Find Ancestors

Mary Ellen was my Great Grandmother. She was baptised 1860 - Parents Anthony and Jane. Her Brother James was baptised 1863 - Parents Thomas and Jane.(he was down as lodger on 1881 Census.
Mary Ellen married at Preston Registry Office 1878.
I am trying to determine the parents of Mary Ellen.
I think also that James may have married Sarah Cragg 1n 1901.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks -Val :-) :-) :-) :-)

Failing all else, a copy of her birth certificate should confirm her mother's maiden name.

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Mary Ellen Pickup
Registration Year: 1859
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district: Preston
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8e
Page: 453

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1859
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference

PICKUP Mary Ellen Preston Preston PICKUP PRES/111/70

You will only be able to follow the maternal line, it seems

The baptisms, for our info

Baptism: 29 Apr 1860 St John, Preston, Lancashire, England
Mary Ellen Pickup - [Child] of Anthony Pickup & Jane
Abode: Lancaster Road
Occupation: Labourer
Baptised by: D F Chapman
Register: Baptisms 1858 - 1860, Page 363, Entry 2902
Source: LDS Film 93989

Baptism: 8 Feb 1863 St John, Preston, Lancashire, England
James Pickup - [Child] of Thomas Pickup & Jane
Abode: Walker St
Occupation: Laborer
Notes: [Out of Sequence]
Baptised by: Thos Johnson
Register: Baptisms 1863 - 1865, Page 23, Entry 184
Source: LDS Film 93990

Val

Can you say why you think James was Mary Ellen's brother?

Are they shown together as siblings on any census returns?

1881 census shows her birth to have been somewhat earlier than you suggest


Mary E Parkinson
England and Wales Census, 1881
Name: Mary E Parkinson
Age (Original): 23
Gender: Female
Birth Year: 1858
Birthplace: Preston, Lancashire, England
Relationship to Head of Household: Wife
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Cotton Rover
Address: 10 Dewhurst St North
Event Place: Preston, Lancashire, England
Record Type: Household
Affiliate Publication Number: RG11
Piece/Folio: 4235 / 78
Page Number: 43
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
George Parkinson Head M 26 Preston, Lancashire, England
Mary E Parkinson Wife F 23 Preston, Lancashire, England
John T Parkinson Son M 0 Preston, Lancashire, England
James Pickup Lodger M 18 Preston, Lancashire, England

The marriage cert would seem to be essential, as her birth may not have been registered

???

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1862
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference

PICKUP James Preston Preston PICKUP PRES/135/4

James Pickup
England Births and Christenings
Name: James Pickup
Gender: Male
Christening Date: 08 Feb 1863
Christening Place: St. John, Preston, Lancashire, England
Father's Name: Thomas Pickup
Mother's Name: Jane Pickup

Name: Mary Ellen Pickup
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 29 Apr 1860
Christening Place: SAINT JOHN,PRESTON,LANCASHIRE,ENGLAND
Father's Name: Anthony Pickup
Mother's Name: Jane

could be that anthony and jane never married i cant see a marriage for them and jane married thomas then he brought mary ellen up as his own

hi
yes i just deleted it

Jane is unmarried

NAME: Jane Pickup
AGE: 22
ESTIMATED BIRTH YEAR: 1839
RELATION: Boarder
GENDER: Female
WHERE BORN: Preston, Lancashire, England
CIVIL PARISH: Preston
ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH: St Paul
TOWN: Preston
COUNTY/ISLAND: Lancashire
COUNTRY: England
STREET ADDRESS:

OCCUPATION:

CONDITION AS TO MARRIAGE:

View image
REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Preston
SUB-REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Preston
ED, INSTITUTION, OR VESSEL: 58
NEIGHBORS: View others on page
HOUSEHOLD SCHEDULE NUMBER: 127
PIECE: 3139
FOLIO: 14
PAGE NUMBER: 22
HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS:
NAME AGE
Thomas Cottam 60
Mary Cottam 66
Jane Pickup 22
Mary Ellen 2/12
Arthur Cowell 25

Jane then married

Marriage: 7 Oct 1867 St John, Preston, Lancashire, England
Garnet Coward - (X), 28, Laborer, Bachelor, James' St
Jane Pickup - (X), 28, Weaver, Spinster, James' St
Groom's Father: John Coward, Laborer
Bride's Father: late Robert Pickup, Laborer
Witness: Robert Westby, (X); Mary Wiggins, (X)
Married by Banns by: James Eckersley, Jun. Curate
Register: Marriages 1867 - 1868, Page 73, Entry 146
Source: LDS Film 93998


NAME: Jane Coward
AGE: 29
ESTIMATED BIRTH YEAR: abt 1842
RELATION: Wife
SPOUSE'S NAME: Garnett Coward
GENDER: Female
WHERE BORN: Preston, Lancashire, England
CIVIL PARISH: Preston
ECCLESIASTICAL PARISH: All Saints
TOWN: Preston
COUNTY/ISLAND: Lancashire
COUNTRY: England
REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Preston
SUB-REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Preston
ED, INSTITUTION, OR VESSEL: 49
HOUSEHOLD SCHEDULE NUMBER: 181
PIECE: 4210
FOLIO: 50
PAGE NUMBER: 37
HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS:
NAME AGE
Garnett Coward 30
Jane Coward 29
Mary E Coward 12
James Coward 9
Alfred Coward 5
John Coward 3
Maria Coward 1

That looks very promising, Claire, but then Mary Ellen is only 2 months old when the census was taken 7 April making her born Feb. 1861 which doesn't match any of the previous records.

p.s. I'm going to delete my posts with the wrong family.

possible birth for Garnett

Baptism: 28 Jun 1833 St Michael, Cockerham, Lancashire, England
Anthony Garnet Coward - [Child] of John Coward & Betty
Abode: Holleth
Occupation: Farmer
Notes: Christened 10th Nov 1833 J. L. Russell
Baptised by: Wm. Mason, Curate
Register: Baptisms 1826 - 1893, Page 83, Entry 657
Source: LDS Film 1278859

hi
if jane is born pickup then anthony was not the husband he must be a different name i cant find a birth for him under pickup

Margee I'm not sure if she's 2 months or 2 years; there a mark by her age which may just be a smudge

OK think I've got it

Anthony Garnett Coward appears to have married Margaret Rawlinson in 1851 but on the Lancs OPC site he's been transcribed as Ernest.

Anthony appears on the 1861 census with Jane Pickup but he's been transcribed as Cowell (see above)

He and Jane can't marry as the 1861 confirms that he's married to someone else (see original)

Mary Ellen was born in 1859 but a smudge on the 1861 has been misread as months plus her surname has been omitted

I don't think Margaret Coward nee Rawlinson has died by 1867 so Anthony declares he's single and this marriage could well be bigamous.

and this looks like it could be the legal Mrs Coward

NAME: Margaret Coward
AGE: 50
ESTIMATED BIRTH YEAR: abt 1831
RELATIONSHIP TO HEAD: Wife (Head) (Head)
GENDER: Female
WHERE BORN: St Michaels, Lancashire, England
CIVIL PARISH: Preston
COUNTY/ISLAND: Lancashire
COUNTRY: England
STREET ADDRESS: 18c Mount Pleasant
MARITAL STATUS: Married
EDUCATION:

EMPLOYMENT STATUS:

View image
OCCUPATION: Cotton Weaver
REGISTRATION DISTRICT: Preston
SUB REGISTRATION DISTRICT: St John
ED, INSTITUTION, OR VESSEL: 18
NEIGHBORS: View others on page
PIECE: 4240
FOLIO: 46
PAGE NUMBER: 17
HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS:
NAME AGE
Margaret Coward 50
John Wilson 67

Thanks everybody. Will have to sit down and digest it all. Too early in the morning .

Thanks again - Val

Working with the information and getting some success. I am undecided about 1861 Census where Jane, Mary Ellen and Arthur Cowell were boarders. Arthur is said to be a Blacksmith. I cannot find Anthony Coward on any other Census so ?
Margaret Coward the named 1st Wife is named as wife on 1861 and 1881 Census. Did they get divorced?
I cannot find Jane on an 1851 Census.
Jane had another child Alfred Pickup in 1865, at the time of Baptism she was in the Workhouse. When I found Alfred"s Marriage details Andrew Coward was named as father.
The Three Pickup children went under Coward on the 1871 Census but they seem to have reverted to Pickup when they got married.
Jane and Anthony had 3 more children and Anthony died 1891, Jane in 1898.
I can tie Mary Ellen in with this family as her sister Alice's children were listed on the 1901 Census as Nephew and Niece of George and Mary Ellen Parkinson (Pickup). Still lots to do, better write all this up neatly as it is so confusing.

Again Many Thanks


Val :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)