Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I was wondering if anyone could help with this: An Australian distant relative of mine contacted me some time ago in trying to trace the burial place of his great, great grandfather Robert Dickinson (born 1850) who was the brother of my great, great grandmother, Elizabeth. Robert and Martha Dickinson (nee Prescott) had a daughter Mary (named after his mother). It gets confusing in 1881 when Martha gave birth to a son and remarried to William Wilson at Holy Trinity church. Soon after Martha, William and family emigrated to Australia and stayed there.

Dickinson family events are linked to St. Luke’s Farnworth and recorded there, his father Isaac and other family members are buried there but we cannot find any records of Robert or his mother Mary from the time of the birth of his daughter to Martha’s remarriage. There is a Robert Dickenson who was buried there in 1880 but his age is given as 38 whereas he would have been 30 (could this be a mistake / a badly written 30?). It would fit with Martha's remarriage but why no trace of his mother Mary?

The wider family lived in the Bold, Sutton area and the men were railway platelayers. The most recent information we have is Robert’s elder brother George lived in Clock Face Road early in the 20th century and he had 4 sons Thomas, William, Albert and Robert (all platelayers). Perhaps someone can shed further light on this for my Australian relative who has spent a lot of time researching this through various avenues without success.

Thank you
Terry

Hi and welcome to the forum.

If the burial entry gives the age as 38 it is unlikely that it is a badly written 30 as the age at death when registered is also 38, however it does depend on the knowledge of the person who made the registration.

If there is no useful information in the burial entry then it might be worthwhile getting the death certificate to see who registered the death and what the address was at the time.

Deaths Dec 1880
Dickinson Robert 38 Prescot 8b 488

With this information you can order it at a cost of £9.25 including postage from https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

Note,

There was a Robert Dickinson birth registered in 1842, Prescot, mothers maiden name, Whitfield, he appears to go off the radar prior to the 1881 census.
Aged 38, he could be the 1880 death.

Terry,

Have you or your relative had sight of the Robert Dickinson/Martha Prescott, 1872 Prescot, marriage cert to confirm fathers, etc.?

Robert's father was Isaac Dickinson (1819 - 1869), he is buried at St Luke's Farnworth. His mother Mary Abbott was born in 1814. Just found out today that she is on the 1891 census living at 3 Finger House Lane, Bold Heath with her great niece Louisa Martland who was my great grandfather, Harry Martland's sister. She was 'living on her own income'.

MaryA wrote:Hi and welcome to the forum.

If the burial entry gives the age as 38 it is unlikely that it is a badly written 30 as the age at death when registered is also 38, however it does depend on the knowledge of the person who made the registration.

If there is no useful information in the burial entry then it might be worthwhile getting the death certificate to see who registered the death and what the address was at the time.

Deaths Dec 1880
Dickinson Robert 38 Prescot 8b 488

With this information you can order it at a cost of £9.25 including postage from https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

Thank you for your welcome. Selwyn (my distant Australian relative) has sent me a copy of the death certificate and the age is clearly 38 - he died from bronchitis - informant was 'Mary Booth Sister in Attendance, Thatto Heath, Eccleston' so he was possibly in some care facility as 'our' Robert did not have a sister Mary. It is unlikely it is the Robert we are looking for.

Without getting in to it rigorously,

Sister, Mary Booth is likely to be the wife of James Nuttal Booth who married Mary Dickinson, 1872, St Mary's, Edge Hill. Their address later was, Thatto Heath, Eccleston.
Mary Dickinson born 1851, Prescot, mother's maiden name, Whitfield, as was Robert Dickinson's, 1842, Prescot, mmn.

Edited,

Seen marriage cert, Robert Dickinson/ Martha Prescott

Thanks Bert for the information regarding the 'other Robert'. I do have a copy of 'our' Robert and Martha's marriage certificate. It is the latest dated record of him I can find but Martha appears as a 'visitor' with her daughter Mary at her brother's house 109 Robins Lane in the 1881 census and seems to be listed as married. However 9 days later she gives birth to a son John and a month later she is listed as a widow on the certificate of her marriage to William Wilson at Holy Trinity, Parr, both resident in the parish. A few years later they emigrate to Australia. Of Robert there is no trace.....

Terry,

It comes as no surprise in 1881 a heavily pregnant woman declaring married on the census.

Robert and Martha only having one child, Mary, 1872, may suggest Martha was widowed early in their marriage.

Has the death of Robert Dickinson, 1853-1872 buried November 1, Farnworth, been looked in to?

I know the birth date is wrong.

Bert

We hadn't thought the one child is significant but seems obvious when pointed out given the size of families then. Will look into the 1872 burial. Selwyn, my Australian distant relative followed up your information and conclusively eliminated that Robert is not his relative: 'Mary Dickinson was born Jan-Mar 1851, married James Nuttal Booth (1846-1890), then married Edward Parker (1855-1908) in 1891. Mary died in 1926 in Burnley, 75yrs old.

Terry