MARY ELIZABETH CLAYTON

Post by **rootdigger** » 18 Apr 2010 01:35

Hello,

I am looking for information regarding the person in the above subject line.

Mary Elizabeth CLAYTON was born in Liverpool abt. 1854. I have been unable to find information on her parents.
Recently, I was contacted by a person living in Sussex who is related to Mary E.'s husband. She was aware of Mary E. but did not know her last name. Mary E.'s husband is also part of my direct line.

This is what my contact told me about Mary E. CLAYTON:

1- She was orphaned at a young age.
2- She 'supposedly' went to live in The Hague, Holland, with a Dutch couple when her parents died.
3- She returned to Lancashire before age 25 (approx.)
4- She met and married Walter Edward SMITH in 1879.
5- Mary and Walter built a house with Dutch money on Trafalgar Rd. in Birkdale. The house was called HEUKENSFELDT.

From my own research, I have all of Mary E. and Walter's children. The girls have CLAYTON as a middle name - the boys have HEUKENSFELDT as a middle name. In later years, the sons also went by the surname, CLAYTON-SMITH.

I started looking for Mary on the 1861 census in Liverpool and came up with one prospect - a Matthew and Hannah CLAYTON living in Everton with a daughter Mary, age. 6. However, I found this same couple, along with Mary, age 17, on the 1871 census. Based on the information I had, this wasn't the right Mary.

I then found another Mary CLAYTON in 1871 in Everton living with a Fredereich HEUKENSFELDT, age 45, born in The Netherlands; with him was his wife, Elizabeth, 43, born in Liverpool and "niece", Mary CLAYTON, age 17. I am sure this is the Mary CLAYTON I am looking for. Elizabeth appears to be Mary's aunt. It now looks to me like she never went to Holland but remained in Liverpool with the HEUKENSFELDTs. I cannot find the HEUKENSFELDTs in 1881.

I have ordered Mary and Walter's marriage certificate in the hopes that it will reveal the name of Mary's father. However, it might just state that he is deceased.

I know there are people on this list who are researching the CLAYTON name. If you can help me in any way, I would be most grateful.

Dorothy
Ottawa, Canada

Post by **Tina** » 18 Apr 2010 05:08

Hi Dorothy

Welcome aboard!!
What an interesting family.
I'm sure there will be lots of helpers when they wake up...

Here's the link to 1871
RG10/3823/54/12
Hekensfeldt

Death Frederick Heukensfeldt aged 51yrs dec qtr W Dby 1875 8b 388

Tina

Post by **garstonite** » 18 Apr 2010 09:03

Hiya Rootdigger......and welcome to Scouseland..on www.freebmd.org.uk

Mary Eliabeth Clayton b june qtr 1853 registered West Derby 8b 352
(West Derby is a register office in Liverpool)

Walter Edward Smith to Mary Elizabeth Clayton sep qtr 1879 Wirral 8a 567
(Wirral is across the Mersey from Liverpool)

they married at St Peter church in Rock Ferry...ref No Wirral BK15/1/270 on www.cheshirebmd.org.uk THIS CERTIFICATE WILL GIVE YOU THEIR FATHERS NAMES

not definite , but because of the locality of birth...there`s a
Walter Edward Smith b mar qtr 1854 Ormskirk 8b 487

I`m in Garston,Liverpool and if I can help in any way, let me know....allan

Post by **MaryA** » 18 Apr 2010 09:16

You are doing quite the right thing getting the marriage certificate, it may well give clues in the witness names also.

If it were me, I would take a punt on the birth certificate. There is only one Mary E born in the Liverpool area within a few years +/- 1854 and that is

Mary Elizabeth Clayton Q2 1853 West Derby 8b 352

I believe this should be her.

- Added after - having seen Allan's response with the details from the marriage, giving her middle name as Elizabeth, I would be even more sure that this is her.

Post by **Katie** » 18 Apr 2010 10:00

Mary Elizabeth Clayton was baptised at St Peters, Church Street 15th June 1853 Father John Clayton and mother Mary.

Post by **MaryA** » 18 Apr 2010 10:11

and a marriage for John Clayton to Mary Davies 12 MAY 1852 Saint Nicholas, Liverpool

Post by **Hilary** » 18 Apr 2010 11:28

Frederick Heukensfeldt died Dec Q 1875 West Derby Registraetion district volume 8b page 388 he was 51 so born @1824

It would be worth searching to see if he left a will. Perhaps he left money to Mary and that's how she built the house. What number Trafalgar Road? I live very near and could pop round and see if it's still there. Some of the original houses are but not all.

Hilary
Ed Officer

Post by **Hilary** » 18 Apr 2010 12:45

Just had a look at my 1890s 25 inch to the mile map covering Trafalgar Road and the house is named. It's quite large even in comparison to some of the others in the area! I don't think it's still there but I might take a stroll later to see.

HIlary
Ed Officer

Post by **Hilary** » 18 Apr 2010 14:19

As I thought the house is no longer there on Trafalgar Road. The 1881 census shows them round the corner in Grosvenor Road and that one is no longer there either. I notice they then go to Rock Park Rock Ferry by 1888ish and then over into Yorkshire by 1901.

I wonder why they left if they'd had a large house built in Birkdale?

Hilary
Ed Officer

Post by **Tina** » 19 Apr 2010 08:27

Hi there all

I put surname Heukensfeldt into The National Archives, only 1 item
Trafalgar Road Birkdale drawings of Heukensfeldt house for J J Robinson
720KIR/3256/1889
Held at Lpool Record Office & Local History Service.
There's loads more about Edward Kirby & Sons Architects & Surveyors hence the KIR reference.

Cheers
Tina

Post by **rootdigger** » 29 Apr 2010 20:27

Hi Everyone,

When I registered on this forum about two weeks ago, I was sure I put a tick in the box provided to receive notifications of responses to my email. I did not get one reply! Last evening I was hunting for the name, Heukensfeldt on the internet and what popped up on my screen but this forum with all the replies! I am so pleased with the wealth of information you all provided. What a response! You must have thought I was a very ungrateful poster for not responding.

To Tina....many thanks for the death reference of Fred. Heukensfeldt. Also for the name of the architect and ref. no.
To Allan...thanks for the information on the Smith/Clayton marriage, Mary's birth ref. and the BMD ref. for Walter Edward Smith. He is indeed the one!
Katie......thanks for Mary E.'s christening and the names of her parents - that's just great!
Mary A.....Clayton/Davies marriage - wow!
Hilary....death ref. of Fred. Heukensfeldt! It never crossed my mind to look for it as I thought they had returned to Holland. Your suggestion of obtaining his will is a good one. Not quite sure where to write for this. Also, thanks for checking to see if Heukensfeldt house is still there...I didn't think it would be. Walter Edward Smith and Mary E. didn't move into their new house until 1885-86. I am lucky to have a picture of a silver trowel that was used by "Mrs. M. E. Smith" to lay the cornerstone of this house (dated 11 July 1885). Prior to that they must have lived on Grosvenor Rd. Like you, I find it strange that they are in Rock Ferry in 1888ish. How do you know this? In 1891, they are in Birkenhead and in 1901 they are in Yorkshire although the latter doesn't suprise me. Walter E. Smith was a solicitor and started his own law firm. I believe they later lived in Manchester and started another law firm there which is still in existence today.

My connection to Walter E. H. Clayton-Smith is really through his parents, Walter Smith, four-time Mayor of Southport and his wife, Ellen Rymer. This Ellen Rymer was the sister of my gt. grandfather, Robert Rimmer who was born and died in Southport. If you think researching Smith is bad....try the name, Rimmer and the many variations.

Many thanks, again. I certainly appreciate all your help. I hope I haven't left anyone out.

Regards,

Dorothy
Ottawa

Researching: Rymer, Rimer, Rymmer, Rimmer, Wright, Barton, Jackson, Keen, etc.

Post by **MaryA** » 29 Apr 2010 20:50

This might give you some information about obtaining wills.

http://liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/phpBB ... ight=wills

Post by **rootdigger** » 30 Apr 2010 01:42

MaryA wrote:This might give you some information about obtaining wills.

http://liverpool-genealogy.org.uk/phpBB ... ight=wills

Many thanks for this information, Mary A. I will indeed give it a try.

Dorothy

Post by **Hilary** » 30 Apr 2010 14:56

You ask how I knew they left Birkdale by 1888ish

The 1891 census shows them at Rock Park which is Rock Ferry which is within the parish of Bebington - this is within the Borough of Birkenhead but not the town of Birkenhead.

The second to youngest child is aged 2 and has a birth place of Rock ferry so surmising he was born about 1888/9 that must have been after they left Birkdale.

Hilary
Ed Officer

Post by **rootdigger** » 01 May 2010 01:37

Education Officer wrote:You ask how I knew they left Birkdale by 1888ish

The 1891 census shows them at Rock Park which is Rock Ferry which is within the parish of Bebington - this is within the Borough of Birkenhead but not the town of Birkenhead.

The second to youngest child is aged 2 and has a birth place of Rock ferry so surmising he was born about 1888/9 that must have been after they left Birkdale.

Hilary
Ed Officer

Hi Hilary,

Thanks for this. This is what makes it so difficult for us who live across the pond - we are not too familiar with the various names, parishes and boroughs. So, in the 1891 census, the Smiths lived in Rock Ferry, Parish of Bebington. From what I have read, this was (at the time) in the county of Cheshire. Am I right?

Dorothy

Post by **MaryA** » 01 May 2010 07:30

That is correct so they must have crossed the Mersey in their move as Birkdale was part of Lancashire (now Merseyside - although those who live there often prefer to remain under Lancashire).

If you use http://maps.google.co.uk/ you will be able to see the distances between Birkdale and Rock Ferry - the larger part of the journey would have been on the Liverpool side of the river.