Genealogy Chat

I have a James Price b 1844 Ruardean, Glos. He married an Elizabeth b. Mitcheldean, Glos and by 1871 they had four children Martha b 1865, William b 1867, Clara b. 1868 and Emma b 1870 - all born East Dean, Glos. At the time they were living Old Emma Inn, East Dean. However by 1881 there had obviously been a split in the family and James was a lodger with William Willstead family whose daughter Elizabeth(then 26) became his mistress and eventually in 1904 his wife.

I searched the 1881 looking for the wife Elizabeth and the children and found:
Wigan Lane, Coppull, Lancs - Elizabeth 36, Martha 16, William 14, Care (Clara) 13, Emma 11, Elizabeth 9 and Jane 1. The whole family exactly matched the details from 1871 but I was very puzzled and concerned that this was Lancashire and was miles away from their origins of Gloucestershire. The child Jane aged 1, I suspected could possibly be someone else's child.

I found Elizabeth and dau Jane - now 11 - on 1891 census, still up north. I also traced a marriage for a Martha Price to a William Sharrock regd Chorley district of Lancs.

I was quite happy with these findings until I made the fatal mistake of looking on Ancestry and found a tree which indicated that the family were in Minmouthshire although I cannot find them there. What aroused my panic was that one of the children that James had with his mistress (Louisa b. 1889) married and moved to the Bedwelty district of Monmouthshire - just sheer coincidence or an indication that I am wrong about the Lancashire move ?

My question is - does it look as if my original finding are correct or am I barking up the wrong tree !!

Thanks for reading this. Any thoughts appreciated.

1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Wigan Lane, Coppull, Chorley, Lancashire, England

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Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Elizebth Price Head Married Female 36 1845 Housewife Gloucestershire, England
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Martha Price Daughter Single Female 16 1865 Cotton Weaver Gloucestershire, England
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William Price Son Single Male 14 1867 Labourer At Brick Works Gloucestershire, England
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Clare Price Daughter Single Female 13 1868 Scholar Gloucestershire, England
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Emma Price Daughter Single Female 11 1870 Scholar Gloucestershire, England
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Elizebth Price Daughter Single Female 9 1872 Scholar Gloucestershire, England
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Jane Price Daughter Single Female 1 1880 - Coppull, Lancashire, England

Baptism: 21 Sep 1879 Parish Church, Coppull, Lancashire, England
Jane Price - Daughter of James Price & Elizabeth
Abode: Coppull
Occupation: Collier
Baptised by: J. G. Hollingworth
Register: Baptisms 1877 - 1892, Page 15, Entry 113
Source: LDS Film 1849656

umber of entries matching criteria entered: 3
Child Surname Child Forename Father Surname Mother Surname Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
PRICE Martha PRICE PRICE GREEN 1865 Forest of Dean Westbury on Severn, Newnham 25 418

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1879
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
PRICE Jane Chorley Preston GREEN CHO/59/23

Thank you safc - you have solved another problem for me. I wasn't sure if James Price married an Elizabeth Green or an Elizabeth Barrett. Looks like the 'split' came some time after the birth of Jane. If I am correct, I wonder what prompted Elizabeth to take her children to the other end of the country. Very puzzling ! Thanks again.

room Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
PRICE James GREEN Elizabeth Forest of Dean Mitcheldean St Michael and All Angels 1865 1 77

Brilliant safc. I was just about to search for that. Many thanks. Rightly or wrongly, until I can find any proof to say different, I am going with the Coppull, Lancashire location. Perhaps James had been messing around with Elizabeth Wellstead whilst Elizabeth his wife was expecting the last child and she found out......... my imagination running away with me now. Thanks again for your help.

Lancashire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1936
Name: Martha Price - a weaver, of Brooke Street
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Birth Year: abt 1863
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 29 Mar 1884
Parish: Chorley, St James, Lancashire, England
Spouse: William Shorrock - a fire beater, of 57 Thornley Street
Spouse Age: 24
Father: James Price - a collier
Spouse Father: Thomas Shorrock
Register Type: Parish Register

Witnesses: Elizabeth Glover & William Taylor.

I see nothing to suggest you're on the wrong track. I'd certainly ignore erroneous information in other trees.

Thank you so much MarieCeleste. I really don't know why I give into temptation and look on Ancestry trees as all it does is make me doubt myself. I must admit I like to find positive proof myself (or valuable info from Genes members) for any research I am doing. Thank you for your input. Much appreciated.

1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
High Street, East Dean, Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England

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Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
James Price Head Married Male 47 1844 Collier Gloucestershire, England
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Elizabeth Wilstead Housekeeper Single Female 37 1854 Housekeeper Herefordshire, England
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Annie Price Niece Single Female 16 1875 Scholar Steam Mills, Gloucestershire, England
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Miriam Price Daughter Single Female 5 1886 Scholar Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England
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Ellen Price Daughter Single Female 3 1888 - Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England
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Louisa Price Daughter Single Female 2 1889 - Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England
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Tom Price Son Single Male 1 1890 - Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England
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Emma Wibby Nurse Single Female 13 1878 Nurse Herefordshire, England

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Lower High Street, East Dean, Westbury on Severn, Gloucestershire, England

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Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
James Price Head Widower Male 57 1844 Collier (Hewer) Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England
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Elizabeth Willstead House Keeper Single Female 45 1856 House Keeper Ruardean, Gloucestershire, England
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Ellen P Willstead Daughter Single Female 13 1888 - Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England
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Lousia Willstead Daughter Single Female 12 1889 - Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England
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Tom P Willstead Son Single Male 11 1890 - Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England
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Eliza P Willstead Daughter Single Female 7 1894 - Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England
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Ann P Willstead Daughter Single Female 5 1896 - Cinderford, Gloucestershire, England

hild Surname Child Forename Father Surname Mother Surname Mother's Former Name Year District Office Register Entry
WELSTED Louisa Price WELSTED 1888 Forest of Dean Westbury on Severn, Newnham 58 112

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Factory Row Cinderford Gloucestershire, East Dean, Gloucestershire, England

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Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Occupation Age Birth year Birth place
Elizabeth Price Head Widow Female Private Means 54 1857 Herefordshire Ross Parish
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Tom Price Son Single Male Colliery Haulier Below Ground 21 1890 Gloucestershire Cinderford
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Ann Price Daughter Single Female - 15 1896 Gloucestershire Cinderford
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Gilbert James Price Grandson - Male - 3 1908 Gloucestershire Cinderford
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Oliver William Price Grandson - Male - 2 1909 Gloucestershire Cinderford

Deaths Jun 1904 (>99%)
PRICE James 60 Westbury S. 6a 163

If James died in 1904, did he actually marry Elizabeth Welstead?

ah yes, my question answered ....

Gloucestershire, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1938

Name: James Price
Birth Year: abt 1844
Marriage Date: 6 Mar 1904
Age: 60
Father: Tom Price
Spouse: Elizabeth Willstead
Spouse Age: 48
Spouse Father: William Willstead
Event Type: Marriage
Parish: Cinderford, St Stephen, Gloucestershire
Parish as it Appears: Woodside
Register Type: Parish Registers

both fathers deceased

Witnesses:- Edwin F Davis and Fanny Willstead

Elizabeth and her children might have moved to Lancashire in order to find work, and avoid her son going into the colliery.

Many people from rural areas moved to Lancashire in the late 1870s and 1880s as the cotton industry became more and more important.

Thank you everyone. I have found this a very difficult tree to sort out - particularly as the two grandchildren mentioned on 1911 - Gilbert James and Oliver William are both believed to be the illegitimate offspring of two of the Price daughters ! (family info from years and years ago).