I am searching for the parents of William Wallis ALLEN who claims to have been born in Alnwick, Northumberland in 1852. He married Catherine Louise Edwards (b. 1857 Middlesex) sometime before their oldest, Alice Emily, was born in 1877. Alice Emily married Grant Hugh Browne abt. Dec 1899 and they lived in the London area. Grant Hugh Browne was born in New York in 1864 and they moved to the US sometime around 1901.

Hello
1861 New London Road Chelmsford Essex
JAMES ALLEN 35 BLANDFORD FORUM DORSET
JANE " 32 PORTLAND DORSET
WILLIAM " 9 ALNWICK
JAMES G " 7 "
JOHN R " 5 "
JANE R " 4 "
ANNIE C " 2 "
SARAH " 8 MTHS
REBECCA GIBBS 28 PORTLAND DORSET
I THINK IT SAYS JAMES'S OCCUPATION IS SOMETHING INLAND REVENUE BUT IT'S A BIT BLURRED
HOPE IT HELPS
KIM

On Census 1851 James is recorded as a Surveyor of Stamps and Taxes Inland Revenue (page 1079-149-17)

Ten years earlier on Census 1851 in Narrowgate Alnwick (page 2419-312-24) James is "Superintending Surveyor of Taxes"

Michael Dixon

You guys are great ... thanks for the good info. William Allen married Catherine Louise Edwards around 1877 in the Islington area (??). She was born in 1857 in St. Lukes, Middlesex. Any idea who her parents were? They retired to the Isle of Thanet and died in 1928 and 1930.

HELLO

1861 1 KINGS ST CLERKENWELL ST JAMES
JOHN EDWARDS 31 FISHMONGER MIDDLESEX
JANE A " 28 BROMLEY KENT
JOHN F " 7 LONDON ST LUKES
CATHERINE " 4 "
REBECCA " 1 "
ELIZABETH " 13 (SISTER) CLERKENWELL
I THINK THIS IS HER BUT HAVE YOU HER MARRIAGE CERT TO CHECK HER FATHERS NAME AND OCCUPATION
KIM

I don't have the marriage certificate. I am just getting started on this line and since I live in Tennessee it is hard to know where to go to get records. And ... thanks for the help.

HELLO AGAIN
YOU CAN ORDER BIRTH MARRIAGE AND DEATH CERTS ON LINE AT THE PUBLIC RECORDS OFFICE £7.00.
KIM

I got the marriage license that I thought was the correct one. William Wallis Allen and Catherine Louisa Edwards, m. Holborn, Middlesex in 1877. The father of William is listed as James Allen, occupation Surveyor of Taxes but the father of Catherine Louisa Edwards is John Edwards, occupation fruiterer. I would hate to assume John converted his fish business (1861 census) to a fruit business and get the wrong connection. Any ideas?

Ken,

you could venture into the on line Trade Directories of the era. ( www.historicaldirectories.org ) to check out John Edwards' trade ! Isn't fish and fruit compatible ? Barbers used to do little operations on folk. Butchers used to sell fresh cream !


Michael Dixon

Thanks for the link to the directories ... this is a very useful resource although it can be a can of worms.

I did locate the John Edwards family in Islington, Middlesex in the 1881 census, living at 192 Goswell Road and there is still a grocer on that corner!!! (Googlemaps is also a great resource.) They are within a block or so from 45 King Square where the James Allen family is living. Unfortunately, James died between the Feb. 1877 wedding of his son William Wallis Allen and John's daughter, Catherine Louisa Edwards, and the 1881 census. For Northumberland folks the list of occupants in the Allen household includes a boarder, James Waters age 22 born in Alnwick.

The problem I have now is that in the 1861 census, John Edwards is married to Jane A. (age 28) living at 1 King Street which is actually due south 1/2 block from the 192 Goswell Road address. King St. is now Cyrus St. In the 1881 census his wife is listed as Lucy, age 46. Both wives are born in Bromley, Kent.

Is it common for Jane to be called Lucy or are these two separate women? Was the transcription of Jane A. correct?