Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

Hello, I have an ancestor who is shown through the censuses to be either a book keeper or a solicitor's clerk. Yet he lived in the court dwellings around the Vauxhall area and his own daughter could not sign her name on her marriage certificate.

Is this an oddity or were wages so poor back then he couldn't get his family out of those terrible hovels?

Hi

Welcome to the forum. What years was he a clerk or book keeper? What addresses? He may have wanted to live close to where he worked.


Blue

Blue70 wrote:Hi

Welcome to the forum. What years was he a clerk or book keeper? What addresses? He may have wanted to live close to where he worked.


Blue

He lived in the court dwellings in the Vauxhall area, I have him from the 1841 census in Feather Court, at least I think that's where it is, I've been on a bit of a search this morning and it seems to be Scotland Road area. All other censuses I have found so far all seem to be around these parts.

What was his name?


Blue

Feather Court was on the right side of Feather Street:-






Edit:-

Also have a look at Court No. 2 in Feather Street on this c1894 map





Blue

On the 1841 Census I can see a boot maker in Feather Court and a book keeper in Feather Street.


Blue

Blue70 wrote:What was his name?


Blue

It must be John Pritchard. He was a book keeper in a house in Feather Street in 1841. He was in a court off Newsham Street called St Mary's Place in 1851 so probably an upward move in terms of location. In 1861 he's a solicitor's clerk at house 4 in 35 court Hornby Street so similar accommodation. I think opinions about accommodation changed over time. Standards in housing were lower back then and housing was in better condition then than nearer to the time they were demolished. There will always be people who other people will say about them "what's he doing living there?" Living in courts was the norm in those days so it didn't mean those living in them were necessarily poor people.


Blue

Blue70 wrote:

Blue70 wrote:What was his name?


Blue

It must be John Pritchard. He was a book keeper in a house in Feather Street in 1841. He was in a court off Newsham Street called St Mary's Place in 1851 so probably an upward move in terms of location. In 1861 he's a solicitor's clerk at house 4 in 35 court Hornby Street so similar accommodation. I think opinions about accommodation changed over time. Standards in housing were lower back then and housing was in better condition then than nearer to the time they were demolished. There will always be people who other people will say about them "what's he doing living there?" Living in courts was the norm in those days so it didn't mean those living in them were necessarily poor people.


Blue

Yes that's him John Pritchard, from each census either a book keeper or a solicitors clerk. Interesing you say that about the courts as I have always took them to be the lowest of the low, not much above being in The Workhouse.

Thank you for the map BTW. His daughter Martha is my gg. grandmother and a very difficult brick wall who may be the reason I quit looking 10 years ago as it got very difficult.

You see her father John PRITCHARD was a book keeper as you saw from the censuses, yet we see her son also called John on his marriage certificate saying *his* father John was a book keeper. So she either married a man with the same name and occupation as her father or the unthinkable happened.

I have often found the father of the bride's occupation was the same as the groom, I have suspected that might be the way they met.

MaryA wrote:I have often found the father of the bride's occupation was the same as the groom, I have suspected that might be the way they met.

No Mary the father of the mother Martha Pritchard, John Pritchard, and her own son John BOTH have the exact same father's name and occupation. I could cope with her children being illegitimate but not with her own dad being the father of her children.

My grandmother must be spinning in her grave

John Pritchard could be the illegitimate son of Martha, at his marriage he may have not known his father's name and would have to make one up to save embarrassment, repeating his own name and choosing his grandfathers occupation.

Bertieone wrote:John Pritchard could be the illegitimate son of Martha, at his marriage he may have not known his father's name and would have to make one up to save embarrassment, repeating his own name and choosing his grandfathers occupation.

I have thought that too Bertie. Was that a common thing? Maybe I should try and approach Liverpool Record office and get the BC with just the mothers name as there are too many in the indexes with the same name and age. I wish they were cheaper than £10 as you can't afford to make too many mistakes!!

It was common enough for illegitimate children to invent Father's for the big day, the alternative was a blank space where their fathers name and occupation would be, which I have seen on more than one occasion. For many that would be embarrassing, not only for themselves but their mother.

Bertieone wrote:It was common enough for illegitimate children to invent Father's for the big day, the alternative was a blank space where their fathers name and occupation would be, which I have seen on more than one occasion. For many that would be embarrassing, not only for themselves but their mother.

Good point, and may I say she had at least 5 children who I have found so far

I can find her in almost every census from 1841 to 1911 and in each one she has the surname PRITCHARD except for one I think it's 1871 where she is living with her sister Maria ATHERTON and her husband Richard, the census enumerator has put Martha and her children's names as ATHERTON also but I think that's a mistake as she is shown as sister, perhaps he mistook her being Richard's sister.

Just a note that it is the Liverpool Register Office, not the Record Office to order a birth certificate. You can also do it at the GRO www.gro.gov.uk or telephone them 03001231837 and this is just a shade cheaper at £9.25. They will do a search for the three years, the one you give them and one each side.

MaryA wrote:Just a note that it is the Liverpool Register Office, not the Record Office to order a birth certificate. You can also do it at the GRO http://www.gro.gov.uk or telephone them 03001231837 and this is just a shade cheaper at £9.25. They will do a search for the three years, the one you give them and one each side.

Oh yes sorry so it is, the last time I went along there it was in Brougham Terrace

I wonder why Liverpool charges more than the GRO.

All local Register Offices have their own prices, some around the country even more expensive.