Agnes (Bason) Roberts (1854 - 1924)

Born 1854 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, United Kingdom

Wife of William Roberts — married 1873 in De Facto

Descendants

Died 1924 at about age 70 in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom

Biography

Agnes was born in 1854, the illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth Bason. Her birth was registered in Atcham, Shropshire. ^[1] She was Christened on 5th July 1856 by her mother Elizabeth. ^[2]

In 1861 Agnes was living with her Grandparents Charles and Mary, her mother Elizabeth (who was blind) and her uncles Charles and Stephen Bason (who were also blind). ^[3]

In 1874 Agnes had a daughter, Alice Hannah with Thomas Lewis. ^{[4] [5]}

Agnes and her daughter moved in with her mother Elizabeth, who was blind from birth, and step father William. she then had a relationship and many children with her mother's husband William. All 3 lived in the family home with the children.

The love triangle: Agnes, her mother Elizabeth and William Roberts.

Elizabeth (mother) /Agnes (Daughter) / William (Husband/Partner)

1871: This is the first census Elizabeth and William are married. Elizabeth is 17 years older than William (he is 26 and she is 43). They had 2 daughters, Mary Ann and Hannah, mother's maiden name Bason. Hannah also has a baptism record confirming William and Elizabeth as her parents. Agnes cannot be found in the 1871 census. ^[6]

1881: William is married to Elizabeth, who is now 52, so presumably has not been able to have children for at least 4 years. There is now a 26 year old Agnes Roberts listed as a step daughter and another 3 children aged under 10 - a granddaughter Alice H (Agnes's daughter), son Alfred W and daughter Edith A aged just 10 months. ^[7]

In 1891 the census shows William married to Elizabeth with Agnes as his daughter. They had another 4 children. ^[8]

But 1901 William and Agnes were claiming to be husband and wife and Elizabeth was listed as his mother (His mother was actually called Emma). ^[9]

In 1911 William and Agnes claimed to have been married for 38 years, ie since 1873 so it's not unreasonable to assume William kept Elizabeth as his wife and took her daughter Agnes as his lover and had more children. Agnes had already taken his surname. William and Agnes had 13 children, of whom 2 died before 1911. The youngest found was Doris Mabel (b. 1897), whose mother's maiden name was Bason. ^[10]

Agnes died aged 69 in 1924. Her death was registered in Middlesbrough. ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth

   BEASON, AGNES (no mother's maiden name) -

   GRO Reference: 1854 D Quarter in ATCHAM Volume 06A Page 543

2. ↑ Christening

   "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JMDV-JMR : 10 April 2021), Agnes Bason, 1856.

3. ↑ 1861 Census

   Name: Agnes Bason

   Age: 6

   Estimated Birth Year: 1855

   Relation: Granddaughter

   Gender: Female

   Where born: Benington, Shropshire, England

   Civil Parish: Condover

   County/Island: Shropshire

   Country: England

   Registration District: Atcham

   Sub-registration District: Condover

   ED, institution, or vessel: 10

   Household Schedule Number: 70

   Piece: 1862

   Folio: 41

   Page Number: 14

   Household Members:

   Name Age

   Charles Bason 71

   Mary Bason 59

   Elizabeth Bason 32

   Charles Bason 35

   Stephen Bason 14

   Agnes Bason 6

   Samuel Baines 25

   Source Citation

   Class: RG 9; Piece: 1862; Folio: 41; Page: 14; GSU roll: 542879

   Source Information

   Ancestry.com. 1861 England Census

   Ancestry uk Record 8767 #19704769

4. ↑ Alice Christening

   Name: Alice Hannah Beason

   [Alice Hannah Lewis]

   Gender: Female

   Baptism Date: 17 Feb 1874

   Baptism Place: Middlesborough Circuit Primitive Methodist, Middlesbrough, York, England

   Father: Thomas Lewis

   Mother: Agnes Beason

   FHL Film Number: 1546295 IT 6-7

   Ancestry.com. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

   Ancestry uk Record 9841 #159154115

5. ↑ Alice Hannah Birth

   BASON, ALICE HANNAH -

   GRO Reference: 1874 M Quarter in STOCKTON Volume 10A Page 86

6. ↑ 1871 census

   "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VFV4-HHS : 19 February 2021), William Roberts, 1871.

7. ↑ 1881 Census

   "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27B-27K6 : 12 December 2017), Wm Roberts, Linthorpe, Yorkshire,Yorkshire North Riding, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 11, Piece/Folio 4856/87, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,775,350.

8. ↑ 1891 Census

   "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7RCH-NMM : 23 February 2021), William Roberts, Linthorpe, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Yorkshire, Yorkshire (North Riding) county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

9. ↑ 1901 census

   "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSSF-P67 : 21 May 2019), William Roberts, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Middlesbrough subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

10. ↑ 1911 Census

    "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7PT-7NV : 18 July 2019), William Roberts, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, 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.

11. ↑ Death

    ROBERTS, AGNES 69

    GRO Reference: 1924 M Quarter in MIDDLESBROUGH Volume 09D Page 945