One of the girls that got away - Jane Ashton McDonald

[barley28]

Hello all. I'm a long-term member of the LSWLFHS but a new member of this forum. I wonder if anyone can find out what happened to my ancestor's half sister Jane Ashton McDonald?

My ancestor was Elizabeth Lee nee Ashton, and I think Jane was the illegitimate child of one of her two brothers, Andrew Ashton or Thomas Ashton. I'd like to find Jane's marriage, to see who she said her father was!

The Ashtons started out in the Blackburn area, but moved to Liverpool in about 1867. Jane was baptised when she was two and a half, at St Mary RC, Osbaldeston, near Blackburn on 3 Nov 1864, with the baptism saying she was born 23 Mar 1862. Only her mother's name was given - Catharina McDonald – but Jane was baptised with the middle name Ashton. The baptism is on Lancashire OPC. Something must have happened to Jane's mother Catherine McDonald (married? died?), and this RC baptism probably marks the moment that the Ashton family scooped the little girl up.

By 1871 the Ashton family had moved to Liverpool, and they can be seen at 1, Bickerton Street, off Lark Lane, where Jane was listed as Jane McDonald, visitor, 9, born Blackburn. (RG10/3804 f142 p52)

In 1876 a Jane Ashton was confirmed at Our Lady of Mount Carmel RC Church, Liverpool (all the details suggest it's the right Jane) and in 1877 she was godmother (as Jane Ashton) to Elizabeth (née Ashton) Lee's son James.

In 1881, still at Bickerton Street Liverpool, Jane is now Jane Ashton, aged 18, "daughter" of old Ann, but I think she was really her granddaughter. (RG11/3652 f34 p1)

There is nothing after that. In 1887, at the baptism of Elizabeth (née Ashton) Lee's son Thomas, the godmother was a Jane Dutton. Was this Jane? I have looked but not found a matching marriage of an Ashton to a Dutton (or was she married as McDonald?). But maybe that godmother was some other Jane.

The index of Liverpool RC marriages has no marriages of a Jane Ashton from 1880 to 1890, but two Jane McDonalds:
1882 OL Good Help to George Joseph Savage.
1885 St Mary Highfield Street to Thomas Wade.

I looked both of those marriages up, but none of the addresses of the parties are in the right areas of Liverpool, I don’t recognise any of the witnesses and the brides' father's names look "real". I don't think either if them is "my" Jane, nothing rang any bells.

So now I'm running out of steam with Jane. Did she marry in C of E? Didn’t she marry at all? (Where was she in 1891 in that case?) Did she move away from Liverpool? Perhaps in service somewhere? Did she die before 1891? I asked this question a few months ago on the Top Dog forum and another suggestion was that she might have entered a convent. How would I find that out, if so?

It's a bit of a forlorn hope, but if anyone can cast fresh eyes on Jane, I'd be grateful.

Barbara

[MaryA]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Although they don't seem to have turned up anything useful, for our crew here is the link to the Topdog forum. http://www.genealogy-specialists.com/th ... nald.5039/

My broadband is playing up this weekend so don't know how long I'll be able to be online this morning, but will continue some research while I can, meantime I'm sure some of the others will be along to give some suggestions when they get up

[Blue70]

This page has information about records of nuns:-

https://catholicfhs.wordpress.com/2015/ ... x-of-nuns/


Blue

[barley28]

Thanks Blue. I just remembered seeing that in the magazine, too. I will send them an enquiry and see what they say.
Barbara

[barley28]

The Catholic FHS tell me that Jane doesn't appear on their Index of Nuns under either surname, so we are back to married, emigrated or died.

Maybe one day someone who knows something will happen on this thread and chip in with the answer.

Barbara

[Alison C]

FreeBMD and LancashireBMD have the following possible marriage in 1894:

June 1894
Jane Ashton & Price Davies
Toxteth Park
Vol 8b, p459

LancashireBMD shows the marriage as registry office/registrar attended. We know it wasn't an RC marriage so it may well have been in a registry office.

Alison

[MaryA]

We know it wasn't an RC marriage so it may well have been in a registry office.

If we are certain that none of the churches have been missed out in the "Index of RC Marriages" that is.

Unfortunately as we can't be sure of her father's name on the certificate, there is no way of ordering the certificate with any sort of criteria. I think if you believe it might be a likely marriage, the only way is to bite the bullet and get the certificate.

I'm having difficulty finding this couple in a census after their marriage.

[Bertieone]

1911,
RG14 P34514,

Price Davies 56
Jane Davies 47
Ashton David 16
Elsie David 14
Mary David 10
Clarissa David 25
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss ... s&h=960789

[MaryA]

Duh! I didn't look in Wales.

Despite whatever the transcription says, the children are Davies.

Eccleston, Lancashire given as Jane's birthplace, could be a bit flexible on that point, but it also says she can speak both languages which would be unusual for somebody who had married out of the country, perhaps she integrated pretty quickly with her neighbours and family.

I'm thinking this isn't "our" Jane. The 1901 census (transcribed as Dane on Ancestry) gives Jane's birthplace as St Helens, so the Eccleston in 1911 won't be the one higher up in Lancashire, but the suburb of St Helens.

[simone]

1911,
RG14 P34514,

Price Davies 56
Jane Davies 47
Ashton David 16
Elsie David 14
Mary David 10
Clarissa David 25
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss ... s&h=960789

not sure this is the right family as Jane is in Liverpool in 1881, but this one married to Price at that time

1881
Class: RG11; Piece: 5578; Folio: 76; Page: 3;
at LLanllchid, Caernarvonshire
Elizabeth Thomas 50 b Liverpool
Jane Davies 26 b Anglesey
Price Davies 26 son in law b Caernarvonshire
Elizabeth Jane Davies 1 grandaughter
Wm.James Davies 1 month
William Thomas 14

1891
Llanellchid
4669 Folio16 Page 27

Price Davies 36
Jane Davies 32
William James Davies 10
Edith Emma Davies 6
Clarisa Davies 5
Elizabeth Pierce 19

Simone

[MaryA]

The 1911 one Bert posted gave the years married as only 17, which obviously made it seem near enough to the marriage found in Liverpool.

[simone]

unless Price married twice? Jane each time

[Alison C]

It looks like Jane Ashton was the second Jane to marry Price Davies.

From NorthWalesBMD, Price Davies married Jane Parry in 1879, Bangor, Civil Marriage.

FreeBMD has the following possible death for Jane #1:
Deaths June 1893

Davies Jane
Age 34
Bangor
Vol 11b, p352

Alison

[simone]

snap! was just looking for Jane Parry

[barley28]

Thanks all, for your efforts. The Jane Ashton married to Price Davies in Toxteth Park in 1894 looks very promising at first, right time and place for the mariage, right age on later censuses, but the birthplace she gave on the censuses isn't sufficiently close for me to believe she's the Jane I'm after.

Don't quite follow the business of the Price Davies married to a Jane Parry in 1879. Do you think this is the same Price with a previous wife? Ah, yes, I see, if Jane nee Parry died in 1893 in Bangor, the 1894 marriage in Toxteth Park could be the widower marrying again.

Pity there is no named church for the 1894 marriage so I can't look it up in the Library. The discrepancy with Jane's birthplace makes me reluctant to shell out for the cert.

Cheers, Barbara

[simone]

Price Davies died 1932 in Bangor....

Price Davies

Birth abt 1855
Date of Registration:Jun 1932
Age at Death:77
Registration district:Bangor
Inferred County:Caernarvonshire
Volume:11b
Page:558

probate entry says

Davies Price of 9 Victoria Place Bethseda Carnarvonshire died 15 May 1932, Probate Bangor 9 June to ASHTON Davies butcher and Evan Richard Hughes solicitor's clerk. Effects £1463 17s 11d

Simone

[simone]

Ashton Davies born 1895

Ashton Davies
Registration Year:1895
Registration Quarter:Jan-Feb-Mar
Registration district:Bangor
Inferred County:Anglesey
Volume:11b
Page:449

[simone]

sorry.. take n notice of me
just realised one and the same family Mary found transcribed as Danes in 1901

[barley28]

Just an update on this:
The Jane Ashton who married Price Davies in 1894 looks like she must be the same young woman who was a housemaid in one of the big houses around Sefton Park in 1891, working for a John "Bancker" JP, 72, born Germany.
Class: RG12; Piece: 2940; Folio: 89; Page: 50;

She is traceable back in 1881 and 1871 to the Eccleston / St Helens / Prescot area and is a perfect match to the wife of Price Davies.
1881 Class: RG11; Piece: 3722; Folio: 61; Page: 38;
1871 Class: RG10; Piece: 3861; Folio: 88; Page: 17;

She is definitely not my missing Jane, who was two years older, born in the Blackburn area, and living with a different family in 1871 and 1881. She remains unaccounted for after 1881.

Barbara

[MaryA]

She remains unaccounted for after 1881.

Sorry that one hasn't panned out, but I always think it's a successful outcome to totally discount a possible. Hope we manage to find another suggestion.