Mary Ann (Moss) Morris (abt. 1843 - 1915)

Born about 1843 in Parr, St Helens, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Wife of Joseph Morris — married 1866 in St Helens, Lancashire, England

Descendants

Died 1915 at about age 72 in Wigan, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Corinne Morris [send private message]

Biography

Mary Ann Moss was born about 1843 in Parr.

She married Joseph Morris in 1866 in St Helens, in a registrar-attended wedding.

On September 19th 1870, Joseph and his wife were the marriage witnesses at the marriage of Joseph's sister Margaret (Morris) Barlow to Henry Cunliffe, at St Luke's church in Farnworth (Anglican).

By April 2nd 1871, Joseph and Mary Ann were living in Ascroft Street, Parr, St Helens. Joseph was working as a chemical labourer - a terrible job in dangerous conditions (see https://www.suttonbeauty.org.uk/suttonhistory/industry1/ for more information). They had two daughters - Mary aged 4, who was already in school, and Alice aged one.

By April 3rd 1881, Joseph and Mary Ann were living in Westleigh Lane, Westleigh, Lancashire. Joseph was working as a coal miner. Their eldest daughter Mary, now 14, was working as a cotton operative, presumably in a mill; Alice was 11 now, and there were five more children born since the previous census - Elizabeth who was nine and had been born in Rainford; Joseph aged 7, born in Hindley Green; Margaret aged 5, born in West Leigh; Ann aged 3, born in Wigan; and baby Martha Jane, born in West Leigh. So they had evidently moved around quite frequently, perhaps in search of better jobs for Joseph.

By 1883, they were living at Hart Common in Westhoughton.

By April 5th 1891, they were living in Albert Cottages, Standish. Joseph was now working as a grocer as well as a coal miner; Mary was a grocer's assistant, so presumably she ran the shop when he was down the mine. Alice, now 21, was a tailoress; Joseph at 17 was a coal miner. All the children from the previous census except Elizabeth were still alive and in the household, and two more had been born - James Henry, now six, who had been born in West Houghton, and Albert, now four, who had been born in Wigan.

By March 31st 1901, they were living in Bryn Street, Ashton in Makerfield. Joseph was working as a metal contractor in the colliery; his wife Mary Ann as a confectioner. Their eldest daughter Mary was no longer in the household, having married Samuel Hill. Alice, Ann and Martha Jane were all still at home and working as confectioners, presumably for their mother. James Henry was 17 and working as a collier. Albert, now 14, was a grocer's shop assistant. Since all the women of the household were working, they had a fifteen-year-old live-in servant Agnes Simpson to help with the housework.

Joseph died in 1908 in Wigan. He was 62.

By April 2nd 1911, Mary Ann was living in Wigan district. She was still working as a confectioner. Her daughters Alice and Ann were still single and living with her, and assisting in the confectioner's business, and her married daughter Martha Jane Pennington was also in the household, as were a 17-year-old granddaughter Bessie Hill (who was working as a general domestic servant), and Agnes Simpson.

Mary Ann died in 1915 in Wigan at the age of 72.

Sources

• Marriage registration http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=CAjCg%2FwrkAgC0NQw8M35jg&scan=1 & http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=8IE7rCYxj0JcAzxFd0bkHg&scan=1 also Lancashire Register Office indexes on www.lancashirebmd.org.uk

• Death registration http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=RHI2vLu4DJO8dgqIpsSKrQ&scan=1

• "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KD6S-L8M : 12 December 2017), Alice Morris in entry for Joseph Morris, 1871.

• "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27G-HBZ4 : 13 December 2017), Alice Morriss in household of Joseph Morriss, Westleigh, Lancashire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 45, Piece/Folio 3805/26, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,775,091.

• "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:77BD-46Z : 10 December 2017), Albert Morris in household of Joseph Morris, Standish With Langtree, Lancashire, England; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Lancashire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

• "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9KY-971 : 8 April 2016), Martha J Morris in household of Joseph Morris, Ashton In Makerfield, Lancashire, England; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Ashton In Makerfield subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

• "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9KY-9W3 : 8 April 2016), Agnes Simpson in household of James H Morris, Ashton In Makerfield, Lancashire, England; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Ashton In Makerfield subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

• "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWY6-L8T : 2 August 2017), Mary Ann Morris, Ashton In Makerfield, Ashton In Makerfield, Lancashire, England; 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.

The civil registration index, and the England and Wales censuses, are Crown Copyright.