I started with Martha's mother, Mary Ann Alford. On the 1881 England Census, we found that she was living at 4 St Johns Terrace in Radipole, Dorset, England with her son, John, and 2 of her daughters, Mary Ann and Clara, along with a servant, Elizabeth Clark (see post).
Using her name, born in 1803, +/- 5 years, and born in Broadwindsor, Dorset as the search criteria for the 1891 England Census, I was unable to find a matching record for Mary Ann Alford. I expanded the search criteria but still no match was returned, so it is likely that she died between 1881 and 1891. I then searched for an entry on the death index on the General Register Office website. There was no match with a year of birth of about 1803. There were two possible matches with age at death within 5 years of a year of birth of about 1803:
It is possible that this is Martha's mother Mary Ann, however her age at death is given as 83, meaning that she was born in about 1801. On all the Census records, with the exception of 1841, her year of birth has been about 1803. I was unable to locate a burial entry for the death of Mary Ann Alford in Ledbury. I was also unable to find a probate entry for either Mary Ann. I guess that this will just have to be one of those little mysteries for now as I do not have a copy of either of the death certificates that might prove or disprove my findings. I am going to go with the information that the Mary Ann Alford who died in Taunton is the one associated with this family and update my tree accordingly.
Next, the eldest son of Mary Ann Alford, and brother to Martha Groves, Thomas. On the 1881 England Census, Thomas was living on the High Street in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, along with his wife Mary Ann, and working as a Chemist and Druggist (see post). We find him on the 1891 England Census, still living on the High Street in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire and continuing to work as a Chemist and Druggist [4].
However, he is now a widow. His sisters, Clara and Mary Ann, are living with him along with a general servant, Jane Collin. So, his wife Mary Ann passed away between 1881 & 1891.
I started the search for when Mary Ann passed away with the burial records for Stonehouse in Gloucestershire as this is where Thomas was still living. I found the following record [5]:
I also found a entry on the death index on the General Register Office website [6]. I was able to get a exact date of death of 2 August 1887, from an entry on the Probate Service website [7]. Her estate and effects were granted to her husband.
On the 1901 England, Thomas, along with his sisters, Mary Ann and Clara, are still living on the High Street in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. He has now retired as a Chemist [8].
On the 1911 England Cenus, Thomas has moved. He is now living at 10 Clarence Terrace, Claverton Down, Bath, Somerset, with his sister Clara, and a servant, Edith Everall [9].
A search of death index on the General Register Office website found a entry for Mary Ann [11]. An entry on the Probate Service website gives her date of death as 3 March and that her effects are left to her sister, Clara [12].
I also did search of the burial records for Somerset on Ancestry for Clara and Thomas, however, there were no matching entries. As they were living in Bath, Somerset, I did a search of the Bath Burial Index to see if there were entries for them before searching for them following the 1911 England Census. I found that they were buried at the Lyncombe and Widcombe & St James' Cemetery. Clara died on 5 February 1915 [13] and was buried on 12 February 1915 [14]. Her brother, Thomas, died just under a year later, on 12 January 1916, and was buried on 15 January 1916 [15]. His death index entry on the General Register Office website indicates that he died in Taunton [16]. On the Probate Service website, there is no record for Clara. There is an entry for Thomas, of 3 Mansfield Road, Taunton [17]. His effects are left to Edward Colston Fear, Gentleman.
Only one brother of Martha's remains to be researched and that is John Alford. John was living with his mother and 2 sisters, Mary Ann and Clara at the time of the 1881 England Census (See post). I decided to first do a search on the Probate Service website where I found a record for John Alford, a gentleman of 3 Mansfield Road, Taunton, who died 25 April 1904 [18]. His effects are left to Thomas Alford, Gentleman. As he is not listed living with any of his siblings after the 1881 England Census, I undertook a search on Ancestry for him. Using his name, born in Sherborne, Dorset in +/- 2 years of 1834, I found John Alford on the 1891 England Census [19].
On the 1891 England Census, John is listed as married to Sarah A, daughter of Elizabeth Oldman, and that he is blind. Another search on Ancestry found a Marriage Licence between 'John Alford of the Parish of Saint James in Taunton' & 'Sarah Ann Oldman of the Parish of Shepton Mallet' on 17 October 1885 [20]. John and Sarah Ann married on 27 October 1885 in Shepton Mallet, Somerset [21] [22].
It is interesting to note that the address given on the burial record of Mary Ann Alford from 1884 also has the abode of Sydney Terrace. This is corroborating information that the death of Mary Ann Alford of Taunton is correct for this family tree.
On the 1901 England Census, John is listed as a boarder in the home of John & Louisa Radford [23].
His wife Sarah is listed as a visitor at the home of James and Julie Steeds in Shepton Mallet on the 1901 England Census [24]. John was found in the probate records earlier in this research and an entry for his death is in the index on the General Register Office website [25]. John was buried at St Marys Cemetery in Taunton, Somerset [26].
I have been unable to establish when Sarah Ann Alford nee Oldman died from searches of death, burial or probate records that I have done. However, as John's effects were left to his brother in 1904, it is possible that she passed away between 1901 and 1904.
John was the last sibling of Martha Groves nee Alford to be researched. Here is a family tree, detailed without the marriages of Martha and John:
It would be wonderful to hear from you via the comments section on this blog or via my Facebook page. If you would like to see the tree that I have been building for my One Place Study for each individual house, it is on Ancestry under 1 The Crescent Taunton One Place Study. This study is also part of the Society of One Place Studies.
[1] General Register Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/) - Deaths GRO Reference: 1884 J Quarter in Ledbury, Volume 06A, Page 268
[2] General Register Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/) - Deaths GRO Reference: 1884 D Quarter in Taunton, Volume 05C, Page 249
[2] General Register Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/) - Deaths GRO Reference: 1884 D Quarter in Taunton, Volume 05C, Page 249
[3] Ancestry.com. Somerset, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1914 ~ Somerset Heritage Service; Taunton, Somerset, England; Reference Number: D\P\tau.m/2/1/37 page 123
[4] Ancestry.com 1891 England Census - The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 2021; Folio: 41; Page: 4; GSU roll: 6097131
[5] Ancestry.com. Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Burials, 1813-1988 ~ Gloucestershire Archives, Gloucestershire, England; Reference Number: P316IN 1/19 page 64
[6] General Register Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/) - Deaths GRO Reference: 1887 S Quarter in Stroud, Volume 06A, Page 177
[7] Probate Service (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/) - Year 1892, Alford, Mary Ann
[8] Ancestry.com 1901 England Census - The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901; Class: RG13; Piece: 2434; Folio: 32; Page: 21
[9] Ancestry.com 1911 England Census - The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911; Class: RG14; Piece: 14688; Schedule Number: 60
[10] Ancestry.com, Somerset Heritage Service; Taunton, Somerset, England; Somerset Parish Records, 1538-1914; Burials, 1813-1914; Reference Number: D\P\tau.m/2/1/38 page 104
[11] General Register Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/) - Deaths GRO Reference: 1909 M Quarter in Bath, Volume 05C, Page 388
[12] Probate Service (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/) - Year 1909, Alford, Mary Ann
[13] General Register Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/) - Deaths GRO Reference: 1915 M Quarter in Bath, Volume 05C, Page 852
[14] Bath Record Office, Archives and Local Studies (https://www.batharchives.co.uk) - Bath Burial Record, Alford, Clara
[15] Bath Record Office, Archives and Local Studies (https://www.batharchives.co.uk) - Bath Burial Record, Alford, Thomas
[16] General Register Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/) - Deaths GRO Reference: 1916 M Quarter in Taunton, Volume 05C, Page 429
[17] Probate Service (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/) - Year 1916, Alford, Thomas
[18] Probate Service (https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/) - Year 1904, Alford, John
[19] Ancestry.com 1891 England Census - The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891; Class: RG12; Piece: 1910; Folio: 69; Page: 23; GSU roll: 6097020
[20] Ancestry.com; Somerset Heritage Service; Taunton, Somerset, England; Somerset Parish Records, 1538-1914; Reference Number: ENGLB030D_D-D-Cm-1885
[21] General Register Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/) - Marriages GRO Reference: 1885 D Quarter in Shepton Mallet, Volume 05C, Page 895
[22] Ancestry.com. Somerset, England, Church of England Marriage Registers, Bonds and Allegations, 1754-1914 ~ Somerset Heritage Service; Taunton, Somerset, England; Reference Number: D\P\she/2/1/21 page 215
[23] Ancestry.com 1901 England Census - The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901; Class: RG13; Piece: 2278; Folio: 152; Page: 41
[24] Ancestry.com 1901 England Census - The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901; Class: RG13; Piece: 2313; Folio: 50; Page: 38
[25] General Register Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/) - Deaths GRO Reference: 1904 J Quarter in Taunton, Volume 05C, Page 199
[26] Ancestry.com, Somerset Heritage Service; Taunton, Somerset, England; Somerset Parish Records, 1538-1914; Burials, 1813-1914; Reference Number: D\P\tau.m/2/1/38 page 77
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