William Allison. Life and Death of

Post by **kwr** » 06 Mar 2009 14:25

I have before me as I type, a photograph of a handsome headstone in Kirkdale Cemetery. Of the four deaths recorded on it I have checked three and all are correct. The fourth is of William Allison. His death is apparently March 17, 1938 and his age is given as 73.

Annoyingly though the IGI gives the following detail:-
Birth 27 DEC 1862
Christening:
19 JAN 1863 Saint Peter, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

born to James Allison and Harriet - who are the correct parents.

I have been unable to obtain a birth certificate.

Even more annoyingly I seem unable to find a death in the indexes. Can someone at least reassure me that I am not going cross eyed every time I look him up? To save the crew trouble and time, I have him in 1871, 1881, 1891 and his family (though not him) in 1901.

Ken

Post by **MaryA** » 06 Mar 2009 15:34

I'm thinking that a more realistic year would be 1936

There's an entry for
Q1 1936 William Allison Age 73 Birkenhead 8a 821

Could the engraving be unclear on the headstone?

Post by **kwr** » 06 Mar 2009 15:49

Mary,

You are a treasure. I've looked at the photo and it IS unclear. There is also the fact that I knew he owned a sort of beach bungalow in Morton although he lived in Liverpool. I'm sure your suggestion is the correct one.

Grateful thanks,

Ken

Post by **Dominex** » 06 Mar 2009 16:11

Is there any chance he may have been born in Manchester? Or registered there for some reason?

William Allison
Year of Registration: 1863
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Chorlton
County: Lancashire
Volume: 8c
Page: 655

Sue

Post by **kwr** » 06 Mar 2009 16:28

Sue,

I really have no reason to believe he was born in Manchester but equally that he wasn't. It may be why I cannot find a Liverpool birth certificate. It is a bit odd that the IGI have him born and christened in Liverpool. In census returns later his place of birth is always given as Liverpool. His father was a stoker/fireman originally from Scotland (but god knows where - but that's another story) but he and his wife are married in Liverpool and never leave it. Their other two children are also born in Liverpool, one in 1856, the other in 1858. On balance that is why I expected to find William was born in Liverpool as well. I suppose the only way I'll find out is to send for the certificate you turned up and see if he becomes an-ancestor-I-used-to-have as soon as I open the envelope?

As usual the above demonstrates how I think in straght lines and you don't!
Thanks Sue.

Ken

Post by **Dominex** » 06 Mar 2009 19:40

Hi Ken,

I'd hold out a bit, then if you do decide to order it, then say on the grounds that the father is called x and the mother is called y.

On the 1871 I noticed it just has his birthplace as lancashire.

Sue

Post by **Dominex** » 06 Mar 2009 19:43

Forget the Chorlton one

Name: William Joseph Allison
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1863
Year of Registration: 1867
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Age at Death: 4
District: Chorlton
County: Lancashire
Volume: 8c
Page: 416

Sue

Post by **kwr** » 06 Mar 2009 20:56

Thank you Sue,

Not only do I get advice but you save me money too! Now I think that he just wasn't registered at birth. If you lot can't find him he's not there. I'm retiring for the night.

Ken

Post by **Dominex** » 06 Mar 2009 21:19

That's a possibility too. I can't find hubby's Gt Grandfather's birth. On 1 census it states born Peel, and on the other 2, Liverpool and Wavertree! IoM have no birth record for him.

Sue

Post by **Dominex** » 06 Mar 2009 21:28

I wonder, I just wonder!

Name: William Ellison
Year of Registration: 1863
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Liverpool (1837-1934)
County: Lancashire
Volume: 8b
Page: 17

There is a William J Ellison on the 1871 c1864, but he's not born Liverpool

Sue

Post by **Tina** » 07 Mar 2009 08:22

Hi everyone

1871 census
4 Florence Sq St Martin's district
Harriet Alison 48 marr seaman's wife bn Ire
James 15 scholar, Harriet 10, William 8 all born Lancashire.

1861 Hopwood St St Martin's (before Wm was born)
James Allison 37 bn Scotland fireman on board steamer
Harriet 35 bn Ire, James jnr 5, Harriet A 5mnths both bn Lpool.

I hope this is of help.
I'm guessing you will have 1881 from LDS?

Cheers
Tina

Post by **kwr** » 07 Mar 2009 08:51

Morning Tina,

Yes this is my man and his dad. I can't find the father in 1851 in England and there are too many James Allisons in Scotland for my pocket - I never find out which county he came from so that's a brick wall. His wife, as you found, came from Ireland and that's also come to a shuddering halt. I can place them in England via their marriage in 1854 but before that?

Sue,
You may have a point re. Ellison/Allison. I have another branch which seems to switch casually from Parry to Perry and back when they feel like it. I'll think about it.......

Thank you all for your valuable input.

Ken

Post by **Tina** » 07 Mar 2009 09:07

Here is old James in 1901 living with dghtr Harriet who has married an older man 2 Wordsworth St Bootle.

Marr Harriet ALLISON Kirkdale St Mary's 1895

Andrew Kirk 55 rigger bn Scotland
Harriet 38, Jessie A 3bn Bootle,
James Allison widr 75 bn Scotland fireman listed as boarder.

Tina

Post by **Tina** » 07 Mar 2009 09:18

Here's the birth rego for Harriet Ann ALLISON
dec qtr 1860 Lpool
8b p31

Tina

Post by **kwr** » 07 Mar 2009 09:29

Yes Tina,

He's living with them until he dies in July 1903 of "senile decay" according to the certificate. Unfortunately for him and his son William he lives long enough to see his son's wife die in 1901 and two granddaughters as well as having lost his own wife nearly two decades earlier. William had five children and only one survives 1918- my grandfather.

I'll post the details of the death certificate of William cwhen it arrives next week sometime just so people know whether we have a result or not.

Ken

Post by **Tina** » 07 Mar 2009 10:43

Sorry Ken I read your first post and thought you didn't know much about family.

Best wishes

Tina

Post by **kwr** » 07 Mar 2009 16:06

No worries Tina,

I just didn't want to put you all to extra trouble on my behalf. As far as I'm concerned this is the most thoughtful site I can use. I actually think it was you personally who found the marriage of James Allison to Harriet McCourt in Dec. 1854 for me via Lancs BMD and that was because I believed implicitly in FreeBMD's accuracy and hadn't learnt very much at that time.

In fact the original index is wrong it has Harriet McCourt marrying Ann Allison! How that can be corrected I do not know.

Meantime I have another minor query........see Allisons in 1911 topic where both Tina and Sue helped me out

Ken

Post by **kwr** » 14 Mar 2009 18:30

When I asked for help on finding my g. grandfather's death, Mary came up trumps with a suggested Birkenhead death. I sent for it and I'm just reporting back - success! What is more there may be a small bonus.....

He dies on March17th, 1936 at 56 Church Rd Urban District. I take this to mean some sort of nursing home? He's in a coma from a cerebral haemorrhage. But under occupation is written - of "Stanleigh" Lingham Lane, Wallasey U.D. formerly an electrician (Merchant Service). The death was reported next day by his only remaining child James Allison.

So it seems to me that now I might be able to fill out his background a little more (having already been given some help by Educ. Officer re. his New York address) by looking for merchant shipping records - not something I've tried so far? Also I wonder if the name "Stanleigh" may be a clue to his origins.

HIS father was named James and was a Scot but as I'm sure everyone else knows, irritatingly it was NOT necessary for enumerators to put down more than Scotland as birthplace. I have James on 1861 to 1901 and not ONCE is county of birth given. William IS Liverpool born but uses Scottish names for his own children and I am wondering if Stanleigh in Renfrewshire might be a clue as to his father's origins?

All comments and suggestions welcome and as I said at the beginning - thanks Mary.

Ken

Post by **MaryA** » 14 Mar 2009 19:03

I'm glad you've got your proof Ken.

I would expect that the Church Road address could be a nursing home and that "Stanleigh" might very likely be his home.

But I would hesitate to take the name as meaningful unless he owned the property in which case then maybe he did name his house after his hometown.

If you are able, do a little more homework in Cheshire, Electoral Register for Lingham Lane might tell you how long he lived there before becoming ill, directories also as we would do a search for if it was Liverpool.

Wallasey library seems to have a lot of records, see their website.
http://www.wirral-libraries.net/display ... e=locallib

Post by **PJLong** » 14 Mar 2009 20:50

Oooooh......I can help! Yesterday received my (secret) grandmother's death cert - she died 56 Church Road. I googled it, and got.....St Catherines hospital. How's that!