Mary Traverse (bef. 1838)

Born before 11 Mar 1838 in Eccleston, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Biography

This profile is part of the St Helens, Lancashire One Place Study.

Mary Traverse was born in about 1838, and christened on 11 Mar 1838 at the church of St Mary the Virgin in Prescot, Lancashire. She was the daughter of John and Margaret Traverse. Her father's occupation was recorded as joiner, and the family's address as Eccleston.

By June 6th 1841, the family was living in Hackley Moss, Eccleston; John was a joiner. A young man named Thomas Hall (a journeyman saddler) was living with them, probably a boarder.

They moved to Manchester sometime between 1842 and 1845.

By March 30th 1851, the family was in White Street, Hulme; John was a builder. Mary wasn't with her parents when the census was taken; she was in the household of Robert Gore in Hackerley Moss, Eccleston - he was a retired joiner aged 71, and she was described as his niece. Robert and his wife had been next-door neighbours of Mary's family in 1841. Also in Robert's household in 1851 (but listed after Mary) was his 77-year-old housekeeper Margaret Taylor, born in Preston.

By April 7th 1861, the family was in Hall Street, Chorlton on Medlock; John wasn't with them on census night.

Research Notes

Census

1841: Hackley Moss, Eccleston

  John Traverse 30 Joiner Y

  Margaret do 25 Y

  Mary do 3 Y

  Fanney do 20? months Y /

  Thomas Hall 20 Sadler J Y //

1851: Hackerley Moss, Eccleston

  Robert Gore Head Widr 71 Retired Joiner b. Lancashire Prescot

  Mary Travis Neice U 13 b. Lancashire Prescot

  Margret Taylor Serv W 77 House Keeper b. Lancashire Preston

Mary was supposedly Robert's niece but was the relationship perhaps one of the families being good friends and the children calling Robert and his wife Fanny 'uncle' and 'auntie'? Mary's sister Fanny may have been named after Fanny Gore. Fanny Gore's maiden name was Blease, and she was a spinster when she married, but she signed as Fanny Lyon, it's unclear why. Robert and Fanny are so much older than Mary that it seems more likely they would be a great-uncle and great-aunt than an uncle and aunt, if they are blood relatives. No baptism found for Robert Gore if Prescot is the correct birthplace.

With Mary's mother's maiden name being Taylor, it's tempting to wonder if perhaps Mary was Margret Taylor's niece rather than Robert Gore's niece. But it seems more likely she was Robert's niece as the record states. Still, it's possible Margret was her aunt by marriage.

Sources

• Birth registration: Mary Traverse, first quarter 1838, Prescot district, mother's maiden name Taylor, accessed on GRO website - birth registration search (free registration required)

• Baptism: Image on FamilySearch (free account registration required to view)

• "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQ2G-RWR : 22 May 2019), Thomas Hall in household of John Traverse, Prescot, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey. Piece 516-06 folio 21 page 3

• "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGYX-HF6 : 12 September 2019), Mary Travis in household of Robert Gore, Eccleston, Lancashire, England; citing Eccleston, Lancashire, England, p. 2, 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.

• "General Register Office: 1861 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/59035c7ae9379091b181a2f1 : viewed 3 Jul 2022), Margaret TRAVERSE in household of Margaret TRAVERSE, 66, Hall Street, Lancashire, England; from 1861 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives RG 9/2885, Folio 80, Page 12, Schedule 59, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.