Grace (Mercer) Clayton (1846 - 1935)

Born 24 Aug 1846 in Great Harwood, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Died 1935 at about age 88 in Great Harwood, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Biography

Grace Mercer was born on 24 Aug 1846 in Great Harwood, Lancashire, England to Robert Mercer and Sarah (Kemp) Mercer. Her birth was registered in Blackburn, Lancashire in the third quarter of the year, with mother's maiden name Kemp.^[1]

Grace Mercer, daughter of Robert, a labourer, & Sarah, residing at Lower Town, was born on 24 Aug 1846 and christened on 27 Sep 1846 in Great Harwood.^[2]

In 1851 Grace Mercer (age 4) lived in Great Harwood with her father Robert (38 [~34], Labourer All The General Works), mother Sarah (53 [~38]), and four siblings: Ellis [Elizabeth] (8), Dives [Thomas] (6) Sarah A (0), and James Smith (16, Power Loom Weaver Cotton).^[3]

In 1861 Grace Mercer (age 16 [~14], Power Loom Cotton Weaver) lived at 6 Clayton Street in Harwood with her father Robert (43, Engine Feeder), mother Sarah (48), and six siblings: Alice (21, Tape Warper), Elizabeth (18, Power Loom Cotton Weaver), Richard [Thomas] (13 [~16], Power Loom Cotton Weaver), Sarah Ann (10, Scholar), Rose (8, Scholar), and Robert (6, Scholar).^[4]

In 1871 Grace Mercer (age 24) lived in Great Harwood with her father Robert (54), mother Sarah (58), and three sisters: Elizabeth (28), Sarah A (20), and Rose (18), as well as her grandmother Sarah Mercer (84).^[5]

Grace Mercer (age 26, dressmaker, residing at Cattle Street, daughter of Robert Mercer, engine driver) and James Clayton (age 23, weaver, residing at Church Street, [no father listed because he was illegitimate]) were married on 6 Feb 1873 at St Bartholomew in Great Harwood - the witnesses were Robert Simon Beardsworth & Elizabeth Birtwistle.^[6][7] The marriage was registered in Blackburn in the first quarter of the year.^[8]

Grace and James may have separated, as they did not live together on any census records. Grace was still listed as married from 1881 to 1901, and was a widow by the time of the 1911 census.

In 1881 Grace Clayton (age 33, Cotton Weaver) lived at Blackburn Rd in Great Harwood with her widower father Robert Mercer (65, Labourer) and niece Elizabeth Alice Dobson (17, Cotton Weaver).^[9] Grace's husband James (31, Labouer) lived at Church St in Great Harwood with his aunt and cousin.

In 1891 Grace Clayton (age 43, Cotton Weaver) lived in Great Harwood with lodger [her widowed sister] Sarah A Hope (40, Cotton Warper).^[10]

In 1901 Grace Clayton (age 54, Housekeeper) lived at Blackburn Road in Great Harwood.^[11]

In 1911 Grace Clayton (age 64) lived in Great Harwood with her nephew William Robert Dobson (45, Cotton Weaver), as well as his wife and six children.^[12]

In 1921 Grace Clayton (age 75) lived in Great Harwood with her widowed brother-in-law Henry Jackson (76).^[13]

Grace Clayton passed away in 1935, aged 88 years. Her death was registered in Blackburn in the third quarter of the year.^[14]

Research Notes

Grace was previously linked as the wife of Percy Howard Allsopp (1885-1981). However, he actually married Grace's niece Grace (Mercer) Allsopp (1892-1986).

Sources

1. ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26R7-JKT : 1 October 2014), Grace Mercer, 1846; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England. [mother's maiden name included on the GRO Index (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp)]
2. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N1HY-YH6 : 5 February 2023), Grace Mercer, 1846.
3. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGYK-Q2M : 12 September 2019), Grace Mercer in household of Robert Mercer, Great Harwood, Lancashire, England; citing Great Harwood, Lancashire, England, p. 5, 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. ↑ "General Register Office: 1861 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59036e53e9379091b1c16e8a : viewed 17 Jan 2024), Grace MERCER in household of Robert MERCER, 6, Clayton Street, Lancashire, England; from 1861 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives RG 9/3091, Folio 37, Page 32, Schedule 169, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ "1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census" on findmypast (https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1871-england-wales-and-scotland-census)
6. ↑ Lancashire : Great Harwood : St Bartholomew : : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5817f5f0e93790eb7fec7a58 : viewed 17 Jan 2024) marriage James Clayton to Grace Mercer 6 Feb 1873
7. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973", , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NL42-BYL : 12 March 2020), Grace Mercer in entry for James Clayton, 1873.
8. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DGC-6DD : 13 December 2014), Grace Mercer, 1873; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1873, quarter 1, vol. 8E, p. 471, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
9. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q275-NFYZ : 13 December 2017), Grace Clayton in household of Robert Mercer, Great Harwood, Lancashire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 3, Piece/Folio 4177/62, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,775,182.
10. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1891", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QYMH-WT2 : Wed Jan 10 11:32:31 UTC 2024), Entry for Grace Clayton and Sarah A Hope, 1891.
11. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X922-RZM : 21 May 2019), Grace Clayton, Great Harwood, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Harwood subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
12. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4M5-96N : 29 March 2022), Grace Clayton in household of William Robert Dobson, Great Harwood, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
13. ↑ "1921 Census Of England & Wales" on findmypast (https://search.findmypast.com/search-world-records/1921-census-of-england-and-wales) Searched for Grace Clayton born c1846, then searched for anyone in the same parish with her as a household member [basic search results can be viewed with a free account]
14. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVH2-Q584 : 3 November 2021), Grace Clayton, 1935. [also on FreeBMD: https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=171643897:2315&d=bmd_1703103310]