Who are Elizabeth Clarke's Parents Clarke-16353

Question

Help please? Family Legend – True or False????

It was said that my Great great grandmother Elizabeth Clarke was related in some way to Jesse Watts-Russell of Ilam Hall.

The story goes that a Watts-Russell child ran away with the family Coachman with surname Clarke and eloped. Being “Beneath” the family, the Watts-Russell child was disinherited

I am trying to prove this once and for all as many of my Cousins, Uncles, Aunts have all given me the same story but nothing is proven.

The information I have so far:

Elizabeth Clarke b 28 August 1857 Warwickshire England.

The marriage certificate of Elizabeth Clarke to Walter Mounter.

Married 4 November 1879 in Coventry

Her father is noted as William Clarke – Farm labourer

I do not know her mothers name!!!

She has (I know of) 2 brothers:

William Clarke and Edward Clarke.

Census record possibilities:

1861 Warwickshire

William – Head – Ag Labourer

Jane – Wife

Eliza Clarke – 11 yrs from Harbury.

William – 7 yrs

 

1861 Warwickshire

Mary Clarke – Head – Widow

Elizabeth Clarke – 5 yrs – From Lillington

 

1861 Warwickshire

William Clarke – Head – Silver polisher

Elizabeth A – Wife

Elizabeth A – Dau – 4 yrs – From Birmingham

 

1871 Warwikshire

William Clarke – Head – No occupation shown

Matilda May – Wife

Elizabeth - Dau – 13 yrs from Bubbebhall

Edward Clarke – Son – 11 yrs from Bubbenhall

William Clarke – Son – 2 yrs from Bubbenhall.

1871 Warwickshire

Elizabeth Clarke – 15 yrs – Domestic servant from Coventry

 

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks - Rob

Comments

NOTHING conclusive, but there was an Elizabeth Clarke whose birth was registered in the Warwick Union RD, Sep Qtr 1857 -- followed by an Edward Clarke, Sept Qtr 1859, Warwick Union RD, and a William Clarke, June Qtr 1868, all with the Mother's Maiden Surname Stokes.

Those birth years fit your ages for these children :

 1871 Warwikshire

William Clarke – Head – No occupation shown

Matilda May – Wife

Elizabeth - Dau – 13 yrs from Bubbebhall

Edward Clarke – Son – 11 yrs from Bubbenhall

William Clarke – Son – 2 yrs from Bubbenhall.

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You would need to investigate further. 

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Based on census returns found for the Mounter family, I would bet that the above Elizabeth is the correct one.

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Melanie

Thankyou so much for this help. It has given me something to look for and carry.

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Aww .. you beat me to it!  (I was sourcing Matilda Mary, so I could surprise you with a profile.)

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Bless you that is so sweet. I had names for them but never wanted to add them to the tree as I was not completely sure. Matilda as far as my records show handed down to me was written as Matilda May and not Matilda Mary. Glad that is all sorted now. Just have to sort out the legend of Ilam Hall and Jesse Watts-Russell. There are so many family members with the same story but no one has proven it yet. They've left it to me !!!!!

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I believe one record has her as Matilda May, and if that was the one used by others, that's what gets handed down.

Every other record I found for her, though, was Matilda Mary.

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Hehe ..  I don't think my family have so much as "left it to me", as they have simply dropped the ball years ago, to where even my LDS cousin and family were believing the family stories that were wrong.  I'm too stubborn, however, to leave things alone without PROOF that the stories are true.  Thus I found the truths about my great-grandfather, and my 3-greats-grandfather, and an associated story that was passed from daughter, to daughter, to daughter, to cousin (my Mum), to me.

In other words -- never give up.  Someday you'll find the answers, or you'll leave enough of a trail that others yet to follow can pick it up and run with it.