Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

OK this is a bit complicated so I will try to spell it out as clearly as I can. I have a Frances Walker born abt 1842 in Swansea to a Robert & Ellen Walker from Liverpool. I could only find her in the 1871 census living with her father Robert, steamship engineer b1815, his new wife Ann and her mother Francis Smith at 70 Richmond Row Liverpool. Frances Walker was listed as a lunatic in the census and I did find an asylum record for her as being admitted to Wittingham Asylum near Preston in 1876. The UK Lunacy Patients Admission Register record also indicated that she died on 18 Dec 1901. Checking for wills matched a Frances Walker who left her estate to a Maria Walker spinster living at 145 Abbeville Rd Clapham in Surrey. It listed Maria Walker as the "natural and lawful sister and one of her next of kin". This completely threw me because at no time had I come across a Maria Walker in my tree. Can you help me unravel this please!

1901 census
145 Abbeville Road, Wandsworth
Maria Walker Head S 43 Certificated Teacher born Town Green, Lancashire
Catherine E Sister 44 Book Keeper born Town Green, Lancashire
RG13 Piece number 467 Folio 49 Page 32

1891 19 Caldevale Road, Clapham, London
Percy Walker Head M 30 Manager Drapers Postal Order Room Ormskirk, Lancashire
Alice Wife M 26 Barton Upon Irwell, Lancashire
Katherine E Sister S 34 Town Green, Ormskirk, Lancashire
Maria Sister S 33 Certificated Teacher " "
RG12; Piece: 443; Folio: 133; Page: 19

1881 13 Bolton Street West, Preston, Lancashire
In the household of Ellen Holding, her sisters and brother and other lodgers including
Maria Walker, Lodger, Unm 23 National Schoolmistress Town Green, Lancashire
RG11; Piece: 4239; Folio: 49; Page: 11

1871 we get the family together, except the father's name is not what you expected
Yellow House Lane, North Meols, Southport
Richard B Walker Head Wid 40 Ship Owner Merchant Ship and Insurance Broker Southport, Lancaster
Frances daughter 16 Scholar Liverpool
Katherine E daughter 14 Scholar Town Green, Ormskirk, Lancashire
Maria " 13 " "
Percy son 10 " "
Herbert son 9 " "
Harold son 7 " "
Beatrice daughter 6 " "
RG10; Piece: 3875; Folio: 15; Page: 23

1861 another anomaly with your previous research
Bold Lane, Aughton, Lancashire
Richard Buckley Walker Head M 33 Ship Owner South Meols, Lancashire
Mary Wife M 29 Little Woolton, Lancashire
Frances daur 6 Aughton, Lancashire
Kathrine Emily " 4 " "
Maria " 3 " "
Percey Daur 9 months " "
Jane Plumbley and Margaret Nicholson are servants
RG 9; Piece: 2757; Folio: 37; Page: 1

It would seem that Frances isn't part of your family, despite that enumerators make mistakes ...... Percey is a daughter ??

1851 I had hoped to find a Robert in the household making them brothers but ..
20 Caledonia Street, Liverpool
Frances Walker head Widow 52 Annuitant Barton on Irwell
Matthew son Un 29 Timber Merchant North Meols, Lancs
Richard B son Un 24 Merchants Clerk " "
Thos " " 18 Merchants Clerk "
and Ann Roberts is a servant
HO107; Piece: 2183; Folio: 566; Page: 24

1841 Row Lane Academy, North Meols, Lancashire
All born in county
Edward Walker 45 Teacher
Frances 40
Mathew 14 Merchants App
Maria 10
Richard 10
Thomas 8
Elizabeth 5
/ John Traves 20 Teacher and a lot of pupils.
HO107; Piece: 514; Book: 4; Civil Parish: North Meols; County: Lancashire; Enumeration District: 5; Page: 3

Richard Buckley Walker married Mary Fleetwood in Childwall All Saints, Q3 1852 West Derby 8b 561

It seems odd that Frances is not with the family on other censuses and also that she was born in Swansea not Liverpool like her brothers. On the 1871 census, Francis smith is head of household and Frances is listed as her granddaughter. It makes me wonder if Frances is not Roberts daughter and her surname of Walker is actually a typo.

Could this be her in 1851 listed as Frances Watkins, living with Frances Smith and daughter Ann Smith in Richmond Row?

https://familysearch.org/search/record/ ... Lancashire

Alison

I started to get a glimmer of hope that Richard and Robert were brothers at one stage, as they both have Edward Walker as a father. Unfortunately Roberts father was a White Smith and not a teacher as in Richards case. Spot on Alison C, everything matches except for the relationship and surname where Watkins can easily be mistaken for Walker. So Frances Watkins is not part of my family and I can now erase Francis Walker from my tree and still sleep at night! Thanks again everyone and especially Alison, I owe you a drink!