Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I am trying to trace my husbands family MASSEY( or MAFSEY) who definitely lived in Liverpool in 1800s. James Massey was born abt 1820 in Edmund Street and died in Upper Stanhope Street West Derby on 15 October 1872 . He married Betsy Clafton who was born 1819 and died 1889. 1861 Census states he was a shipwright employing 20 men and 8 boys. I can find no birth record or link to trace back although there is a James Mafsey recorded living in Liverpool born 1787 and died 1849 who may be a parent but I can find no proof with birth record etc . Is there any way I can find out more about fact he was a shipwright in mid 19th century and trace further back to see if there is an earlier link to shipping in Liverpool in 18th century ?

Mass60 wrote:I am trying to trace my husbands family MASSEY( or MAFSEY)

Hi and welcome to the forum. You may have read his marriage certificate as Mafsey, however, when writing a double S, it was usually written in the style of FS, a common misunderstanding but would probably not then have been misread as Mafsey, so you are right that it would be Massey.

For info here is the 1841 marriage at St Anne's showing the father with the same name and occupation:-

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1 ... cat=575801


Blue

Thank you!
That does seem to confirm his father was also called James Massey and that he was a shipwright in 1841 when his son married Betsy Clafton.

This looks like his baptism at St Peter's CE Liverpool on 24 Dec 1820:-

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1 ... cat=122430


Blue

This might be the parents' marriage:-

James Massey, boat builder
Betty Cornthought, spinster
6 Nov 1809
St Peter CE, Church Street, Liverpool

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1 ... cat=122430


Blue

From the Liverpool Echo 3rd February 1889.
50 Kingsley Rd, Betsy age 70 Widow of the late James Massey, Shipwright interment Smithdown Rd.

I was wondering if any other family members may have been in the grave but there are no other Masseys

MASSEY Betsey 69 years - 50 Kingsley Road 6 February 1889 3286 65718 C C Left 129 352 CEM 9/1/13
MASSEY James 53 years Ship Wright 10 Upper Stanhope Street 18 October 1872 1928 38523 C C Left 129 352 CEM 9/1/8
There are others by the name of HOWSON listed, but that might be a mistranscription error in the grave number and section (I've known previously that an O and C have been mixed up)

In case you don't have the Probate entry -
13 November 1872 The Will of James Massey late of Upper Stanhope Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Ship builder who died 15 October 1872 at Upper Stanhope Street was proved at Liverpool by Betsey Massey of Upper Stanhope Street Widow the Relict and Henry Cornish of Berkley Street Liverpool Draper the Executors.
Effects under £3,000

That is quite a substantial amount.

The 1832 Poll Book for Liverpool also lists
MASSEY,JAMES,BOAT BUILDER,MULBERRY STREET,LIVERPOOL,S & D,BGS/FMN

The abbreviations are usually relative to who they voted for.

Not finding entries for James in the directories for 1847 or 1853

The 1860 directory lists
Massey, James shipwright (Bannerman and M) 50 Upper Stanhope Street, Toxteth park

so in the same directory I checked
Bannerman Donald, shipwright (B & M) 53 Catherine Street - and Massey shipwrights 90 Norfolk St.

The London Gazette of 21 June 1870 gives
The copartnership hitherto existing between the undersigned Donald Bannerman and James Massey, carrying on business as shipwrights at Jordan Street, Liverpool, under the style of Bannerman and Massey, has this day been dissolved by mutual consent - As witness our hands on this 17th day of June 1870
D. Bannerman
James Massey

From Liverpool Mercury etc (Liverpool, England), Monday, November 10, 1862; Issue 4602.
Coroner's Inquests
Before P F Curry Esq. Coroner
On the body of John Bowden who was a sawyer in the yard of Messrs. Bannerman & Massey shipwrights and was 59 years old. On Tuesday last he was engaged in removing some planks upon a stage which is 12 feet above the level of the street, when he fell over the side, his head coming in violent contact with the paving stones. He was picked up insensible and bleeding from the nose and side of the head. He was conveyed to the Southern Hospital where he died. Verdict "Accidentally killed by a fall".

Liverpool Mercury etc (Liverpool, England), Wednesday, April 15, 1863; Issue 4736
Court of Passage, before Edward James, Esq. QC, Assessor
Yeoward V. Bannerman and Another - the Plaintiff in this action was a broker and commission agent of this town and the defendants were Messrs Bannerman and Massey, shipwrights and shipowners, of Norfolk Street. The action was brought to recover commission to which the plaintiff claimed to be entitled for having effected a sale for about 800 tons of coal belonging to the defendants. Mr Deighton appeared for the plaintiff and Mr Charles Russell appeared on behalf of the defendants. It appeared that the defendants had a cargo of 1000 tons of coal on board the ship Janet Kidson and they agreed to allow the plaintiff the usual commission of 5 per cent if he would find a customer for the coal. The defendants at first required 15s per ton, but subsequently consented to take 14s per ton. The plaintiff accordingly sold 500 tons of the coal to Messrs W H Haines and another lot of 300 tons to Messrs Wilson, Scott & Co. The defendants, it was said, accepted the orders for these two lots, but subsequently declined to delivery them, having, in fact sold the cargo to another party. The plaintiff's commission amounted to £28, for the recovery of which sum the present action was brought. For the defence it was contended that they only agreed to give the plaintiff a commission for the whole cargo of coals, consisting of 1000 tons, and did not consent to sell it piecemeal. The learned assessor put it to the jury that it was simply a question as to which party they believed. The jury at once returned a verdict for the defendants.

The Leeds Mercury (Leeds, England), Thursday, November 2, 1865

Daily Post (Liverpool, England), Tuesday, October 08, 1867; pg. 5; Issue 3809
Inquests

Freeman's Journal and Daily Commercial Advertiser (Dublin, Ireland), Tuesday, November 29, 1870

Well done, Mary, Blue,

Marriage,
I know the transcription is Cornthought, signed, Betty Cornthwaite.

That is an amazing amount of information in such a short time....thank you again !
The family link with shipping appears very strong. The newspaper reports are really interesting if a little unsettling in terms of number of tragic accidents. I assumed they were shipbuilders..not ship owners ..were they actually involve in shipping trade as well as build ships ?

Additionally, I found out quite a lot of interesting information from ancestry about James Massey's wife Betsy Clafton. Again shipping seems to be the family link. Her paternal grandfather was apparently Moses Clafton, a roper (?) born 1772 who went out to Archangel with his wife and died somewhere near Moscow in 1826 leaving his wife, Elizabeth Tatlock...(how Lancashire is that surname !!) to die in Archangel. Most of his children were therefore left and died in Russia. However, if I am correct, Moses Clafton's eldest son James Clafton born in 1795 in Liverpool seems either to have stayed behind or returned to Liverpool to marry and have a daughter Betsy who subsequently married James Massey. Why Moses ended up in Archangel and how he came to die close to Moscow ( miles from the coast) leaving a wife and several children stranded in Archangel is yet another mystery !!!

Toxteth Park Cemetery

Burial registers

James

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1 ... cat=405169

[register image not available for Betsy]


Burial order books

James

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1 ... cat=462697

Betsy

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1 ... cat=462697


Large upright sand-stone, round top, small lower raised rounded shoulders surmounted by leaves. In memory / of / Elizabeth MASSEY, died March 23rd 1858, / aged 5 years. / Also James MASSEY father of the above, / who died 15th October 1872, / aged 53 years. / Forbear dear friends to mourn and weep, / whilst sweetly in the dust I sleep, / this toilsome world I;ve left behind, / a glorious crown I hope to find. / Also Betsey wife of the above, / who departed this life 3rd Febry 1889, / aged 69 years. / As pants the hart for cooling streams, / when heated in the chase, / so longs my soul O God for thee, / and Thy refreshing grace. / Also Harold Grayson, / the beloved & youngest son of / Charles & Emily Ann HOWSON, / born 23rd June 1896, died 12th Januaury 1898. / Also Herbert Sidney HOWSON, / who died 24th Oct. 1918, / aged 19 years. / Also Charles HOWSON, / who died 25th March 1927, / aged 68 years. / Also Emily, beloved wife of the above, / who died 18th February 1927, / aged 69 years.

Source: http://www.toxtethparkcemeteryinscriptions.co.uk/



Blue

Gravestone photo:-

http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/C% ... 20129).jpg


Blue

The James Massey who died in 1849 was a different man. He was buried at St Mary's Cemetery in Cambridge Street, Liverpool on 28 July 1849 his address was Midghall Street:-

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1 ... cat=571736


This man, his wife Mary and children are in Midghall Street on the 1841 Census:-

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQ2T-ZBX


This appears to be son James and mother Elizabeth at Edmund Street in 1841:-

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQ2R-WZH



Blue

Blue70 wrote:The James Massey who died in 1849 was a different man.
This appears to be son James and mother Elizabeth at Edmund Street in 1841:-

Came across that James in some of the directories, totally different occupation, but I forget what it was now - take a break for a couple of hours and look what happens!!

Possible burial for James Massey senior:-

James Massey of Wood Street age 57 buried at St James Cemetery on 2 Oct 1840

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1 ... cat=396818



Blue

James sister,

Baptism: 26 Feb 1815 St Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Susannah Massey - [Child] of James Massey & Elizabeth
Abode: Edmund St
Occupation: Shipwright
Baptised by: T. H. Heathcote Curate