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William was a Fireman in Manchester from 1887 until after 1911. He won a Quiver Medal for bravery in May 1894. Prior to being a fireman he served in the Royal Navy from June 1879 to February 1887.

But I can't find him as a child.

Family Heresay claims his original name was Samuel Mills. The census returns state he was born around 1862 in Manchester, his naval record 1861in Ashton under Lyne.

But after tracing all the Samuel Mills born in the Manchester conurbation between 1860 and 1865 I can't find a certain match!

Has anyone any further information or ideas

Did he marry?

And was Lawrence a surname.........or a second forename?

What name is recorded on the documents to which you refer?

Their marriage:

William Lawrence (fireman)
Birth Year: abt 1861
Age: 26
Marriage Date: 16 Apr 1887
Parish: Hulme, St Michael
Parish as it Appears: S Michael, Hulme
Father's Name: William Lawence (deceased, wheelwright)
Spouse's Name: Elizabeth Jane Wild
Spouse's Father's Name: Isaac Wild (dec. police officer)
Reference Number: M320/7/2/3
Item Number: 1
Archive Roll: 819

witnesses Robert & Amelia Gradwell

For info:

William Lawrence
Age in 1911: 49
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1862
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Manchester, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Manchester
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street Address: Chief Fire Station Manchester
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Fireman (fire Brigade)
Registration District: Manchester
Registration District Number: 466
Sub-registration District: Central
ED, institution, or vessel: 10
Piece: 24125
Household Members: Name Age
William Lawrence 49
William Rudolph Lawrence 23
Frank Lawrence 21
Elizabeth Jane Lawrence 46
Elizabeth Lawrence 18
Robert Lawrence 16
James Lawrence 14
Minnie Lawrence 7

All born Manchester

I wonder if this is the marriage of the witnesses from William Lawrence's record? If so, then the surname Mills is coming into play ....

Manchester, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1930
Name: Robert Gradwell - a clerk
Birth Year: abt 1856
Age: 20
Marriage Date: 31 Jul 1876
Parish: Hulme, Holy Trinity
Parish as it Appears: Hulme, Holy Trinity
Father's Name: Charles Gradwell - Deceased
Spouse's Name: Amelia Ann Louisa Mills (18)
Spouse's Father's Name: William Mills - Weelwright
Reference Number: GB127.M320/2/2/2

Neither previously married and both give address as 33 Silk Street.

Witnesses: William Hoyle and Jane Hill


Looking at Robert and Jane's signatures, Robert's had changed a bit by the time they witnessed William & Elizabeth's marriage but there is no doubt about Amelia's.

EDIT: Just realised that both Amelia and William's fathers are called William and are Wheelwrights - need to follow this up.

?
Births Sep 1857
Mills Amelia Ann Chorlton 8c 562

I'm curious about this family in 1861 - The Mills children are recorded as belonging to the Dances but I think are really those of visitor Elizabeth Mills:

DANCE, James Head Married M 57 1804 Carpenter Wortley, Yorkshire
DANCE, Mary Wife Married F 42 1819 House Wife Altrincham, Cheshire
DANCE, Mary Jane Daughter Unmarried F 9 1852 Scholar Hulme Manchester
DANCE, Archibald Son Unmarried M 6 1855 Scholar Pendleton Manchester
DANCE, Louisa Daughter Unmarried F 4 1857 Burnley, Lancashire
DANCE, William Son Unmarried M 2 1859 Hulme Manchester
MILLS, Elizabeth Visitor Married F 30 1831 House Wife Whitehaven, Cumberland
MILLS, Amelia A Daughter Unmarried F 3 1858 Hulme Manchester
MILLS, John S Son Unmarried M 1 1860 Ashton, Lancashire
MILLINGTON, Jane Visitor Married F 22 1839 House Wife Liverpool, Lancashire

Piece: 2890 Folio: 42 Page: 33
Registration District: Chorlton
Civil Parish: Hulme
Municipal Borough: Manchester

Address: 36, Phillips Street, Hulme, Manchester County: Lancashire

EDIT: Maybe one of my daft hunches but wondering if John S Mills born 1860 ASHTON could be a John SAMUEL Mills ???

I wondered about that one MC, pity she is a Housewife not a Wheelwright's wife.

This might be his birth
Births Jun 1860
MILLS John Ashton 8d 446

as it does specify Ashton not Oldham, which is this one;
Births Mar 1860
MILLS John Samuel Oldham 8d 552

Added:
Think there is another John Mills born Ashton on the censuses, so the Joseph Samuel, Oldham still remains a possible

England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915
about John Samuel Mills Name: John Samuel Mills
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1860
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1888
Age at Death: 28
Registration District: Oldham
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8d
Page: 529

Could do with some feedback from Richard .....

Was there any family info or addresses on William's naval records?

I've also found a couple of newspaper articles about William which I'll forward if he hasn't got them.

He is William Lawrence in 1901 and he is a fireman hereas well.


..1901 England Census
about William Lawrence Name: William Lawrence
Age: 39
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1862
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Elizth Lawrence
Gender: Male
Where born: Manchester, Lancashire, England

Civil Parish: Manchester
Ecclesiastical parish: St James
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration District: Manchester
Sub-registration District: Central
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Schedule Number: 222
Piece: 3746
Folio: 103
Page Number: 53
Household Members: Name Age
William Lawrence 39
Elizth Lawrence 36
William Lawrence 13
Frank Lawrence 11
Elizth Lawrence 8
Robert Lawrence 6
James Lawrence 4


1891 Census ,I think this is the same family only here William is born Aston .


1891 England Census
about William Lawrence Name: William Lawrence
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1861
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Elizabeth J Lawrence
Gender: Male
Where born: Ashton, Lancashire, England

Civil Parish: Chorlton on Medlock
Ecclesiastical parish: St Paul
Town: Manchester
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration District: Chorlton
Sub-registration District: Chorlton upon Medlock
ED, institution, or vessel: 18
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 3184
Folio: 7
Page Number: 7
Household Members: Name Age
William Lawrence 30
Elizabeth J Lawrence 26
William R Lawrence 3
Frank Lawrence 1

They are also on the 1891 census, and it gives his birthplace as Ashton

Manchester, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1915
about William Henry Lawrence Name: William Henry Lawrence
Birth Date: 28 Jul
Baptism Date: 31 Aug 1862
Parish: Hulme, St Mary
Parish as it Appears: S Mary Hulme
Father's Name: William Hewry Lawrence
Mother's Name: Anne Lawrence
Reference Number: M321/2/1/1
Item Number: 4
Archive Roll: 822

They've made a right mess of that baptism record Susan! It's been overwritten and it's hard to tell which is the correct information.

The mother is either Elizabeth or Anne
The address is either Nelson Grove or Coal Street
The father is either a warehouseman or a police inspector.

EDIT: Subsequent baptisms for siblings show father is a warehouseman.

Just putting down for later elimination, as necessary.
He is a Mill wright, not a wheelwright, and claims to be widowed. I was looking for William without a wife if that 1861 census is the correct family. (Also the people are not Dance but Druce, so was looking for any connections there)

1861 England Census
William Mills Age: 48 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1813
Relation: Boarder Gender: Male
Where born: Ashton Under Lyme, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: Ashton under Lyne Ecclesiastical parish: St Stephen
County/Island: Lancashire Country: England
Registration District: Ashton Under Lyne
Sub-registration District: Ashton Town
ED, institution, or vessel: 1 Household Schedule Number: 66 Piece: 2979 Folio: 10 Page Number: 13
Ann Hibbert 36
xxxxWilliam Mills 48
Eliza Jane Clauer 27
Source Citation: Class: RG 9; Piece: 2979; Folio: 10; Page: 13; GSU roll: 543059.

Just in case it comes in useful:

Manchester, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1930

Name: James Druce (widower) - a carpenter
Birth Year: abt 1803
Age: 47
Marriage Date: 1 Oct 1850
Parish: Chorlton upon Medlock, St Saviour
Parish as it Appears: Manchester
Father's Name: Joseph Druce - Farmer
Spouse's Name: Mary Watson age 33, spinster from Chorlton
Spouse's Father's Name: James Watson - Farmer
Reference Number: GB127.M100/3/2/1

Witnesses: Lawrence Cropley and Catherine Chryotin ??

What a lot of interest to my post in such a short time.

As clarification I have a coherent record from12 October 1876 when he joined the Navy up to the 1911 census.
In all these documents his first name is William and the family name Lawrence.
His naval record gives a date of birth 8 June 1861 in Ashton no address.
The marriage cert tells us he was 26 on 16 April 1887
The 1891 census aged 30 born Ashton.
the 1901 census aged 39 born Mancr Lancs.
The 1911 census aged 49 born Manchester Lancashire.

I like the idea that Amelia Gradwell nee Mills was his sister.
On checking the data I have built up on the possible families for Samuel Mill, which family oral history tells us was his original name I have found no reference to Amelia Mills at all.
You have provided details of her marriage 31 Jul 1876 at aged 20 and a possilbe match for the 1861 census when her family were staying with the Dance or is it the Druce family at 36 Philips street Hulme Manchester.

I have aleady looked at the births for William Lawrence between 1860 & 1865 found 7 possibles and ruled them all out as William was at sea when the 1881 census was taken.

At the moment I want to build up as full a picture of Amelia as possible.
I have three questions to answer.

Firstly can we find Amelia in the 1871 census ?
Secondly is there only one Amelia in the Manchester conubation at the time?
Thirdly Can we find her as a married lady in the census returms of 1881, 1891 1901 and 1911?

I have 6 newspaper articles about William Lawrence:
Manchester Courier 7 March 1907
Manchester Courier June 1888
Manchester Evening News 12 July 1894
Manchester Evening News 24 July 1902
Manchester Evening Times 13 July 1894
Manchester Evening News 31 Jan 1973

Many thanks for everyone's efforts so far
Kind Regard

Richard

You can find 1871 census records at................

https://familysearch.org

It's free site................

1881 is on the same site.........................look for Amelia in her married name

1911, they have had 6 children but 2 have died:

Robert Gradwell
Age in 1911: 56
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Manchester, Lancashire, England
Civil Parish: South Manchester
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street Address: 14 Union St Con M M/c
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Comm Agent Plating Emanuellin
Registration District: Chorlton
Registration District Number: 464
Sub-registration District: Chorlton upon Medlock
ED, institution, or vessel: 27
Piece: 23855
Household Members: Name Age
Robert Gradwell 56
Amelia Gradwell 53
Harry Gradwell 22