Category Archives: Haw

Annie Morley (born 1871) – was she the actress Madge Morley?

I’ve previously written about Annie, my 2^nd cousin three times removed, in two posts on my blog: two actors and an accidental drowning and George Curryer’s will. George married Annie on 10 June 1890 in Folkestone, Kent. He gave his occupation as an actor and his condition on their marriage certificate was recorded as a widower; however, Annie was George’s second wife.

After their marriage, George and Annie, and their two-month-old daughter Madge (1891-1940), were next found in the 1891 census living in Scarborough with Annie’s mother Maria and her second husband James Davison (b. 1852). George’s occupation was recorded as an actor. Maria and George went on to have a son Henry (1893-1920). However, after 1891, George and Annie, do not appear together in any further census records. The admission records of Acomb National School do though provide some further clues as to their whereabouts:

	Madge Morley Curryer	Henry Edwards Curryer
Date admitted to Acomb school	26/04/1897	19/03/1900
Birth date	27/01/1891	11/09/93
Parent	George 4 Whitehall Cottages, Acomb	Annie 4 Whitehall Cottages, Acomb
Previous school	All Saints, Scarborough	Private school
Date left	10/01/1905	12/04/1900
Date admitted		07/01/1901
Date left		22/02/1901
Date admitted		27/08/1901
Date left		04/10/1901

It seems that by April 1897 George, Annie and their two children were at least using 4 Whitehall Cottages, Acomb as their address for the purpose of Madge’s and then Henry’s education. However, when Henry entered the school in March 1900, his parent was recorded as his mother Annie. An entry in the “Professional Cards” section of The Stage (7 March 1895) also provided useful information:

“MR. GEORGE EDWARDS, Lead or Character. MADGE MORLEY, Juvenile Lead, Light Comedy. Liberty. 48, Tenison-st., Lambeth, S.E.”

It looks like George’s stage name was George Edwards and Annie’s was Madge Morley. However, they had probably gone their separate ways by 8 July 1897 when Annie’s Professional Card in The Stage read as follows:

“MISS MADGE MORLEY, Disengaged Autumn. Comedy or Drama. “The pathos instilled into the part of Marie, a blind girl, by Madge Morley makes her at once a favourite and enlists the sympathy of the audience.” Northern Guardian, June 22^nd 1897. Address, 4 Whitehall Cottages, Acomb, York.”

Returning to their son Henry’s education records, he finally left Acomb School at the age of eight on 4 October 1901. In the 1901 census Henry was with his father George, living with George’s brother William, at 62 Vicarage Rd, Tottenham. Annie (as Madge Morley) was at 1 Tidy St, Brighton, where she was described as a married actress. Their daughter Madge was at 4 Whitehall Cottages, Acomb with Frederic and Sarah Brown and described as their niece. She was their great niece, as Annie’s mother was Maria, Sarah’s sister. The following map shows the location of the cottages in Acomb.

By 1911 George had moved to 142 Gladstone Buildings, Willow St, Finsbury where he subsequently died on 17 December 1925. His son Henry joined the Royal Marines on 13 May 1911 and daughter Madge was working as a governess in a children’s home in Walthamstow, Essex in the 1911 census. Annie was recorded as “Madge Morley”, born 1876 in Aldershot, single, an actress, and visitor at Flat 3, 112A Brixton Hill, London in 1911. The head of the household was John Sanders.

Annie continued to live in London when she wasn’t touring in music halls and theatres. She appeared at the York Empire in May 1912 (Musical Hall and Theatre Review, 2 May 1912), a venue specialising in variety performances. The Western Evening Herald of 10 June 1918 contained an advert for “Miss Madge Morley and company – a farcical absurdity entitled AFTER THE RACES” at the Palace Plymouth, now a disused theatre.

Former Palace Theatre, Union St, Plymouth by miagarrett – unchanged

In the 1920 London Electoral Registers Annie’s address was 128 Brixton Hill. This was the address recorded for her, as her son Henry’s next of kin, when he died by accidental drowning on 9 March 1920 in South Africa. A further search of The Stage for later entries for Annie, with the stage name Madge Morley, found an entry in the death’s column of the 12 September 1929 issue:

“John Sanders – died 28 August 1929, age 48, after a short illness. Deeply mourned by his wife, Madge Morley.”

Another look at Annie’s 1920 Electoral Register entry showed that John Sanders was also living at 128 Brixton Hill. In addition, there were further entries in The Stage (for example, 27 January 1921 and 20 October 1921) posted by Madge Morley seeking work. In all cases her address was 128 Brixton Hill. Eventually I found a marriage between Annie Curryer and John Sanders on 24 December 1925. She had waited just a week after George’s death before marrying John. The couple were married by license in the Lambeth Registry Office. John was a bachelor and commercial traveller (textiles) living at 128 Brixton Hill. Annie was described as a widow with no rank or profession and her address was 12 Fairmount Rd, Brixton Hill.

After her second husband John’s death on 28 August 1929, Annie continued to advertise for work in The Stage Professional Cards column. Her entry on 24 April 1930 suggested that she was disengaged and seeking special parts, with her address given as 128 Brixton Hill. By this time, she would have been about 60 and was possibly coming to the end of her career on the stage. So far, I’ve been unable to find out what happened to Annie after her second husband died. Do contact me if you have any further information which you are willing to share with me.

Note: the map used in this blog has been reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland under the following creative commons licence https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ and sourced from the NLS maps site https://maps.nls.uk/.

Bibliography

Births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ and https://findmypast.co.uk : accessed January 2022.

Census Records. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

Darby, Neil. (2017) Life on the Victorian Stage: Theatrical Gossip. Barnsley: Pen and Sword.

London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

Miagarrett. (2014) Former Palace Theatre, Union St, Plymouth. CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en). https://commons.wikimedia.org/ : accessed January 2022.

Music Hall and Theatre Review. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

National School Admission Registers & Log Books, 1870-1914. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

OS Maps. https://maps.nls.uk/ : February 2021.

The Stage. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

Western Evening Herald. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

George Curryer (1848-1925) – what his will revealed

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I’ve previously written about George in my blog two actors and an accidental drowning. George married Annie Morley (born 1871), my 2^nd cousin three times removed, on 10 June 1890 in Folkestone, Kent. He gave his occupation as an actor and his condition on their marriage certificate was recorded as a widower. However, Annie was George’s second wife. He had previously been married to Mary Ann Wheeler (born 1855), who he had divorced in 1882, as a result of her adultery with Edward Shelton. Mary was also an actress who performed under the stage name Mabel Verner.

After their marriage, George and Annie, and their two-month-old daughter Madge (1891-1940), were next found in the 1891 census living in Scarborough with Annie’s mother Maria, her second husband James Davison (b. 1852) and her three Morley siblings. George’s occupation was recorded as an actor. Maria and George went on to have a son Henry (1893-1920). However, after 1891, George and Annie, do not appear together in any further census records.

The first record which gave George’s address as 142 Gladstone Buildings, Willow Street, Finsbury, London EC2 was the 1911 census. He continued to live there until his death on 17 December 1925. The probate calendar showed that probate was granted to his brother Henry and that his effects were valued at £1,392 1s 11d. I wondered if there would be any mention of his second wife Annie, my 2^nd cousin three times removed, in his will, so I ordered it. It was dated 1 August 1924 and contained the following list of bequests, which amounted £970, before funeral expenses etc:

The following statement was included at the end of the will:

“My reason for not leaving more than here stated to my son and daughter is because their uncle and aunt provided for them leaving houses and liquid assets and myself no liquid assets.”

At the time of his death only George (1874-1935), his son from his first marriage and Madge (1891-1963) his daughter from his second wife Annie, were still alive. George clearly stated that they had been left assets by their uncle and aunt. Two of his brothers, Thomas (1844-1895) and William (1846-1917), were jewellers so perhaps he was referring to them?

Annie wasn’t mentioned in his will and it has taken some further research to find out a bit more about what happened to her. In the 1920 London Electoral Registers her address was 128 Brixton Hill, London. This was confirmed by her son Henry’s death entry in the Navy record of his accidental drowning on 9 March 1920 in South Africa. I also found 1901 and 1911 census records for a “Madge Morley” born 1874/1876 in Aldershot who was an actress. In 1911 Madge was a visitor at 112A Brixton Hill, London where the head of the household was John Sanders. On the assumption that Annie could also have become an actress with the stage name Madge Morley, I carried out a search of The Stage newspaper. The deaths column of the 12 September 1929 issue included the following entry:

“John Sanders – died 28 August 1929, age 48, after a short illness. Deeply mourned by his wife, Madge Morley.”

Another look at Annie’s 1920 Electoral Register entry showed that John Sanders was also living at 128 Brixton Hill. In addition, there were entries in The Stage on 27 January 1921, 20 October 1921 and 17 April 1930 posted by Madge Morley seeking work. In all three her address was 128 Brixton Hill. Eventually I found a marriage between Annie Curryer and John Sanders in Q4, 1925 recorded in Lambeth. Did Annie and John wait until her husband George had died before they got married?

Finally – George’s will was also interesting because two of the addresses caught my eye: Oakfield Rd, Penge and Ewart Rd, Forest Hill. I lived in both Penge and Forest Hill before my move out of London. Something of a coincidence!

I am interested in knowing more about all the people mentioned in this blog post, and in particular, what happened to George’s second wife Annie. Do contact me if you have any further information which you are willing to share with me.

Bibliography

Births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ and https://findmypast.co.uk : accessed January 2022.

Census Records. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

Darby, Neil. (2017) Life on the Victorian Stage: Theatrical Gossip. Barnsley: Pen and Sword.

London, England, Electoral Registers, 1832-1965. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

Music Hall and Theatre Review. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

Probate Records. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

The Stage. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ : accessed January 2022.

Alfred and Martha Haw – York, England

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Alfred Haw (1869-1940) is my first cousin four times removed. He was born in Heslington, near York, the youngest son of Joseph Haw (1818-1875) and his second wife Anne Cariss (1827-1888). In 1871 Joseph was farming 55 acres in Heslington. By 1891 Alfred was a general labourer living with his brother Frederick (1861-1936), a gardener, at 93A Heworth, York. Alfred married Martha Emma Fowler (1867-1938) on 10 July 1892 in the Centenary Chapel (Wesleyan Methodist), in York. Alfred was described as a labourer from Dennison St, York and Martha, a domestic servant, whose father John, a railway foreman, was deceased. Alfred’s brother Edwin was one of the witnesses.

Central Methodist Church, St Saviourgate, York (Bill Henderson wikimedia commnos)

Alfred and Martha had four daughters and one son. No baptism record has been found for Elsie their eldest daughter. Lydia, Lily and Alfred were all baptised in St Maurice’s Church, Monkgate while the family were living in Dennison St. The church was demolished in 1966. Ivy was baptised at St Thomas’, York with a change to her father Alfred’s occupation. Their address’ proximity to the Rowntree Cocoa works, suggest that Alfred was working at Rowntree’s by November 1899. The following table shows their children’s birth and baptisms and where the family were living in York and Alfred’s occupation.

Child’s name	Birth date	Baptism date	Address	Alfred’s occupation
Elsie Evelyn Haw	21 Jul 1893
Lydia Anne Haw	21 Aug 1895	4 Sep 1895	17 Dennison St	Labourer
Lily Constance Haw	05 Dec 1896	23 Dec 1896	17 Dennison St	Labourer
Alfred Edward Haw	Q2 1898	27 Apr 1898	17 Dennison St	Labourer
Ivy Maud Haw	Q4 1899	15 Nov 1899	Ashville St	Packer

Table 1 Baptism details for Alfred and Martha’s children

All seems to have been well with the family until the later part of the 19^th century. However, what happened to the family in the early 20^th century becomes less clear. In the 1901 census Alfred was recorded as the only member of his household at 2 Ashville St, York. Neither his wife Martha nor any of his five children were recorded as living with him at the time. Further census records for his wife Martha and son Alfred have so far proved elusive. Three of Alfred and Martha’s daughters, Elsie, Lydia and Lily, were recorded in the 1901 census in St Stephen’s Orphanage, Trinity Lane, York and their youngest daughter Ivy was probably living with Frederick, one of Alfred’s siblings.

St Stephen’s orphanage was set up in York in 1870 in a house in Precentor’s court near York Minster to provide for destitute orphans. By 1901 the orphanage occupied premises in Trinity Lane (numbers 21, 23, 25 and 27), York and that is where Alfred and Martha’s daughters were living in the 1901 census. By then it was providing for children who had lost one or both their parents. Elsie, Lydia and Lily’s father Alfred was alive in 1901, as evidenced by his entry in the 1901 census. The following extract from the OS (1910) Yorkshire CLXXIV.SW map shows the location of Trinity Lane in York (marked by a square box). The premises occupied by the orphanage have been converted to residential use.

What is unclear is what had happened to Martha and her son Alfred by the 1901 census; they haven’t been found in either the 1901 or later censuses in York.

By the 1911 census it seems that Alfred senior had been reunited with two of his daughters: Lily and Ivy, who were living with him at 2 Ashville St, York; his occupation was recorded as a labourer. His two eldest daughters, Elsie and Lydia, were both working as servants. Elsie was a housemaid at The Mount School in York and Lydia a kitchen maid at Alne Hall, Yorkshire. The following extract from the OS (1910) Yorkshire CLXXIV.NW map shows the location of Ashville St in York (marked by a square box).

The FindmyPast collection of National School Admission Registers and Log-Books helped bridge the gap between the 1901 and 1911 census records. Some information about the girl’s education was gleaned from these records, although no information for their son Alfred was found. The following table charts each of their daughter’s education.

	Elsie Evelyn Haw	Lydia Anne Haw	Lily Constance Haw	Ivy Maud Haw
School	Bishophill and Clementhorpe Infants for Girls	Bishophill and Clementhorpe Infants for Girls	Park Grove Infants for Girls	Park Grove Infants for Girls
Date entered	21 Feb 1902	29 Jun 1903	13 Aug 1906	15 Feb 1910
Home address	The Home, Skeldergate	58 Skeldergate	13 Lord Mayor’s Walk	2 Ashville St
Date left	4 Jul 1902	7 Jul 1904	29 Jan 1907	25 Aug 1911
Next school	Grey Coat School for Girls	Grey Coat School for Girls	Haxby School	Leeman Rd School

Table 2 Four daughters and their schools

Elsie and Lydia also attended the Grey Coat School for girls. This was a charity school which fed, clothed and prepared pupils for domestic service.

Whilst no further information has been found for Alfred and Martha’s son Alfred, Martha’s death certificate does help to explain what had happened to her. She died on 5 February 1938 in York City Mental Hospital, Fulford. It is possible that she had been in a mental institution since around the turn of the 20^th century, although that has not yet been confirmed. A visit to the Borthwick to consult their mental health records is planned for when archives can re-open.

It looks like Alfred was unable to cope with his children around the time of the 1901 census, hence why he was living on his own and three of his daughters were in St Stephen’s Orphanage and his youngest was probably living with one of his brothers. He was reunited with his two youngest daughters by 1911. It is likely that the education his two older daughters Elsie and Lydia received meant that they were able to secure work by the time of the 1911 census.

Only one of Alfred and Martha’s daughters, Ivy, married; the other three remained single. Brief biographies for Alfred and his four daughters are as follows:

Alfred Haw (1869-1940) continued to live in 2 Ashville St, York and in the 1939 Register he was listed as a widow and confectioner’s labourer with two of his unmarried daughters: Elsie and Lydia. He died in York in Q2, 1940 at the age of 70.

Elsie Evelyn Haw (1893-1984) remained single and in the 1939 register was recorded as a housekeeper. She died in York in Q2, 1984 at the age of 90.

Lydia Anne Haw (1895-1985) was a daily maid in 1939. She was living at 2 Ashville St, York when died on 25 September 1985. She left an estate of approximately £40,000 and was the last member of her immediate family to live at the address.

Lily Constance Haw (1896-1983) was a patient in the York City Mental Hospital in Fulford, near York in the 1939 Register. Her personal occupation was described as “private means”. She died at the age of 85 and her death was registered in York in Q1, 1983.

Ivy Maud Haw (1899-1977) married Joseph Taylor in Q2 1932. They were living at 34 Diamond St, York in the 1939 Register. Ivy died in York in Q1, 1977.

I am interested in knowing more about all the people mentioned in this blog post, and in particular what happened to Alfred and Martha’s son Alfred. Do contact me if you have any further information which you are willing to share.

Note: the maps used in this blog has been reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland under the following creative commons licence https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ and sourced from the NLS maps site https://maps.nls.uk/.

Bibliography:

National School Admission Registers and Log-Books 1870-1914. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed February 2021.

OS Maps. https://maps.nls.uk/ : February 2021.

St Maurice, Monkgate. http://secretyork.com/st-maurice-monkgate/ : accessed February 2021.

St Stephen’s Orphanage, York. https://yorkcivictrust.co.uk/heritage/civic-trust-plaques/st-stephens-orphanage-1870-1969/ : accessed February 2021.

St Stephen’s Orphanage, York. http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/YorkStStephen/ : accessed February 2021.

Tillott, P. M. ed. (1961) Victoria County History: A History of Yorkshire, The City of York. London: Oxford University Press. pp. 440-460.

Methodism in York and the Haw family

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Whilst researching my Haw ancestors I came across a number of them who had been baptised and/or married in Methodist chapels in York. I didn’t know much about Methodism in York so this post starts with some brief information on how Methodism developed in York before looking at some of my ancestors and the chapels where I’ve found baptism and marriage records for them.

Methodism in York

According to the Victoria County History for York, Methodism was first introduced in York in 1744 by John Nelson, a stonemason, who was an early Wesleyan convert. By 1747 a society had been formed and Methodists continued to meet in a house in the Bedern until 1752. After that meetings were held in a number of places in the city, including Pump Yard. Both Charles and John Wesley preached in York, with John preaching there 15 times between 1761 and 1790.

The first chapel to be established in York was the Peasholme Green chapel, probably opened by John Wesley, in 1759. It was built to accommodate 400 worshippers. Methodists did also continue to meet in other places in the city, including Coppergate and Coffee Yard.

The next chapel to be built in York was New Street Wesleyan chapel which held 1500-2000 worshippers and was completed in 1805. The Peasholme Green chapel was then sold. New Street Chapel continued in use until 1908 when it was sold. Its closure had been mooted in 1897 as a result of the extension of Methodism into the neighbourhoods of Bootham and Clifton. Further chapels were built in different places to serve the needs of Methodists in the city, including two of particular interest with regards to my Methodist ancestors; the Centenary Methodist chapel in St Saviourgate and Melbourne Terrace Wesleyan chapel.

Primitive Methodism was introduced to York through the preaching of William Clowes in May 1819. This was followed by other local evangelical preachers. Although initially small, the York branch expanded and occupied the Grape Lane chapel. This was vacated in 1851 when the Ebenezer chapel in Little Stonegate was opened. It was the principal Primitive Methodist chapel in York until the new Monkgate chapel was opened in 1903; it provided accommodation for 775 people and the organ from the Ebenezer chapel was rebuilt and installed within it.

A development of Methodism, Wesleyan Protestant Methodism, was first introduced to York in 1829. Their first chapel in Lady Peckitt’s Yard was opened in 1830 followed by the Monk Bar chapel in 1859 which was able to accommodate 800 people. Financial problems meant that in 1917 the trustees agreed to its disposal. This was avoided by amalgamating it in early 1919 with the York Central Mission. It then became the Monk Bar Central mission which was closed in 1934. The building itself is still in use as commercial premises.

Haw Methodist ancestors

William Haw (1780-1855) and Phillis Feather (1788-1844) are my fourth great grandparents. All the people mentioned in this blog post are related to them. The majority adopted Wesleyan Methodism .

The first ancestor I found who married in a Methodist chapel is Sarah Haw (1839-1896). She is my first cousin four times removed and is William and Phillis’s granddaughter. Sarah married William Thorpe (1841-1920 on 10 August 1867 in New St Wesleyan Chapel. The chapel was located in New Street, York and was converted into the Tower cinema in 1920. It was damaged in WWII and later demolished. The following 1910 map of York has been annotated to show the location of the New Street Wesleyan chapel which is circled in purple.

Baptisms have been found for four of Sarah and William’s children as follows:

Date of baptism	Child’s name	Methodist chapel	Family’s address
2 Sept 1868	Sarah Ellen Thorpe (1868-1902)	New Street Wesleyan Chapel	Park Crescent
4 Feb 1871	John Edwin Thorpe (1871-1931)	New Street Wesleyan Chapel	Goodramgate
7 Dec 1877	Laura Thorpe (b 1877)	New Street Wesleyan Chapel	Low Petergate
30 Mar 1880	Rose Ann Thorpe (b 1880)	Pontefract non-conformist	Not known

Although their daughter Rose was baptised in Pontefract, the family moved back to York where her father William was recorded as a school attendance officer in the 1891 census.

A record has also been found for another family member who married in New Street Wesleyan Methodist chapel. Annie Eliza Haw (1867-1914) married William Douglass (1850-1918) on 10 November 1890. Annie was William’s second wife and he was described as a widower and a tailor on their marriage certificate. One of the witnesses was Annie’s brother Edwin Haw (1866-1945). Annie and Edwin are my first cousins four times removed and Sarah Haw’s (1839-1896) is their first cousin. Annie and William did not have any of their children baptised in a Methodist chapel; they used St Maurice’s Church in Monkgate. The following image shows New Street Wesleyan chapel.

Moving on next to Maria Mason (1861-1942), my second cousin three times removed. She was the daughter of James Mason (1831-1872) and Elizabeth Haw (1837-1902), my first cousin four times removed. Elizabeth’s cousins are Sarah Haw and Annie Eliza Haw who were also involved with New Street Wesleyan chapel as discussed above. Maria had been baptised in St Lawrence’s Church in York but her brother Albert was baptised a Methodist in the Monk Bar United Methodist chapel on 14 February 1871. He later married Kate Adams (1871-1955), a Roman Catholic whose family came from Ireland, in 1895. More information on him can be found in the WWII submariner story.

The 1881 census for York shows Maria and her brother Albert living with their mother Elizabeth, her second husband John Law (1825-1886), their two children and George Poole (1857-1942) a lodger and groom. One Elizabeth and John Law’s children, Sarah Elizabeth Law (1876-1937), was baptised in Monk Bar United Methodist chapel on 28 January 1877.

Maria married George Poole on 20 August 1881 in the Ebenezer Primitive Methodist chapel; they both gave their address as Gray’s Court, York and George’s occupation was recorded as a coachman. The chapel had been built in Little Stonegate in 1851 and was closed in 1901. The building is listed and still in use as commercial premises.

Maria and George baptised their children in the Monk Bar United Methodist chapel (see above map where the chapel is ringed in blue) as follows:

Date of baptism	Child’s name	Methodist chapel	Family’s address
1 Mar 1882	Ada Poole (1882-1947)	Monk Bar United Methodist	7 Gray’s Court
21 Mar 1883	James Poole (1883-1916)	Monk Bar United Methodist	7 Gray’s Court
19 Nov 1884	William Ewart Poole (b 1884)	Monk Bar United Methodist	Gray’s Court
19 Oct 1887	Edith Mary Poole (b 1887)	Monk Bar United Methodist	2 Gray’s Court, Ogleforth
13 Mar 1889	Annie Elizabeth Poole (b 1889)	Monk Bar United Methodist	2 Gray’s Court
18 Jun 1890	Frank Lockwood Poole (1890-1917)	Monk Bar United Methodist	18 Nelson Street
7 Oct 1896	Edward Poole (1896-1915)	Monk Bar United Methodist	Nelson Street
14 Mar 1900	Maria Louisa Poole (1900-1934)	Monk Bar United Methodist	11 Emerald Street, Park Grove

The Melbourne Terrace Wesleyan Methodist chapel also features in the family’s history. Emma Bean’s (1853-1825) cousin, Ann Bean (1843-1911), married my second great grandfather William Haw (1846-1907) and she has been included here as a member of the extended Haw family. Emma married William John Oxtoby (1857-1932) on 29 May 1882 in the parish church of East Acklam, Yorkshire. They subsequently moved to York and had at least five children. So far, I have found Methodist baptisms for three of their children as follows:

Date of baptism	Child’s name	Methodist chapel	Family’s address
17 Nov 1883	William John Oxtoby (1883-1944)	Melbourne Terrace Wesleyan Chapel	Alne Terrace
7 Dec 1884	Henry Ewart Oxtoby (1884-1963)	Melbourne Terrace Wesleyan Chapel	Alne Terrace
1 Oct 1890	Albert Oxtoby (1890-1954)	Centenary Methodist chapel, St Saviourgate	Palmer House, Palmer Street

The following map shows the location of the Melbourne Terrace chapel and nearby Alne Terrace.

The chapel the family would have been familiar with was demolished and rebuilt in the 1950s. The Centenary Methodist chapel in St Saviourgate is marked in green on the first map in this blog post. It was built in 1840 and became the Central Methodist church in 1982.

The final Methodist member of the Haw family to be included in this blog post is George Haw (1857-1931), my first cousin four times removed. He married Esther Ambler (1863-1913) on 11 March 1884 in Shipton parish church, Yorkshire. They too moved to York and I found just one Methodist baptism for their eldest son George William Haw (1884-1966). He was baptised in the Melbourne Terrace Wesleyan chapel on 7 June 1885 when the family were living at 8 Milton street, off the Hull Road. Unfortunately, there are no further records for Melbourne Terrace in the FindmyPast online collection after 1885. The original records are held at the Borthwick Institute in York and a visit there in the future is planned.

I am interested in knowing more about all the people mentioned in this blog post. Do contact me if you have any further information which you are willing to share with me.

Bibliography

Central Methodist Church, St Saviourgate, York. http://www.methodistheritage.org.uk/centralmethodistyork.htm : accessed October 2020.

Cinema Treasures, Tower Cinema, New Street, York. http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/44434 : accessed October 2020.

Ebenezer Chapel, York. https://www.myprimitivemethodists.org.uk/content/chapels/yorkshire/x-z/ebenezer_pm_chapel_little_stonegate_york : accessed October 2020.

Genealogical records. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/ : accessed October 2020.

Genealogical records. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed October 2020.

Genuki/York. https://www.genuki.org.uk/ : accessed October 2020.

OS Maps. https://maps.nls.uk/ : accessed October 2020.

Tillott, P. M. ed. (1961) Victoria County History: A History of Yorkshire, The City of York. London: Oxford University Press. pp. 404-418.

A submariner in World War II – George Leonard Mason (1913-1943)

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George served on the submarine HMS Turbulent during World War II and was declared dead after the submarine went missing while out on patrol in 1943. He was my third cousin 3 times removed and his grandmother Elizabeth Haw (1837-1902) was my first cousin 4 times removed.

George was the youngest son of Albert Mason (1870-1932) and Kate Adams (1876-1955). While his father Albert had been baptised in Monk Bar United Methodist Chapel on 14 February 1870, his mother Kate was a Roman Catholic. Kate’s parents had been born in Ireland and Albert and Kate married in St Wilfrid’s Roman Catholic Church, York on 14 September 1895. George was baptised in St Sampson’s Church, Church Street, York on 27 April 1913 when the family were living at 3 Wilmots Court, Swinegate (see the following map for Swinegate and St Sampson Church which is just nearby in Church Street and circled in red).

By 1939 George had married Annie Upton (1912-1991) and they had had a son Leonard (1936-2003). The family were living at 44 Kyme Street, which is inside the city walls and part of the Bishophill area of the city of York. George gave his occupation as a “maintenance mechanic motor transport”.

By 1943 George was a submariner on HMS Turbulent where he was described as a “engine room artificer 4^th class”. An artificer is a Royal Navy trade and they are skilled mechanics. Presumably George’s previous experience as a mechanic was being put to use here.

The following photograph shows HMS Turbulent on the outboard side, moored up with HMS Taiku on the inboard side, in Algiers in 1943.

HMS Turbulent – Royal Navy Official Photographer, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

HMS Turbulent is known to have left Algiers on 23 February 1943 for a patrol in the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is part of the Mediterranean, to the west of Italy. She did not return from her patrol duties and was declared overdue on 23 March 1943. It is likely that she was torpedoed and sunk in early March, but the precise details have not been conclusively confirmed, and her wreck has not been found. Members of George’s family continued to live and work in York and George’s death is commemorated on the Naval Memorial at Plymouth.

I am interested in knowing more about all the people mentioned in this blog post. Do contact me if you have any further information which you are willing to share with me.

Bibliography

Commonwealth War Graves Commission. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/ : accessed October 2020.

HMS Turbulent. https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205147929 : accessed October 2020.

HMS Turbulent. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/HMSM_Turbulent_FL20300.jpg : accessed October 2020.

HMS Turbulent (N98). https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3505.html : accessed October 2020.

OS Maps. https://maps.nls.uk/ : accessed October 2020.

Royal Navy Trades. https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/blog/2016/01/15/royal-navy-rank-and-trades-explained : accessed October 2020.

Two actors and an accidental drowning

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My recent research into my family history has focused on my Haw ancestors. Whilst I have traced them back from my great grandmother Sarah Ann Haw (1874-1944), to my five times great grandfather William Haw (1755-1798), what I hadn’t done was look in more depth at each generation to identify further aunts, uncles and cousins.

The two actors and the accidental drowning who form part of this blog post were related to Maria Haw (1841-bef.1901) my first cousin four times removed. Maria’s father William Haw (1811-1897) was the brother of my three times great grandfather James (1804-1871).

Maria was born in 1841 and baptised on 26 September 1841 in St Maurice’s Church, Monkgate, York. By 1851 the family were living in nearby Gate Fulford where her father William was a gardener. There is then a gap in the information I have found for her until she married Henry Morley (1837-1881), a soldier, on 27 May 1868 in Ashton-under-Lyme in Lancashire. Later birth records for their children confirm their marriage although, when I first found it, it seemed unlikely it was her marriage. Henry’s military record includes information about him re-attesting for the 6^th Dragoons on 7 January 1868 in York where he probably met Maria. He had previously served in the Crimea and Turkey, as well as the East Indies.

Henry attained the rank of Corporal in the 6^th Dragoons and completed his military service on 5 January 1876. He gave his intended address as Lowther Street, York. While he was in the 6^th Dragoons it is likely that Maria spent some of her time with him as this is reflected in where their children were born. Their eldest daughter Annie was born in Aldershot, Hampshire in 1871, son William in Tipperary, Ireland in 1872, son Charles in 1873 in York and daughter Lavinia in 1876 in York. The following chart shows Henry and Maria, their four children, their children’s spouses and their grandchildren. The two actors are circled in blue and the accidental drowning in red.

Descendant chart for Henry Morley and Maria Haw

Although Henry and Maria’s eldest daughter Annie’s birth was registered in Aldershot, Hampshire, she was baptised in York, Yorkshire on 28 May 1871. The family were recorded in York in the 1881 census and, at the age of 20, Annie married George Curryer (1848-1925), an actor, on 10 June 1890 in Folkestone, Kent. He gave his condition on their marriage certificate as a widower; however, Annie was his second wife. He had previously married Mary Ann Wheeler on 26 January 1874. Together they had had four children, only one of whom was still alive in 1882 when George divorced Mary as a result of her adultery with Edward Shelton. Mary was also an actress who performed under the stage name Mabel Verner

On both his marriage certificates George gave his father’s details as Thomas Curryer, gentleman. George had spent his early life in Islington, London. It is not clear when George became an actor. In the 1871 census his occupation was recorded as an architect, but by 1874, when he married Mary, he considered himself an actor. His father Thomas was a retired stationer in 1871 living at no 20 St John’s Villas, Upper Holloway, London.

After their marriage George and Annie, and their two-month old daughter Madge, were next found in the 1891 census living in Scarborough with Annie’s mother Maria, her second husband James Davison (b. 1852) and her three Morley siblings. George’s occupation was recorded as an actor. Maria and George went on to have a son Henry (1893-1920). However, after the 1891 census George and Annie were not found together in later census records.

So far, I’ve been unable to find Annie in the 1901 census. There is an education record for her son Henry which shows that he was admitted to Acomb School on 19 March 1900 by his mother Annie who gave her address as 4 Whitehall Cottages, Acomb. These were near Southview Terrace as shown on the 1910 OS map below. (Acomb Schools are also circled on the map.) In addition, her daughter Madge was recorded as living at 4 White Hall Cottages with her “aunt and uncle” in 1901. Henry was in London with his father George and uncle William Curryer, a retired jeweller, living at 62 Vicarage Road, Tottenham.

By 1911, George’s census entry states that he had married 20 years ago and his address was 142 Gladstone Buildings, Willow Street, Finsbury, London. He continued to live there until his death on 17 December 1925. Probate was granted to his brother Henry. His wife Annie was probably living in London in the early 1900s although records for her have been difficult to find.

George and Annie’s son Henry enlisted as a Royal Marine. He was serving on HMS Lowestoft in South Africa when he accidentally drowned on 19 March 1920. He was buried in the cemetery at Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape and his mother’s address was given as 128 Brixton Hill, London. It is possible that by then she was calling herself Alice Curryer rather than Annie. Perhaps the 1921 census will help me to find out what happened to her.

The second actor in the family was Annie’s younger sister Lavinia (b 1876) who had married Henry Paine (b 1872) in 1898 in London. She was described as an actress in the 1911 census. A snippet from the Music Hall and Theatre Review dated 21 December 1911 details her appearance in a comedy sketch called “The man who knew a bit” at the Leicester Pavilion. It is possible her husband moved to the USA but it is unclear what happened to Lavinia.

With regards to Annie and Lavinia’s two brothers William Morley (1872-1957) and Charles Morley (1873-1952), they both continued to live and work in Scarborough. By 1911 William was a lithographic printer and his address, when he died in 1957, was 80 Highfield, Scarborough. Charles was recorded as a watch repairer in 1939 and was living at 42 Trafalgar Road, Scarborough when he died in 1952. The brothers lived within about a mile and a half from each other during their lives.

I am interested in knowing more about all the people mentioned in this blog post. Do contact me if you have any further information which you are willing to share with me.

Bibliography

Darby, Neil. (2017) Life on the Victorian Stage: Theatrical Gossip. Barnsley: Pen and Sword.

OS Maps. https://maps.nls.uk/ : accessed October 2020.

Music Hall and Theatre Review. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ : accessed October 2020.

Bean family

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I was discussing family history with a friend a little while ago; she had decided to complete the research of her eight great grandparents. I realised that in the case of one of my own great grandmothers, Sarah Ann Haw’s (1874-1944), I knew very little about her mother Ann Bean (1843-1911). This blog post is about Ann, her parents Joshua Bean (1809-1876) and Ann Smith (1808-1875) from Claxton and her seven siblings: four brothers and three sisters.The pedigree chart shown above for Ann includes her parents Joshua and Ann, and then traces the family back three further generations who were all living in this part of the North Riding of Yorkshire.

Parish of Bossall – see bibliography for reference

The Bean family came from Claxton in the North riding of Yorkshire. In 1870 it was described as a township within the parish of Bossall 9 miles North East North from York. Bossall is no longer a substantial village. This map from the Vision of Britain website has been annotated to show the approximate area of the parish of Bossall.

Joshua and Ann had eight children and continued to live in Claxton until their deaths. Joshua was recorded in different censuses as a gardener in 1841, farmer in 1851 and carrier in 1871. When he died his will was proved by his eldest son, John Bean (1836-1925), my third great uncle. By the time of his father’s death in 1876 John, a gamekeeper, was living in Hack Green, near Baddington, Cheshire. One of his sons, George Wetherhill Bean (1877-1915), also became a gamekeeper and died on 14 March 1915 in Hack Green. His death at the age of 37 was reported in the Nantwich Guardian. It included details of his employment; before his “protracted illness” he had been head gamekeeper to Mr Frank Barlow of Gestryn Colyn Hall, North Wales. When his father John died in 1925 there was also a report in a local paper, although this time it was in the Cheshire Observer. John was described as a “popular South Cheshire gamekeeper” and that he had been gamekeeper to Mr Bailey of Manchester who had had shooting rights on the estate of Mr Shaw of Hack Green. Hack Green is now more commonly known for its secret nuclear bunker.

Joshua and Ann’s next three children were sons. William was born in 1837. He left Yorkshire and in 1911 was living in Blackpool, Lancashire when he was described as a Gentleman butler. He was followed by George (1839-1920) who in 1891 was described as a land steward. He had spent time outside the UK as two of his children were born in Montreal, Canada. At the time of his death he was living with one of his sons in Parsons Green, Fulham and was buried in Brompton Cemetery.

Their fourth son was James (1841-1898) who remained in Claxton. In 1891 he was described as a farmer and carrier. It is possible that he had carried on his father’s business after his death.

St Mary’s Church, Sand Hutton

Joshua and Ann had four daughters. Their eldest daughter was my great grandmother Ann (1843-1911) who was baptised on 9 April 1843 in Bossall, Joshua’s occupation was recorded as a gardener. Ann married my two times great grandfather William Haw (1846-1907) in St Mary’s Church in the nearby village of Sand Hutton on 26 May 1870. William was a tailor from York and the marriage was witnessed by two of Ann’s brothers: John and James. After their marriage they lived in York where William continued to work as a tailor. In 1901 they were living at 45 Marygate in Bootham; it runs from Clifton to the River Ouse alongside the historic St Mary’s Abbey and the museum gardens.

Joshua and Ann had three more daughters. Sarah Elizabeth (1844-1921) married George Thornton (1845-1929) on 9 September 1875 in St Mary’s Church, Sand Hutton. At the time of their marriage George was a machinist. By 1911 he had become a school caretaker and they were living in Alexandra Street, Goole.

Their next daughter was Jane Bean (1850-1922), who also married in St Mary’s Church, Sand Hutton. Her husband was William Bristow (1838-1908) a local farmer from Claxton. They married on 7 June 1875. By 1881 William was farming Glebe Farm, Kirk Smeaton which consisted of 126 acres and employing 3 boys. The family had moved to New Grange, Airmyn by 1891. William was still a farmer and the family had moved to within six miles of Wressle which is where William had been born. When William died in 1908, he was living at Airmyn Grange near Goole; probate was granted to his wife Jane. She continued to farm at Airmyn Grange with two of her daughters, Ann (1876-1946) and Edith (1880-1943), until at least 1911. She was still living there when she died in 1922.

Joshua and Ann’s youngest daughter was Margaret (1852-1905). She also married in St Mary’s Church, Sand Hutton. Her husband was John Robinson Bowling (1846-1929), a cordwainer. They married on 18 May 1869 and their witnesses were William Haw and Margaret’s sister Ann Bean. In 1901 Margaret and John were living in Stockton on the Forest and John was described as a shoemaker.

I am interested in Joshua’s ancestors as I have limited information about them. Do contact me if you know more about the family.

Bibliography:

Bossall. https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/NRY/Bossall : accessed 18 June 2020.

FindmyPast. Collection: British Newspapers, 1710-1965. https://findmypast.co.uk : accessed 18 June 2020.

Hack Green. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hack_Green_Secret_Nuclear_Bunker : accessed 18 June 2020.

Victoria county history https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/yorks/north/vol2/pp91-98 : accessed 17 June 2020.

University of Portsmouth, History of Claxton, in Ryedale and North Riding | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/12069 : accessed 17 June 2020.

James Scaling 1808-1877

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Recently I write about two Haw brothers who married two sisters from the Goodrick family in my blog post called a tale of two brothers and two sisters. Further research into the Haw family revealed James Scaling who married two Haw sisters.

James was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire to parents Thomas and Alice and baptised on 2 August 1808. When he married the first Haw sister, Ann, my fourth great aunt on 3 August 1831 in St Helens Church in York, he gave his residence as Manchester on the marriage licence they obtained. On their marriage record James was described as a glazier and a bachelor. Tracing the family using census records has however been problematic so I may not have identified all their children; it does look like though that they had at least three boys:

William Haw Scaling was baptised in Manchester Cathedral on 5 August 1832. He became a gilder, married and had at least three children.
John Scaling was born in 1839 and baptised in Manchester Cathedral on 21 August 1839. On his marriage record he gave his occupation as a brass pounder.
Thomas Scaling was born in Salford in 1841, became a plumber and married twice.

James’ occupation was given as a plumber and glazier living in Salford on his son William’s baptism record. An 1855 directory gave his occupation as a gas fitter and that he was living in 5 Bury Street, Salford. James’ wife Ann died on 21 March 1856 in Salford, Lancashire as evidenced by her probate record which also confirmed her address as Bury Street, Salford. James then went on to marry Ann’s sister Hannah (1809-1884) on 27 March 1856 in Manchester. At the time this took place this was an unlawful marriage. It wasn’t until the Deceased Wife’s Sister’s Marriage Act of 1907 that this prohibition was removed. When Hannah’s first husband, Roger Arton (1806-1841), died he had left her with at least three children.

After their marriage James and Hannah lived in Trinity Lane, Micklegate, York where James continued to work as a journeyman plumber and glazier. They had moved to Dale Street by the time of the 1871 census and James died in York in 1877 aged about 69. Hannah died in 1884 aged 75 and was buried in nearby Market Weighton.

Note: the image is one I’ve taken of York City Walls.

A tale of two brothers and two sisters

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From time to time I come across intriguing connections between people in my ancestral family tree. This was certainly the case with two of my 2^nd great uncles: John Charlton Haw (1876-1958) and Frederick Thomas Haw (1881-1858). Their parents, William Haw (1846-1907) and Ann Bean (1843-1911), my two times great grandparents, lived and worked in the York area of Yorkshire. William was a tailor who by the 1901 census was living with his family at 45 Marygate, York and working as a tailor on his own account.

John and Frederick were both living with their parents in 1901 with John described as a railway porter for the North Eastern Railway company and Frederick a labourer for them too. By the 1911 census Frederick had married Sarah Ethel Goodrick (born about 1881) and they had three children. His occupation was given as a municipal electric cable joiner. Sarah had been recorded as a servant to the Nutchey family in 1901; the head of the household was a railway clerk. By the 1939 register Frederick and Sarah were living at 23 Fifth Avenue, York and Frederick was an electrical engineer. He continued to live in York until his death in 1958 when his address was recorded as 23 Park Grove, York in St Thomas’ Church burial records. The church is located in nearby Lowther Street. I have found a possible death for Sarah in 1960.

Frederick’s brother John continued to work for the NER throughout his lifetime and in 1905 he joined the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants trade union which later became the National Union of Railwaymen. His occupation at that point was given as a shunter. In 1919 he married Maria Emily Goodrick (1880-1967) who was his brother Frederick’s wife Sarah’s younger sister. Before her marriage Maria had been a domestic servant for the Proctor family who ran a Chemical Fertiliser company and were Agricultural Merchants, living in Ashcroft, York. John and Emily continued to live in York and by 1939 were residing at 5 Neville Street with John giving his occupation as a railway foreman porter. Both John and Maria were still living there when John died. His burial record was found in St Thomas’s Church records.

Park Grove, York

In addition, one of John and Fredericks’ sisters, Sarah Ann Haw (1874-1944), married my great grandfather William Ellis (1873-1951), and they were living at 40 Ambrose Street, York in 1939. William’s father Francis Ellis (1839-1925) was residing with his family in 40 Park Grove, York in 1901, not far from where Frederick died in 1958 at no 23 Park Grove. (The photo Park Grove was taken recently by me and is an example of what the houses in the street now look like.)

As a final thought, it is interesting that both brothers died in 1958 and their burials recorded in St Thomas’s Church, York. They seem to have lived within half a mile of each other throughout their later lives.

Joan Reid Genealogy

Researcher and family historian

Category Archives: Haw

Annie Morley (born 1871) – was she the actress Madge Morley?

George Curryer (1848-1925) – what his will revealed

Alfred and Martha Haw – York, England

Methodism in York and the Haw family

A submariner in World War II – George Leonard Mason (1913-1943)

Two actors and an accidental drowning

Bean family

James Scaling 1808-1877

A tale of two brothers and two sisters