Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I have posted this on 2 different FB groups and nothing new was forthcoming *****


Elizabeth Povall was born in 1835 in Wettenhall, Cheshire, baptised 17 May 1835, father John Povall, a tailor by occupation and mother Sarah nee Riley who died in 1841.

On the 1841 census Elizabeth is living with Mary Riley, a governess in Bunbury possibly her mum's sister.

On the 1851 census she is living in Wettenhall with her father and 3 step siblings as John's 2nd wife had also died. She is described as both daughter and housemaid.

And that's it she just disappears.

There are 9 Ancestry trees with this family but all have come to a dead end too. 2 ladies I corresponded with years ago about different Povall members are experienced researchers.

I had found an Elizabeth Povall in Liscard 1861 but her birth place was wrong. But still it could be an enumerator error......so put that on the back burner for years.

Recently I found a marriage on 25 December 1870 to James Norris in Birkenhead, Cheshire her age is wrong but I know that people do lie. I can find no other baptism or census with a father John, occupation a tailor and the above marriage has both facts for the bride's father.

Mary Norris was married as the second wife to John Ellson Povall Elizabeth's step brother. James Norris is a witness to this marriage (father James Norris deceased bootmaker for both Mary and James, also both are born in Liverpool), James is possibly Mary's brother and although I have found both in Liverpool Catholic baptisms with a father James and a mother Jane have not had much luck in the censuses.

Elizabeth's elder brother Henry Povall emigrated to the USA but I can find no records of her ever leaving the UK. When we first started all this all those years ago it seemed we had 2 distinct Povall families in the 1800's, one my lot in the Wettenhall, Bunbury, Little Budworth area and another branch in the Wirral area and that also includes Birkenhead as you know.

Am I making too big a leap to tie this Elizabeth Povall marrying James Norris in with my missing one or am I clutching at straws?

Fresh eyes needed please.

I lean towards the 1870 marriage being the correct one.

2 children were produced to that marriage,

Frederick James Norris, 1872, Birkenhead
John Henry Povall Norris, 1875, Birkenhead, both mmn, Povall.

I'm assuming Elizabeth Norris, nee Povall died between 1875/1883.

James Norris married Elizabeth Jane Corlett, 1883, Liverpool, children followed, father and occupations for James tick all the right boxes, Mary Norris as witness.

A possible death for Elizabeth Norris, nee Povall, 1882, West Derby, age 36, which would be about right if she was in the past telling porkies?

There's plenty on the family after the 1883 marriage.

As yet, haven't found the boys, 1881.

I think this is the lady registered Elizabeth Norris,

Anfield Cemetery,

15 Hume Street,
Elizabeth Morris
Age:
36
Record Type:
Burial
Birth Date:
abt 1846
Death Date:
abt 1882
Burial Date:
14 Feb 1882
Burial Place:
Liverpool, Lancashire, England

1881, Different family?
James Norris
Age:
37
Estimated birth year:
abt 1844
Relationship to Head:
Head
Spouse:
Elizabeth Norris
Gender:
Male
Where born:
Liverpool , Lancashire, England
Civil Parish:
West Derby
County/Island:
Lancashire
Country:
England
Street address:
15 Hume St
Marital status:
Married
Education:
Employment status:
Occupation:
Bootmaker

Thank you Bertie. I have searched high and low for my missing Elizabeth for years.

As I said I cannot find any other Elizabeth with a father John a tailor after doing all little seperate trees on Ancestry trying to eliminate the one who married James Norris.

Thank you once again, I do have all the above information.

Her father married for a 3rd time in 1854, maybe she didn't get on with the new stepmother and ran away and reinvented herself.