Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I am struggling to find the place of birth of my 4x great grandmother, Martha Blackburn (nee Backster).

In 1851, she is living at Bailey Street, Liverpool, aged 74, (Piece 2181, Folio 515, Page 54) and it looks like her place of birth is 'Fratcham.'



In 1841, she is also at Bailey Street, Liverpool, aged 60, (Piece 565, Enumeration District 5, Folio 16, Page 25) where her place of birth is recorded as not being in the county of Lancashire and not in 'Scotland, Ireland or foreign parts.)

I can't check the next census as she died at Bailey Street in 1852.

Does anybody have any clues as to the place of birth 'Fratcham'?

Is it perhaps Frodsham (with the "s" incorrectly replaced by a "c")?

I also wondered about Wrexham but zooming in doesn't support that theory.

Interesting that the A*c database for that image (Piece 2181, Folio 515, Page 54) actually shows up as Martha "Blackham",so something of a teaser ?
Using a trick that dear old dickiesam used to encourage when faced with this problem, I produced a 'negative' image of it and while its still not brilliant, the 4th character is definitely not a 't' and looking at characters written elsewhere on the page I would settle for Tex's suggestion of Frodsham to be most likely and given the poor transcription effort in the rest of it,I can't even see any reference to Ireland ?.

I have looked at the image on FMP where it is far clearer. They have transcribed it as Fetcham and added Surrey.

I read it as Fratcham which if said fast could be Frodsham. It is quite clear on FMP that it is a F _ atcham. The t is not crossed which seems to have been a habit of this enumerator.

The difference in quality of the image is amazing!

Have a look on FMP for a baptism of a Martha Backster/Baxter at Frodsham. I would go for +-5years of your age of 74 years FMP have Cheshire baptisms.

Thank you for your suggestions. There is a Martha Baxter baptised at Frodham in 1780, parents Robert & Martha so it is a possibility. They appear to have had quite a few children so I am going to look into them to see if they throw up any clue!