Brick wall for Elizabeth Dowd

[gwenda+parfitt]

I would appreciate some help in trying to find out about my great grandmother Elizabeth Dowd before her marriage.
I have a marriage certificate with the following details
Marriage solemnized in St. Margaret’s, Anfield in parish of Walton on the Hill
Date-4 Sept 1895
Groom-John Clarke, age 25, bachelor, shipping clerk, 80 Boundary Lane, father-Thomas Clarke, labourer
Bride-Elizabeth Dowd, age 23, spinster, 80A Boundary Lane, father-James Henry Dowd, confectioner
Witnesses-Samuel Garner and Elizabeth Roberts
I have found an Elizabeth Dood, lodger in 8 Beloe St, Liverpool age 18, dom. general servant on the 1891 census which may be Elizabeth Dowd.
After very many hours of research I have failed to trace her father or herself before the marriage. On all subsequent censuses she appears to have been born in 1872/73 and is stated to have been born in Liverpool. I have birth certificates for 3 Elizabeth Dowds born in 1868, 1869 and 1873 but none of these give a father called James or Henry Dowd.
Yours hopefully, Gwenda Parfitt

[MaryA]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I wonder if you have any idea of her date and place of death, also was she living at the time of the 1939 Register?

I notice from the 1901 census, Tweed Street, where they have three sons, Robert J 4, and Richard N 2, and John 4 months. Richard's middle name of Nugent is unusual, do you know where this is from? any idea if he is named after somebody in the family?

[MaryA]

I see the entry you mention in 1891, which is clearly written as Dood, it makes me wonder if she had an accent that made the enumerator write the name as he heard it, or whether it was an honest mis-spelling.

[gwenda+parfitt]

Elizabeth Clarke (nee Dowd) died on 10 March 1913 and was living in 111 Boundary Lane at the time of death. She is said to be 40. I have all the census information fo 1901 and 1911. It is before her marriage that I am stumped. One on the Wittnesses at her marriage, Elizabeth Roberts may be the sister -in-law of her huband's sister Mary Clarke(1867). The maiden name of this Elizabeth Roberts(1860)'s mother is Nugent. I have followed this line but still cannot make any connection. Would you be able to look at my tree "Parry tree" to see this?

[MaryA]

Just looking all round the subject, not particularly searching for later censuses etc. as you never know what might give a clue. The 1939 Register is usually useful in that it gives an exact date of birth, but it doesn't help in this case.

Just listing for anybody else helping that I've looked in 1869, 70, 71 and 81 for any James/Henry Dowd/O'Dowd or indeed any Dowd occupation confectioners in the Liverpool (and Birkenhead for 1870) sadly without finding a result.

I'm thinking she either wasn't registered with the name Dowd or came from elsewhere.

[gwenda+parfitt]

Thank you for looking but I have even looked at Irish records. I found an Elizabeth Dowd(1873) but she was still in Ireland at the age of 10. Was there a stigma attached to coming from Ireland causing her to say she was from Liverpool perhaps. Did she come to Liverpool in search of work? Although her father was called James he certainly wasn't a confectioner.

[MaryA]

Although her father was called James he certainly wasn't a confectioner.

What evidence do you have to say that?

What often happens is that if a child moved here at such a young age they may not be aware that they were born somewhere else.

[gwenda+parfitt]

I have looked again at Elizabeth Dowds in Ireland and there were several of them in the years I am looking at. I have no way of finding the father's name for 2 of them. I have also now decided that I was possibly on the wrong track for Elizabeth Dowd's husband's childhood. All the dates are consistently a year out. I have started an alternative branch which appears to be very possible but both of this John Clarke's parents were born in Ireland. A Liverpool relative gave me my original information so I need to find out how she got this info. It seems like all routes lead to Ireland! It's not an easy task as Liverpool is so large.
Thanks for spending time on this but I really think that it is unsolvable, although I will go back to it later on. Yours sincerely
Gwenda Parfitt

[MaryA]

Yes you are on a complicated search, also as Dowd is also a common name in Scotland too.

The others on this forum will have looked also, and their lack of responses mean that they haven't had any luck because they try so hard to come up with even the least little clue.

I know you are going to try to come to the Irish Parish Records talk in November, I hope something there helps.