Eliza (Ackerman) Gordge (bef. 1812 - 1901)

Born before 13 Nov 1812 in Bridport, Dorset, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Wife of Digory Hopkins Gordge — married 27 Oct 1835 in Charmouth, Dorset, England

Descendants

Died 4 May 1901 after age 88 in Swansea, Wales

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Sarah Jordan [send private message]

Biography

Christening

13 Nov 1812 baptised Eliza, St Mary's Bridport, Dorset daughter of John Ackerman and Mary^[1][2]

Census

1841: North Allington, Dorset, spinner, with 2 sisters, Jane and Mary (husband Digory was in prison in Swansea). Daughter Sarah was with her grandmother Sarah Gordge in Swansea

1851: Abbey, Romsey, Hampshire, age 42 with husband and daughter Sarah^[3]

1861: 35 Newland, Northampton with daughter Sarah and Mary Ann Hearn, a teacher friend of Sarah's, age 48, born Bridport, Dorset

1871: Ravenhill, Swansea

1881: Shop, Carmarthen Road, Swansea age 68 with husband and Choice, 'granddaughter' age 6 born Swansea

1891: Tywith, Ravenhill, Swansea with husband and great-niece Mary Ackerman

1901: Ravenhill, Swansea age 88, with husband and Mary Ackerman a shop assistant age 25 born Worcester (great niece of Mary (granddaughter of her brother Thomas, Ackerman-692)^[4]

Joyce Gordge

Elizabeth Choice was born 14 Sep 1874 at Ravenhill Swansea, (where Eliza and Digory lived), daughter of Mary Ackerman (on the birth certificate as 'Ickerman')(see images.^[5]

In 1881 census she was living with Eliza and Digory as a 'grandaughter' and down as Choice

She died 1888 in Swansea. Death registered as Elizabeth Joyce Gordge^[6]

She was buried in Digory and Eliza's grave at Cockett as Elizabeth Joyce Gordge^[7]

As there was no father named on the birth certificate I guess she was an illegitimate daughter of a Mary Ackerman, perhaps a niece of Eliza's. I suspect she was taken in by Eliza and Digory and perhaps informally adopted as she was down as Choice Gordge in 1881 census and later buried in the same grave as Elizabeth Joyce Gordge.

Newspaper Cutting

THE CAMBRIAN NOVEMBER 28TH 1856 SWANSEA POLICE COURT. (Before his Worship the Mayor)

VIOLENT ASSAULT WITH A POKER ANN SEYMOUR, a widow was charged with having violently assaulted and beaten Mrs Elizabeth GORGE with a poker. The complainant appeared in court with her head severely cut and plastered, and she had evidently received a serious wound. On being sworn she said :-

On Wednesday evening last, about four o’clock in the afternoon I went to the house of Thos. Sellick, who resides next door, to ask the defendant why she had told a falsehood about me. She denied it, and struck me several blows with her hand. She then caught up the poker which was by the fire saying “I will crack your head with the poker.” I had my child in one hand, and I endeavoured to keep her off with the other, but she ran towards me and struck me on the head with it and cut my head open.

Elizabeth Thomas said that she was in the house of Mr Sellick, Castle Lane, when the defendant was there. After a few words and blows on the part of the defendant, she caught up the poker and gave the complainant a violent blow in the head with it.

Defendant denied the assault, saying that the complainant “ran against the poker.” She then called Martha Salmond, who deposed that after some cross words the complainant shoved the defendant, who then took up with a poker. I went between them (said the witness) and took the poker from the defendant. I then went away and cannot say what else took place.

The Bench having consulted, the Mayor, said they considered the charge of assault fully proved, but as there was perhaps some little provocation given, they should not inflict such a heavy penalty as they otherwise would. Defendant should however, understand that nothing could justify her in taking up such an unlawful weapon, the blow from which might have killed the complainant, and she (defendant) would have stood in a very different position to what she now did. Fined 16s. including costs, or 14 days imprisonment.

Note

Only Eliza's daughter Sarah is with her grandmother Sarah 1841, so probably Digory and Eliza had no more children. Digory was in prison 1841 and there were no more children in 1851 census.

Marriage

27 Oct 1835 Digory Gordge to Eliza Ackerman at Charmouth, Dorset witness: Robert Hodder and Digory Gordge Both Digorys signed but Eliza made her mark.^[8][9]

Note

Eliza was a devouted church member of Cockett Anglican Parish Church ^{[citation needed]}

Death

Eliza Gordge age 88 wife of Digory Hopkins Gordge a general dealer and butcher on 4 May 1901 at Tywyth, Fforestfach of senile debility, capillary bronchitis and cardiac failure. Informant D H Gordge, present^[10]

Burial

St Peter's, Cockett, Swansea^[11]

St Peter's Cockett plot SE 265. I couldn't find the grave, due to the vegetation, but cousin Brian Thomas had seen it previously and taken the photo-see image.

DNA Notes

Eliza is the sister of Thomas Ackerman-972, Ancestor of 4C1R Lorraine Jury DNA match on Ancestry 28cM 2 segments with Euren-4. See Ackerman-959. Trees match so parents marked as confident. MRCA John Ackerman-964 and Mary Bishop-4087.

Leonard Bungay-152's child 1_sedram is the 4C of Sarah Jordan (Euren-4). Match on Ancestry 11cM 1 segment. Mother marked as confident. MRCA Mary Bishop-4087 and John Ackerman-967.

The granddaughter of Irving Brooke-Nicol (Nicol-2599) Imogen Crossley-Morris is 5C1R by a DNA match on Ancestry 9cM 1 segment to Sarah Jordan (Euren-5). Mother marked as confident. MRCA John Bishop-22540 and Sarah Hounsell-312.

DNA and Research Note

Sarah Bishop's brother Job Hounsell-203 has a descendant Richard Thomas Hounsell. See Hounsell-315. Richard Thomas's child Ellis Hounsell has a 9cm DNA match on Ancestry with Sarah Jordan (Euren-4) 6C. MRCA Robert Hounsell-204 and Susanna Waddon-18. Mother marked as confident.

Research Note with DNA match

L.L. a child of Lois Lazenby [McLain-2506], has a 15 cM 1 segment match on Ancestry with Sarah Jordan [Euren-4]. 6th Cousins through Robert Hounsell-205. MRCA Robert Hounsell-204 and Susanna Waddon-18. Mother marked as confident.

Research and DNA note

DM, the son Ivy Thomas-71348, is the 6C of Sarah Jordan [Euren-4] by a DNA match on Ancestry 13 cM 1 segment. MRCA Robert Hounsell-204 and Susanna Waddon-18. Mother marked as confident.

Sources

1. ↑ Bridport Parish Register at Dorset Record Office
2. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N6WY-ZVC : 19 March 2020), Eliza Ackerman, 1812.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGBS-9CJ : 12 September 2019), Eliza Gordge in household of Digory H Gordge, Romsey Extra, Hampshire, England; citing Romsey Extra, Hampshire, England, p. 7, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
4. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSM7-9VP : 21 May 2019), Eliza Gordge in household of Digory H Gordge, Cockett, Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Llandilotalybont subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ Birth Certificate
6. ↑ Family Search
7. ↑ Inscription on grave, She is at the top
8. ↑ Transcript of Charmouth Parish Register at Dorset Record Office
9. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NVG1-Z2W : 13 March 2020), Digory Gordge, 1835.
10. ↑ certificate
11. ↑ Cocket Burial Records shown me by Vicar