on one of those records could be wrong. Neither is matching up with much else in the census records?

[jonw65]

Possibly significant newspaper article. Once again I only have access today to the free OCR text

It could tie the 1861 and 1871 census possibilities I posted together just a bit?
Or just another red herring!

Staffordshire Advertiser, 1 January 1870
The Result of Parental Neglect.—A little girl, eleven years of age, named Jane Morgan, whose father lives at Oldbury, was charged with attempting to steal money from a till at the house of Alphonse Bregg, Waggon and Horses Inn, Spon Croft. The prisoner was caught in the act of taking money from the till in prosecutor’s house. Sergeant Hackney said her father had obtained his living by begging. A short time ago a brother of hers, aged nine years, was convicted of stealing money from a till, and sent to a reformatory. The girl adopted a similar system of thieving, and had been detected in several petty robberies. The magistrates sentenced the prisoner to six weeks’ imprisonment and five years’ confinement in a reformatory school They said they should order the father to contribute towards the support of his daughter.

[jonw65]

Got him!!
It's free ocr text again though.

Birmingham Gazette, 15 November 1869
AN INCORRIGIBLE YOUTH. At the West Bromwich Police Court, on Saturday, a youth named John Morgan, son of a coach trimmer of that name, living at Oldbury Green, was convicted of having stolen 4s. 9d. from the till of Henry Bradsworth's greengrocer's shop, Walsall Street, West Bromwich, on the previous Tuesday. Mr. Woollaston, superintendent of the police, said that the lad had been in custody on a previous occasion, when he was sentenced to a day's imprisonment, and to be whipped. He considered him a very clever thief. The magistrates said the prisoner would be committed for twenty-one days, and afterwards sent to a Reformatory for six years.

[jonw65]

So, hopefully, this second article seems to tie together the coach trimmer and begging (vagrant) occupations for the father.
Can we find young Jane (and John) in the 1871 census?