Genealogy Chat

Can anyone help me with the puzzle of some missing relatives in 1891? The Willday family were comprised of dad Edward b. 1839 Worcester, mum Ursula b. 1842 in Claines or Severn Stoke, Worcs and seven girls - Ursula Victoria (1863), Mary Elizabeth (1864), Laura Ann (1866), Ada (1867), Alice Amy (1870), Edith Eleanor (1875) and Clara (1890). They migrated to the Ormskirk/Liverpool area in the c. 1870s - Willday is not a common name in that area. I have all of the family accounted for in 1891 but Edward, Laura Ann and Alice Amy. Dad Edward had been in Knutsford prison in 1881 and just days before the census Laura Ann gave birth to an illegitimate baby, Alice Maude. The baby is not showing up either. Would anyone with sharp eyes be able to see if they could find them? I have looked for as many permutations as I can think of.

Alice is still in the area because she marries that year: Marriages Dec 1891 (>99%) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Willday Alice Amy Ormskirk 8b 1201 Rose

Who's this family in 1891? 1891 England Census about Edith Willday Name: Edith Willday Age: 16 Estimated birth year: abt 1875 Relation: Daughter Mother's name: Ada Gender: Female Where born: Walton, Lancashire, England Civil parish: Melling Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Rood County/Island: Lancashire Country: England Registration district: Ormskirk Sub-registration district: Bickerstaffe ED, institution, or vessel: 5 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Ada Willday 46 Clara Willday 2 Edith Willday 16 Polly Willday 24 Could Polly be Laura? Rose

Was Ursula's maiden name Smith? Polly's is with her grandmother in 1881. Rose

That is indeed the right family, Rose, but the one called Polly is actually Laura's sister Mary Elizabeth (never did work out how you get Polly out of that). Is it possible that she could have just eluded the census somehow?

Name: Alice Maud Willday Year of Registration: 1891 Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun DISTRICT: West Derby County: Lancashire Volume: 8b Page: 357 (click to see others on page) Is this the right one Alice was a bit confused as to whether you meant she was born a few days before 1881, or 1891. 1881 isn't showing up any other births NIcola

Kate have you done a soundex There is an Edward Wyld born c1839 in derbyshire and an Edward Wild born in c1840 in Wocestershire. I can't view the other households, but if you have a look and do soundex of willday it will come up. Nicola

I'm wondering if this could be Laura in 1891 - a visitor at a Neesom household: Name: Clara Wyley Age: 26 Estimated birth year: abt 1865 Relation: Visitor Gender: Female Where born: Worcestershire, England Civil parish: Hulme Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary County/Island: Lancashire RG12; Piece: 3198; Folio 7; Page 8 The image does say Clara rather than Laura but maybe this was a mistake on the original enumeration form? Just a possibility! (or maybe just clutching at straws!!)

Thanks, Nicola. That is the right Alice on the birth index. Somebody mentioned the Clara below - I will check that one because this family are a bit weird about interchanging names. In 1891 mum Ursula was down as Ada and the daughter who was really Ada was down as Edith (she was married by then). I think they were in league with each other.

Also I noticed that the daughter Clara (c1890) is down as a visitor to Ada/Ursula in 1891 rather than daughter (though in 1901 she is described as daughter). I wonder therefore if this Clara was actually another illegitimate grand-daughter? Quite an age gap between her & Edith, and Ursula would have been getting on a bit by 1890! I wonder even if Clara is the missing baby Alice?

That is a good point, Richard. A telling thing is that there is no Clara Willday on the birth index (my gran had heard of her, she pronounced it 'Clare-a') and at the time it was compulsory for births to be registered. I originally thought she was maybe a nurse child or an adopted child, and as you say, it is a bit fishy that there's a 15 year gap between Clara and Edith Eleanor. There is, however, a Clara F Willday on the marriage index in 1915 - I think there is more to this puzzle than meets the eye.