Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I am researching my family tree and my great great grandparents lived in toxteth park/st helens prescot, I have found some information that my great, great, grandfather, James Benjamin Green (23 Frank Street), married a Jane Rankin (17 Frank Street) in 1880.

They had 3 children but unfortunately the mother, Jane, died in 1889 leaving James to bring up the 3 children, Mary (128 Park Hill Road), James (Chorley Street) & Sarah (99 Park Street).

I have found James Benjamin boarding at a place called 115 Raglan Street in st helens prescot in 1891.

He then re-married a Alice Langton in 1892.

They had another child of which I have found in 1894 called William (Re-named William Moore later in life).

The eldest daughter (Mary) died in March of 1896 and then James went missing on the 2nd April 1896 and was found in the Sankey Canal on the 13th April by his second wife. This went to inquest and I am trying to find out more information about this suicide.

James was a Baker by trade and would like information of any bakers in this area if you could help.

Also the son by James and Jane (James Jr) died in August of 1899, he was working in the glass factory of Cannington Shaw and Co as a glass blower and am trying to find any information of his death.

...Rumours of a possible explosion at the factory around that time?

Any help would be appreciated.
Many Thanks

Rumours of a possible explosion at the factory around that time?

According to the National Archives, http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/ ... &cid=-1#-1
records of Cannington Shaw & Co. Ltd are held by the St Helens Local History and Archives Library.
See: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/arch ... asp?LR=139
They might be able to assist with your baker query.

Hi,
This may be of interest,

Cannington Shaw mentioned and explosion at Alkali works, interesting read.

http://www.suttonbeauty.org.uk/suttonhi ... l#chemical

Bertieone wrote:Hi,
This may be of interest,

Cannington Shaw mentioned and explosion at Alkali works, interesting read.

http://www.suttonbeauty.org.uk/suttonhi ... l#chemical

Bert, thanks for posting that. A fascinating industrial history of the area.

Any inquests are likely to have been reported in the local paper. This will be on film in St Helens Library at the Archives as listed above.

Hope this helps, James Green.

http://www.old-merseytimes.co.uk/explosionsthelens.html




Bert

Was there a mistake made with his age in the Mersey Times?

Is this his later death?
Green James Benjamin 17 Prescot 8b 600, Dec qtr 1899


Bert

Welcome to our forum Oldengineer.
Good luck with your search, lots of help here for you.
A very sad story about both James.
children Mary C 10, James B 7, Sarah 4 are boarding with their father in 1891 census.

Thanks for all your replies they have been a great help.

I have managed to find out a bit more about the death of James Green Jnr, it appears he didn't die in an explosion and that he was in a workhouse at the time of death.

Still need to try and find out more so any more information that you may be able to find would be a great help. What I am trying to find now is details of the death of Mary C Green who died at the beginning of 1896 and she died apparently by being burned to death. Have been searching all day to see if I could find any old newspaper articles about this but haven't had any luck.

Any help is really appreciated.

Many Thanks

oldengineer wrote:Thanks for all your replies they have been a great help.

I have managed to find out a bit more about the death of James Green Jnr, it appears he didn't die in an explosion and that he was in a workhouse at the time of death.
Still need to try and find out more so any more information that you may be able to find would be a great help.

Any help is really appreciated.
Many Thanks

I think you will find that the death certificate will indicate James died in the workhouse infirmary attached to the workhouse not the workhouse itself. The cert will give the cause of death.
Deaths Sep 1899: Green, James Benjamin - 17 - Prescot - 8b - 600.

Good point D.S
What a tragic family, I wonder if Sarah J survivied (poss Sarah Jane Tox Park sept q 1886)

Tina wrote:Good point D.S
What a tragic family, I wonder if Sarah J survivied (poss Sarah Jane Tox Park sept q 1886)

Yes Sarah J survived as she is my great grandmother and lived until 1968 but moved to Ashford in Kent.

oldengineer wrote: What I am trying to find now is details of the death of Mary C Green who died at the beginning of 1896 and she died apparently by being burned to death.

Do you have the death certificate to confirm this cause? and what was the exact date from it?

MaryA wrote:

oldengineer wrote: What I am trying to find now is details of the death of Mary C Green who died at the beginning of 1896 and she died apparently by being burned to death.

Do you have the death certificate to confirm this cause? and what was the exact date from it?

No do not have the death certificate yet as in the process of ordering it today. We found a newpaper article in the newspaper articles yesterday about James Jnr which mentioned Mary C and that she had burned to death, it mentioned that it went to inquest so was trying to find details of this inquest.

Many Thanks

We look forward to hearing the details when it arrives, particularly the date and also the address.

I was going to comment that if his death occurred in the Sankey Canal, there may not have been any notice in the newspapers available online as it might have been reported in a local paper rather than the Liverpool Mercury, but you are lucky, nice one. However, it might still be the case for Mary.

No do not have the death certificate yet as in the process of ordering it today.

Should have mentioned this before...
Don't know if you have purchased BMD certs before, but you should always order from the GRO online at http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certi ... efault.asp where they cost £9.25 each incl postage.

Ordering from online family history sites can cost considerably more, sometimes 3x as much.

Have just received the death certificates for both Mary C Green and James B Green (Jnr). The death certificate for Mary states that she died in the Providence Hospital, St Helens and the cause was Burns received 18th instant by her clothes catching fire - Accident, the date of death was 1st March 1896. The death certificate for James states that he died in Workhouse, Whiston and the cause of death was Natural Causes - inflammation to the brain, the date of death was 13th August 1899.

What I am trying to find out now so that I can order a Birth Certificate for James B Green (Father) is his parents details and date and year of birth. I am looked for days now and seem to have hit a brick wall with this one. I have several possibilities but the dates do not seem to tie up. I do know that his fathers name was also James Benjamin Green and he was deceased by the time James B Green married Jane Rankin in 1880.

I am quite new to this researching so maybe I am not looking in the correct places, so if anyone can help it would be most appreciated.

Many Thanks

What was junior James Benjamin Green's father's occupation on the 1880 marriage cert?

Incidentally, his 19 year old son, James Benjamin, would have died in the infirmary attached to the workhouse, not the workhouse itself, in 1899. The cause of death sounds like menigitis or arachnoiditis.

Hi DS,

Carter

With the knowledge that James B senior's father was dead by 1880 and his name was also James Benjamin Green, a 'loose' search in Lancashire from 1850 to 1880 produced only two hits..

GREEN, James Benjamin - Lancashire, Manchester - 1855.
GREEN, William James B - Lancashire, West Derby - 1878 [age at death 30 which would rule him out as the father].

This is the first one, who could have died before his son James was born [abt 1858 according to the age on his death registration. And that could have been a guesstimate.]:
Death: GREEN, James Benjamin
Registration district: Manchester
Year of registration: 1855; Quarter of registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Volume no: 8D; Page no: 138

He was a carter [Thanks Bert!] so his trade could have taken him to Manchester where he died.