Watson family in Smethwick

Continuing the story of my Great grandfather John Robert Watson born in Ely in 1881. His mother Elizabeth Watson previously Jackson died shortly after he was born and he was brought up by the Peel family. By 1891 was living in Smethwick.

He married Annie Deakin on 2 May 1903 there first child was born in late 1903 and was called Doris May the birth registered in December quarter. The next child was born in Early 1905 called William Henry after Annie’s father. This child died and was buried at St Paul’s Church West Smethwick in June 1905. The family were living with Annie’s father at Railway Terrace George st on West Smethwick Estate.

In 1960s this estate totally changed all houses demolished and streets dug up. New houses built were town house design made of concrete. This was later called ‘concrete jungle’ by local people.

Photo of Railway Terrace, corner of George St.

Next child was my grandfather Wilfred John born 21 August 1907 the family had now moved to St Georges St Smethwick near to Brasshouse Lane Smethwick just off High Street Smethwick. This is the address given for the family in 1911 census.

photo of St George Street Smethwick. This street now called Perry Street.

Image of the 1911 census showing the Watson family including Annie’s family Surnamed Deakin. From Find my past

The other children in the family were Evelyn born April 19 1911. Then John Robert born 9 July 1913, then Eric Stanley born December 1915. Lastly there was Nellie Born 22 March 1919 and Iris 8 July 1924.

Wedding photo of my grandparents marriage Wilfed Watson to Beatrice Mills. Watson family on the left.

John Robert Watson Part two

Continuing the story of my Great Grandfather John Robert Watson born in 1881. He was in the 1881 census at 3 months with a different family named Peel. Next time I found him was in 1903 when he got married to Annie Deakin. I couldn’t find him in the census until 1911. All later records from 1903 he is as Watson.

So to find him start looking for the foster family. Foster Parents were William Peel and Eliza. He was with them in 1881 at Walpole Lane, Ely at the crown public House.

Picture John Robert Watson and wife Annie

William and Eliza were in Ely in 1871 census still Walpole Lane. With other Peel family nearby, William’s parents and brother. They were classed as married and i found there marriage at Holy Trinity Ely on 26 December 1870.

Picture Holy Trinity church Ely

The next census for 1881 we already know. The 1891 census they weren’t at Ely. Searched then for William Peel elsewhere and found him at Smethwick,Staffordshire with Eliza’s father. William was classed as widower also with other family members of Smith family including another daughter, her son, William and his adopted children John R Watson Peel on census aged 10 and Mary Ann Dewsbury who was a servant and some other lodgers. Address was Marshall St, St Paul’s Road, Smethwick. The head of the household was John Smith Eliza’s father. Who worked at Labourer at Glass Works.

Photo of Marshall Street in 1964

Question now is what happened to Eliza. Her death was registered in December 1888 at Kings Norton district which covers Smethwick.

The 1901 census John R is at 27 George Street Smethwick which is not far from Marshall St and St Paul’s Road. George Street is on what is now West Smethwick Estate off Oldbury Road near to where the Glass Works where John Smith worked as previous census.

The head of the household was Sarah John Smith’s daughter aged 63 and classed as Widow. Her son John T Westhorpe aged 25 born in Smethwick. John R Watson surname as Westhorpe in Census classed as boarder. John Smith is still alive at 83. And lastly Florence Dewsbury aged 11 classed as niece born Birmingham.

So where was William Peel he died in December 1899. Florence Dewsbury maybe connected Mary Ann Dewsbury.

Two years later John R married to Annie Deakin. Her family lived nearby in 1901. They were married at St Paul’s Church, West smethwick on 2 May 1903.

#familyhistory #smethwick #ely

Oldbury

via Oldbury 

Oldbury is a town in Sandwell, West Midlands, England. It is a part of the Black Country, and the administrative centre of the borough of Sandwell.

At the 2011 census, the ward of Oldbury had a population of 13,606, while the wider built-up area had a population of 23,964.^[1] However, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council give the population figure of Oldbury as 50,641.^[3]

History

See also: Evolution of Worcestershire county boundaries and Shropshire (Detached)

Coat of arms of the former Municipal Borough of Oldbury

Oldbury was part of the ancient parish of Halesowen, a detached part of Shropshire surrounded by Worcestershire and Staffordshire, and the manor was owned by the Oldbury family until the 17th century when Alderman John Oldbury had no male heir and his two daughters, Mary, Countess of Warrington and Dorothy, Baroness Herbert, married into the aristocracy.^[4]

By the Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844, Oldbury was reincorporated into Worcestershire after a nine-hundred-year absence. It became an Urban District in 1894, receiving Municipal Borough-status in 1935.

The local government structure within North Worcestershire and South Staffordshire – Prior to the West Midlands Order 1965 reorganisation

In 1966, Oldbury was merged with the County Borough of Smethwick and the Municipal Borough of Rowley Regis to form the County Borough of Warley,^[5] which also included most of the Tividale area of Tipton and the eastern section of Oakham in Dudley. The geographical county boundaries were also changed to include the whole of Warley as part of Worcestershire; formerly, both Rowley Regis and Smethwick had been in Staffordshire.^[6][7]

Oldbury council built several thousand houses, flats and bungalows for some 40 years until its disbandment, the 1,000th of which was completed in 1933 at Wallace Road near the border with Rowley Regis.^[8]

In 1974, Oldbury became part of the new Sandwell Metropolitan Borough (a merger between the county boroughs of West Bromwich and Warley), and was transferred into the West Midlands Metropolitan County. Since 1986, after the abolition of the West Midlands County Council, Sandwell effectively became a unitary authority. Sandwell Council’s headquarters are situated in Oldbury Town Centre.

Oldbury comes within the B68 and B69 postal districts, the latter of which also covers part of Tipton. The postal town is Oldbury, although it previously came under the Warley post town, along with Smethwick, Rowley Regis, and Cradley Heath.

History Wikipedia

Useful information

Street index 1861

John Robert Watson Part 1

My Great-Grandfather was John Robert Watson born on 5 January 1881. He was the son Robert Watson and Elizabeth (formerly Jackson). Elizabeth didn’t live long after he was born and died on 10 January 1881. This was also her birthday. John R was their only child.

Picture of John Robert Watson and his wife Annie formerly Deakin.

I found John R next on 1881 census living with a family still in Ely. But has adopted next to John R Name. Living with a family named Peel at Walpole Lane, Ely next to the crown inn. The Head of the household was William Peel with wife Eliza and with another adopted child aged 7 named Mary Ann Dewsbury.

But when I started my research into Watson didn’t know this. My grandfather said his parents married at the same church as my grandparents Watson at St Paul’s, West Smethwick. The other information he had was that John R was living at West Ham (London) before he came to Smethwick.

John Robert Watson and Annie Deakin were married at St Paul’s Church, West Smethwick on 2nd May 1903. John R lived at 1 Albert Terrace Occupation Labourer. His father given as Robert Watson, Farm Labourer (given as Deceased). I found the entry in the Parish Register got to look at the original register at West Bromwich library. The archives for the area was at Smethwick library but closed for building work.

St Pauls Church, West Smethwick on St Paul’s Road taken about mid 1960s.

In the bad winter of 1963 the church caught fire but because of the snow firefighters couldn’t get to the church and wasn’t saved. Information of fire at church

The new church then built on east end of old building as shown in picture. This all now gone as well. With houses built on the site.

From the information in the marriage record I look for the birth of John Robert. Born about 1881 and in south England. The only one for south England registered at Ely in March quarter in 1881. All the rest were northern England. So I got this certificate.

Wellington visit.

I recently visited Wellington, Shropshire.

I went further up the high street towards the church.  Christchurch

I found some older buildings which were close to Christchurch Church. See photo below.

There was a road just past the houses to the church. I went up this next.

View of Christchurch Church.

I found an interesting headstone.

I did a little of research to find out more.  Thomas was the only son and child of this family. So quite sad story.

In 1861 census family were living at Jarratts Lane, Wellington. Parents were Henry and Sarah Bladen had a niece named Harriett Gears living with them as well as Thomas aged 10.

I then went back around the churchyard and came out by the houses and noticed this van.

The first building is the premises for this company. Interested me due to the name one of my families I research is Addison.

This family moved around from Child’s Ercall, Tibberton, Edgmond, Bolas.  On way back home I went also through Ketley which is also a place they lived there at time of 1901 census.

Who do you think you are live 2017

I recently visited Who do you think you are at NEC Birmingham.  I attended on the Saturday 8 April this was the last day for the event. 

I had two workshops on the day. My first one was for Bastardy the workhouse was very full.  This involved what is classed as a Bastard may have involved because the marriage before children born was invalid. Or the parents never married or one of them was already married to someone else. Also what records you can search these can involve parish chest records as settlement, removal and Bastardy records for the parish. There may have been an order for payment of the child or children. If they didn’t pay maybe prison was involved for non-payment. 

Most of the handouts for the talks are on the Society of Genealogists website see the link below. But the Bastardy is not included so far.  My other workshop was for Birmingham with Mike Sharpe about true brummies

http://www.sog.org.uk/learn/who-do-you-think-you-are-live-2014-speakers-handouts/

After this went around the stalls. 

My purchases were from BMSGH – Birmingham & Midland Society for Genealogy and Heralds.  I purchased a postcard book about Smethwick.

From SFHS Shropshire Family History Society I had 1851 census index and also the Burial index. 

From Pen and Sword booksellers and publishers I got Tracing Black Country Ancestors. 

Addison family

My last post about the Addison was quite a while ago.  This included up to the 1891 census the family are at Pope Street, Smethwick close to the area near West Bromwich Football Ground.

In 1901 census the family are nearer to Smethwick High Street.  They are at 45, 46 Great Arthur Street which is off Brasshouse Lane which is off Smethwick High Street.

Photo of Pope Street, Smethwick. In 1950s.

William Addison son of William and Sarah Addison lived at 45 Great Arthur Street with his wife Mary they were both 27 with there son William aged 4.

At 46 Great Arthur Street lived William’s mother Sarah Addison aged 50.  Also with her were some of her children.  These were Charles aged 22, Oliver 19 and Fanny aged 16 who is my Great Grandmother. Sarah died shortly after this her death registered in March quarter 1902.

 

Warwickshire Ancestors

In the summer I visited Stratford-on Avon.  This was the first time I visited here.

Stratford on Avon

Visited with my family for my birthday.

stratford on Avon

My youngest daughter came here before when doing a Travel and tourism course at college. 
  

After looking about the town. We visited Tudor world museum in Sheep Street. 

king 

Queen 

There are road signs at Stratford on Avon to Alcester.  I have some Warwickshire ancestors at Alcester the Bennett family and also Beasley my mom’s family goes to Wixford. Family said there was an irish connection but i haven’t found one.  

Beasley goes from Warwickshire to Northamptonshire. William Beasley was from Greatworth, Northamptonshire. He married Ann Bennett at All Saints, Hockley, Birmingham 1846 and after this returned back to Warwickshire there children were born or baptised there. 

His son Joseph William Beasley married Lucy Russell also in Birmingham in 1874 at St Andrews, Bordesley, Birmingham. They also went back to Warwickshire and some of the children were born and baptised there. 

One of his other sons Francis William Beasley was also married in Birmingham. He married Mary James at St Asaph Birmingham in 1882. By time of the 1891 census both brothers and there families were living in Smethwick and they stayed there.  My great grandfather Joseph Edwin Beasley married at St Michael and All Angels, Smethwick in 1906. 

West Bromwich Workhouse

Photos of the West Bromwich Workhouse memorial at Heath Lane, cemetery in West Bromwich.  This memorial is because the paupers who died at the workhouse were buried there in unmarked graves.  This memorial is opposite the War Memorial located at the cemetery. 

Ronald Watson

Recently have been working on research into my father Ronald Watson. He was born in 1934 at Dudley Road hospital.  This is now city Hospital, Birmingham but is very close to Smethwick.