My great grandmother Ada Davies (Davies-11056) is my 'brickwall'

Question

Struggling to find her birth details or 1871 Census entry. The known information is on her profile page.

Known facts

1911 UK Census RG14/16072/105 living in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. Born 1870 Condover, Shropshire. Wife of Frank Davies (William Francis Wilding Davies) Davies-11055.

1901 UK Census RG13/10/54 living in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. Born 1870 Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Wife of Frank Davies (William Francis Wilding Davies) Davies-11055.

25th Feb 1894 Marriage to WFW Davies at All Saint's, Shrewsbury. Ada's father stated as William Davies, a Farm Labourer. She is 24 years old (b.1870). Living at 13 Argyll Street, Shrewsbury - this address is unoccupied in the 1891 Census.

Frontispiece of family bible adds 'William Francis Wilding Davies and Ada Davies married at All Saint's Church Shrewsbury by the Rev E Emson March 25th 1894' I'm guessing this was added retrospectively as the marriage certificate is dated 25 Feb 1894! 

Additional information

1891 UK Census RG12/3009/3/12 an Ada Davies from Condover, Shropshire, is working as a Cook Domestic Servant to Mr Charles Finney in Huyton, Prescot, Lancashire. Aged 21 (b.1870). There was a tradition of the females in the family working 'in service' before marriage.

1881 UK Census RG11/2650/10 Ada Davies, niece, is living with Thomas Davies in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. Aged 11 (b.1870) Born in Crewe, Cheshire?? Possible family link with WILDING being used as a middle name in the family and yet more DAVIES surnames to sort.

However, I cannot find a birth for Ada Davies in Shropshire or Crewe for Dec 1868 to Dec 1872 or an 1871 Census record.

Ada seems quite consistent in 1870 as her birth year in the Census and marriage details.

Any pointers or ideas would be welcomed - working with DAVIES does get tiresome.

(a frustrated JONES)

Comments

Hi Steve. Not this one?

• England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (accessed 8 February 2021), database entry for Davies, Ada Spencer (Mother's maiden surname: THOMAS), GRO Reference: 1870 S Quarter in OSWESTRY Volume 06A Page 684.

Oswestry is in Shropshire, only 18 miles from Shrewsbury.

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Hi

Thanks Jim, but my gut feeling is unlikely despite being a short journey up the A5. Need to find a marriage of an Ada Spencer Davies to rule it out it though.

There appears to be no use of Spencer in subsequent generations as a name but if I get nowhere I have to revisit the possibility of course.

Thanks

Answer 1

Maybe worth looking into "British Columbia Death Registrations, 1872-1986; 1992-1993", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FLR2-M41 : 8 November 2017), Ada Davies, 1956

Comments

Hi Kandita

Husband Frank died in Shrewsbury, England in 1942. I'm almost 100% sure Ada died in Shrewsbury in 1935. Ada's father's name known to be William Davies from marriage certificate.

Thanks for the time and trouble though

Answer 2

I had a look for Ada on the 1939 register, but it looks as though she died in 1935, and her husband is living with George and Nellie Jones (query - is Nellie their daughter?).

Not having much luck with the birth registration.  Have you been able to identify all the witnesses to their marriage as they can sometimes provide a clue.

Have you been able to establish how Thomas Davies, the uncle on the 1881 census, fits into Ada's family?  Following him back could be helpful.

Comments

Thanks for the suggestions.

Nellie is Ada & Frank's daughter. She was still living in the same house in the 1960s when I used to visit on Sundays for afternoon tea. I would be allowed to listen to a huge old valve radio in the 'Front Lounge' enjoying BBC comedies such as 'The Clitheroe Kid', 'Round the Horne' etc. This started a passion for the medium of radio which stayed with me, I finished up working for the BBC as an Audio Supervisor (Studio Manager) for 33 years.

The marriage witnesses are E Davies (see below for possible link?) and an undecipherable scribble. I would love to put a grab on the profile page but the only image I have is copyright FMP and Shropshire Archives.

1851 Census Condover Shropshire

1. William Davies Head M 43 Horse Trainer Pontesbury
2. Eliza Davies Wife F 40 (Church) Stretton
3. Emma Davies Dau F 4 Condover
4. Fanny Davies Dau F 9 Condover
5. Ester Davies Dau F 8 Condover
6. William Davies Son M 6 Condover
7. Thomas Davies Son M 5 Condover
8. Samuel Davies Son M 3 Condover
9. James Davies Son 1 Condover

So two brothers with the correct names, age etc exist making a possible niece relationship. However there are also 4 other William Davies's living in Condover fitting the same birth range, so it's difficult to be 100% certain.

There is a William Davies aged 16, working as a groom in Shrewsbury in 1861 (RG09/1874/82 Page 8) which would fit (and follow father's occupation).

It's also possible the niece relationship could be through Thomas's wife, a Mary Mason. However, I haven't found the necessary marriage to a William Davies here through her sisters.

There is always the illegitimate birth, death of mother at birth, use of different first name etc. to consider too.

Thanks again everyone.