Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

This is the story of (Sarah) Alice Miller who had her son Thomas Henry illegitimately in the workhouse. She sure made up for not being married at the time!!

I have searched for the death of her first husband Isaac Banks but am unable to find it, please help!!

He was last seen on the 1871 census, by the 1881 his wife (Sarah) Alice Banks is living in Wilfer Street as the wife of a seaman. She has with her sons Thomas and George.

Piece 3708/F106/P4

Son Nathaniel is born in 1882 and christened in Fairfield.

By 1891 she is still living in Wilfer Street in another house but with a man called Charles Briscoe, the son Nathaniel Banks is shown as N. Briscoe I cannot find a marriage for this couple either so am assuming she was living with him as Isaac had disappeared?

There is no sign of Thomas and George in 1891 with them, as you may remember Thomas (Henry) is possibly the one in Orford Barracks but I can't be sure and George may be a 15 year old porter in Bathwick, Somerset, maybe they both hated their stepfather and had to get away??

Anyway when Nathaniel gets married in 1909 to Mary Platt he calls himself Nathaniel Briscoe Banks but strangely his father is shown as Charles Briscoe Banks. I am assuming the vicar made the mistake in assuming??

Alice marries as Sarah Alice Briscoe for a 3rd time to Nathaniel Forshaw Platt in 1906 possibly related to Mary Platt above but I'm still working on this.

Yes Nathaniel Platt is Mary's father as I thought it probably was.

Just to add I would have been looking for years without Anc throwing up some good hints, so despite the sometimes terrible transcripts the hint side of things can be pretty outstanding.

I cannot find Nathaniel Platt in either the 1901 or 1911 census though it appears he died in 1919. I have no idea where the middle name of Forshaw came from as that's not how he was baptised and it appears in no censuses I have found to date.

Nathaniel Briscoe Banks (the one who married Mary Platt) is shown in the 1911 census as Nathaniel Briscoe in the Navy in Devon.

Is your Isaac Banks the Isaac Quick Banks who was born in Woolton (Prescot district) in Q4 1852 to John Banks and Hannah Quick? He's an agricultural labourer in Ditton in 1871 living with his parents. He married Sarah Alice Miller in 1874 didn't he? Can't see him on the 1881 Census or after only as a fireman on Liverpool crew lists in 1882. He may have emigrated or been away at sea during the later censuses.


Blue

Blue70 wrote:Is your Isaac Banks the Isaac Quick Banks who was born in Woolton (Prescot district) in Q4 1852 to John Banks and Hannah Quick? He's an agricultural labourer in Ditton in 1871 living with his parents. He married Sarah Alice Miller in 1874 didn't he? Can't see him on the 1881 Census or after only as a fireman on Liverpool crew lists in 1882. He may have emigrated or been away at sea during the later censuses.


Blue

Yes that's him Blue. It's a mystery, I even checked out that Deaths At Sea register but it just came up with a lot of unknowns. I was wondering how long a person would have to be missing for to be presumed dead?

On the 1891 census (Sarah) Alice and Charles Briscoe have a daughter Mary, she marries John Miller (another Miller!!) in 1901 at St Catherine's, Edge Hill (where my mum and dad were married) the witnesses are Nathaniel Briscoe (see above) and what I am almost sure is my g. grandmother in her married name of Elizabeth Banks, I've checked the signature on her marriage cert and I'm almost sure it's her.

BarbaraW wrote: I was wondering how long a person would have to be missing for to be presumed dead?

Officially seven years, but as we all know when it comes to a husband or wife gone awol, the spouse has often claimed to be a widow and married again, so I think things were, well maybe not more lax, but people didn't always live by the exact line of the law.

Thanks Mary, I thought it was 7 years but wasn't sure.

This family gets weirder by the day.

Alice and Charles Briscoe had a daughter Elizabeth Briscoe born 1895. The most likely candidate in 1911 is living with her mother Alice Forshew/Forsher in the right area, mother says she was born 20 years earlier in St Helens!!

Piece:22592

Elizabeth gets married in 1918 to Edward Rylands out of the right address 79 Troughton Street instead of father Charles Briscoe (deceased) she has her brother Nathaniel as the father on the marriage certificate. Why would you do that unless you had no known father?

Either no known father, or a major rift in the family.

That's the way I am thinking Mary, a major rift with all these name changes. I think I have found her death as Sarah A. F. Platt in 1931.

I know you have Forshaw in your signature, you haven't come across Nathaniel Forshaw Platt her 3rd husband in your travels have you?

Just realised she's on Coronation Street, Sarah Platt

BarbaraW wrote:Just realised she's on Coronation Street, Sarah Platt

oh my, a giggle is a nice start to the day

Sorry no records for Forshaw that match.

Thanks for checking Mary.

I've been in contact with a lady on Anc and she'd bought the marriage certificate of Nathaniel and (Sarah) Alice's 3rd marriage in 1906, it says he's a Mariner so he must have been away at sea at the time of the 1911 census.

I've found loads more distant connection Forshaw's in the Kirkby area, is this your lot Mary?

There is a possibility, I don't have a lot on them, parents Thomas and Isabella married in 1768 in West Derby and had 8 children, including mine, Hannah b 1782 and married in 1805, St James, Toxteth Park, but they lived in West Derby.

I have a lot on the three females as they married into other names of course, and then I've been in touch with descendants.

I'll keep a look out for those names but tonight I've given up on Anc as I can barely access anything and with FMP having the freebie tree thing going on currently it keeps dropping out.....gggrrr.......off to watch Corrie catch up lol.