1800's Southport Peters family mystery

[Jon Maddox]

Thanks to Mary for suggesting I post on your forum. I have only recently learned that I am related to the proud fishing families from Southports history. I am unsure how to upload an image to this page and I have an old family photo that I hope could be of interest to your group. I don't know if I'll ever be able to prove who's pictured. I think it could well be my 3x gt grandfather Ralph Peters. Any advice or further family info would be very much appreciated. Thanks again

[MaryA]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Here are instructions for showing a picture in your message. https://www.liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/ ... =16&t=9817

If there are any specific queries we can help you with, do post, meantime we have a few members who live in the Southport area who will be interested.

[Hilary]

Some years ago I did research into a Peters family in Southport. This was the Peters family which lost 2 members in the Mexico disaster in 1886. There was another more wealthy Peters family in Southport around the same time.

If you could load your picture it might help to decide which Peters family you are connected to. There are pictures of the Peters family in two books which I have on the Mexico disaster.

[Jon Maddox]

Thanks Mary


My nan was told as a child that this photo was of great uncles of hers that were lifeboatmen from Southport. It was known to be a sad story that her mum never spoke of. The picture has been dated to 1850's, early 60's and that is a bit of a mystery. I believe I lost an ancestor that was born in 1826 in an 1886 tragedy. I don't think his son Benjamin who was also lost was born when the picture was taken so it is not great uncles. My nan had never heard of the Mexico or the loss of her great grandfather until I told her. I would love to know exactly who the men pictured are but sadly doubt I ever will. I know for sure they are my family. It has been suggested that the man to the left could well be Ralph. I like to hope so

[Jon Maddox]

Thanks Hilary, just seen your reply. I believe I am related to the fishing family but I am puzzled how they are wearing the gold. I think Ralphs son John moved to Birkenhead with Sarah Shaw. My nans grandparents.

[Jon Maddox]

Hilary I do have the Sefton Libraries publication about the Mexico so I've learned a little of how poor most of the families were, also of the scale of local loss. What books do you know of please?

[Jon Maddox]

There is also other mysteries that made the story hard to follow for myself. I think my great grandmother, Ralph's granddaughter shows on 1880 baptisms as Susan Peters, and from then on as a mix of Susan A, Susan Anna and then Susanna. My nan always knew of her mum as Susanna. My mum is called Susan. Susanna did not marry my great grandfather Samuel until later life when he was a Warden during the Blitz of ww2. They had lived a lie for nearly 40 years. In 1911 they had 2 children claiming to have been married for 4 years. Sgt Samuel Davies was a decorated veteran who was serving overseas when Queen Victoria died. He earned the Kings South Africa, Queens South Africa and the rank of Sergeant by the age of 23. I am puzzled why they didn't marry. I've been lucky enough to learn a bit about the lives of Samuel and Susanna and I'm trying to make sure their stories are remembered in my family. With what I have learned I've grown from a respect to love for them. Rest in peace remembered

[Bertieone]

Hi Jon,

Is it possible with them marrying late in life, one was previously married and had to wait for a partner to pass?

I notice Samuel was a shipyard stager, a hard and dangerous job in a shipyard, I've put my life in their hands on many occasion, was always grateful they knew what they were doing. Elsewhere they would be known as scaffolders. If you look at the bow of the ship, it gives an indication of the job, not something Elf & Safety would allow now.

Also map of Ridley St, 1911 abode.

[MaryA]

Wonderful pic Bert, that is certainly an impressive job.

Jon have you got the marriage certificate, albeit late in life, and does either of them say they are widowed?

[Jon Maddox]

Thank you so much Bert. Susanna grew up in Clarendon street, so just around the corner from Sam. My nan had told me about her dads work, he was a Stagger most of his life, up until retirement age when he became a Storeman. It's said that he was not too happy to have been considered too old. He worked at Lairds up until only 2 weeks before he died aged 80 in January 1961. The more I learn the more I realise that Sam has to be one of the luckiest men ever to have lived. he served in the Boer War, throughout the Great War, and as a Warden (in his 60's) while Birkenhead was being blitzed around them. I've been told the story of the time my nan arose from her shelter to find that most of the road behind them, and a big part of Borough road had gone. Every window was smashed for blocks. My nan then went to stay with her oldest brother stationed in Southport for a short time. I think that is when her parents sneaked away and tied the knot in secret. My nan grew up Davies and never knew any different. I don't have, and have never seen Samuel's medals, they went to one of his son's. I have been able to find records of his awards and they are nothing short of outstanding. 100 years almost to the day (30th April) he was mentioned in despatches, one of several personal distinctions earned during that tragic piece of history. He was working on the build up for the upcoming Somme offensive. It was not known to them at the time, but they were now seen to have been being sacrificed in a diversionary attack. They were being trusted to do the fighting so that Kitchener's new army could have a walk in the sun down the line on July 1st. God rest their souls. May their stories and honer live on for eternity. RIP Remembered

[Bertieone]

Bomb damage, Borough Rd, Clarendon St, right of the church. Proof the shelters worked,

[Jon Maddox]

Thanks Mary. I do not have any certificates or access to any paid sites (I don't have a credit card). What I have learned has came from scratching around online and finding my part in others research. I found Ralph Peters on a Genealogy tree and was able to follow his line forward in time to names and addresses I knew.

Thank you again Bert, I had seen the picture before but not been able to place it so exactly. My nan was in very poor health when I showed it her last year and her response will always make me smile "Well I'll be blown". When I first see this picture I knew it was of huge family significance. I felt it and I don't care how daft that may seem. The devastation and life going on. The woman with the pram could be my gt grandma. I did not know at first but this could be the closest thing we have to her wedding photo.

[Jon Maddox]

I truly would not take any offense if my research is doubted. I am wondering if my links to the fishing families is proven now? I can follow step by step but do not have the access to prove or reference.

[Bertieone]

It would be interesting to find out more about the marriage of, George Braid/Susan Ann Peters, Liverpool, 1904. Register Office or Registrar Attended. Lancs BMD.

[Jon Maddox]

I have just viewed that picture of the staging properly Bert and I'm truly grateful. I didn't realise it was the Mauretania. There is every chance that Sam walked those planks. I had seen the proud ship launch pictures before. Never the work in progress. His work I do not have Sam's medals. I do have the knife that hung at his side his whole working life. It is priceless to me

[BarbaraW]

I would buy the marriage certificate if it was me and I wanted to take things further.

An older relative married quite secretly in the 1960's to the lady who was the mother of his children, that's because his first wife was in a mental institution and I suppose had passed away leaving him free to marry.

I've seen a couple of trees on Anc that don't show this, either because they never knew or they gave up looking for a marriage as it was long after you would expect when searching. I only know because I was told by my nan and didn't have any contact with the children of the marriage or I suspect I wouldn't have been told either!!

[MaryA]

Without the marriage certificate you will never know.

Don't forget to make good use of your local library, where you should be able to access Ancestry, and possibly Findmypast (although not everywhere has this) for free.

[Jon Maddox]

Thank you to all. I have been doing just a basic search on only my mum's mum's side. I've found that every answer I find leads to another 2 questions so I have to draw a line under some things for now. I do know that Sam and Susanna lived the rest of their lives in love and died within a year of each other.

[Jon Maddox]

I feel just about confident in my beliefs to be teaching these stories to my children as their history. I really am interested to learn if my link to fishing families is believed and what other photos there are. I only know of one known picture of Ralph and his son Benjamin. They are pictured on the Eliza Fernley. That picture was edited and used as part of a Victorian postcard remembering the tragedy. Ralph and Benjamin were pictured and named on the postcard. I'd love to see more

[Jon Maddox]

The suspense of if I'm believed or not is killing me The Mexico tragedy is an early part of a life story I am proud to have learned some of. I was told that Susanna (as she was known to her children) used to shell Shrimps with her mum and probably her grandmother as a child. My nan remembers her mum being able to shell a Shrimp with almost the click of her fingers. There is also family stories of how Susanna would help her dad John Peters working at Oxton Carriage Company when they moved to Birkenhead. Sussana would sand the inside of coffins and that says a lot to me about how day to day life and death was for them. Aged 21, 1901 Susanna was working with her sister Jane as a maid for a Doctor in Hamilton Square, Birkenhead. She learned lifelong selfless nursing skills that were called on many times in the community during hard times. I am very proud of her, as I am proud of my sister who is also a nurse X