The

FAMILY HISTORY

of

THERESA MARY DAVIES

born 5th November 1953

The biggest problem that we have had with tracing Theresa's family tree is the fact that her father Percy was adopted from birth and never knew his parents. He would have known from his birth certificate that his biological mother was a lady named Mary Elizabeth Davies. Whether or not he ever knew the name of his true father, we shall never know. As a result, a huge piece of the family tree is missing.

What we have found is that Theresa's family all came from the middle of England; her father's side from Shropshire and her mother's side from the West Midlands and Lincolnshire. There are very few photographs or documents; mainly to do with the fat that the family did not own a camera, the secrecy of Theresa's parents and their unwillingness to answer questions. Theresa's parents didn't even have a photograph of their wedding!

We hoped to discover a Welsh link, as the surname Davies is a Welsh name. As we write this, no such link has been found, although we are hovering on the England/Wales boarder.

Line of Descent

The five generation, 31 person chart (a line of descent), shown on the next page, details all those persons (ancestors) from whom Theresa is descended. We are fortunate that King Henry the eighth decreed in 1537 that his subject's baptisms, marriages and burials should be recorded by the parish incumbent. Before that, our ancestor's lives would only be worthy of record if they did something wrong or if they were wealthy enough to have land. We cannot yet trace Theresa's ancestry back as far as 1537, but we are working on it. Of course, Theresa's family tree extends back to a time when man first appeared on this earth. It is simply that there are no records to consult to prove it.

The chart shows 24 people who are directly responsible for Theresa's existence. Without all of them, she would not be here today. We cannot show the additional seven people as Percy's father, and his ancestors, are unknown. In addition to these known ancestors, we can go even further back, knowing the names of 28 direct ancestors, at least. These details are shown on following pages.

Against each person's name on the chart on the next page, there is a number. This number will lead to more information about that person given in the pages that follow, together with other family members, where known. Each surname has its own section, placed in the order in which they appear in line of descent chart, with that family's family tree, as far as is known.

At the time of printing this, we have reached a point where we need to be studying parish registers. Most of what we have done here is from the internet and from applying for birth, marriage and death certificates from the General Records Office in London.

Family Trees

This book is divided up by surname. Every time a woman married, she became a member of another family, taking a new surname. As a result the woman will be mentioned in two family trees, the first time in her early life before she married and the second time in the family into which she married. Each one of these families has been studied separately, a family tree drawn up and information given about individuals on that tree, where known. It is hoped that, over a period of time, we will be able to expand these family trees through new research and through other researchers discovering our interest and sharing their own research with us.

 

 

We have gone furtther back than this but have not put the lines of descent extensions on the web yet.

THE DAVIES FAMILY

of Shawbury, Shropshire

 2 - Percy James DAVIES

From his birth certificate we discovered that Percy was born 20th November 1899 at Machine Cottage, Burford, Tenbury, Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Father unknown, mother Mary Elizabeth DAVIES, a domestic servant.

In the 1901 census he was living with Richard WARD, age 58, shoe maker, born Ludlow and Margarett WARD age 57, born London, St Pancras, living at Chapel Fields, East Hamlet, Ludlow, Shropshire. He was aged one year and described as a nurse child, born in Tenbury, Worcestershire. We assume from this that Percy's mother had given him away for adoption. Formal adoptions started in 1927. Before that it would have been an unofficial arrangement.

He appears to have signed up for the army as Percy WARD - WO/372/21 where he is said to have been in the trenches in France and suffered from the effects of gas.

Royal Lancaster Regt - Private

Lincolnshire Regt - Private

Leicestershire Regt - Private

Percy became a train driver with GWR. In later life he was a strict catholic, although we do not know whether he converted to the catholic faith when he married Mary Hornby GIBBINS on 16th September 1946 at St Peters Catholic Church, Henley Road, Ludlow. He was 46 years of age, a bachelor and Mary was 33 years old, a spinster. The witnesses were Eleanor WARD and I P Gibbins. Percy's address was given as 100 Corve Street, Ludlow and Mary's as 48 Gravel Hill, Ludlow. He was an engine driver and she a hairdresser. Percy's father's name was not shown but Mary's father was given as William GIBBINS (deceased), a sorting clerk and telegraphist.

Eleanor WARD was known by Theresa's family as Aunty Queenie and Percy treated her like a mother. She was the daughter of Richard and Margaret WARD who appear to have adopted young Percy at a very early age. Whilst the WARDs were not Theresa's blood relatives, we traced a little of their family history - especially as, at one time, we suspected that Queenie might have been Percy's mother. We looked at three census years as follows:

1881 Census

Richard WARD, age 36, shoemaker, born Ludlow, living in Marylebone

Margaret WARD, age 36, born Marylebone

Richard WARD, age 11

Helen WARD, age 11 months

1891 Census

Richard WARD, age 47, shoemaker, born Ludlow, living in New Road, East Hamlet, Ludlow

Margaret WARD, age 46, born Marylebone

Eleanor WARD, daughter, age 10, born Marylebone

1901 Census

Richard WARD, age 58, shoemaker and booter, born Ludlow, living at Chapel F?, East Hamlet, Ludlow

Margaret WARD, age 57, born London, St Pancras

Percy DAVIES, age 1, born Tenbury, Worcs

We also studied the voter's roll for Ludlow to see who was living at 100 Corve Street. It was found that one Eleanor Mary WARD was there from 1945 until 1961. This was Aunty Queenie. Earlier than that, there were no WARDs or DAVIESs for 1921, 22 or 23. In 1925 Richard WARD was in residence. In 1928 there were no W's or D's. In 1931 there was Helena May WARD by right of residence and occupancy. In 1934 there were Percy James DAVIES and Helena May WARD. In 1938 there was Helena May WARD only but by 1939 both Helena May WARD and Percy James DAVIES were there. The records were then not kept up until 1945, by which time Queenie had owned up to the name of Eleanor Mary WARD. Theresa remembered that she died around 1970 having gone in to a nursing home in the Ludlow area and that she had gone back to the house to clear it out, presumably after Queenie's death. Did Queenie leave a will? Her death record was found at the GRO (www.1837online.com) as being in the last quarter of 1970 at Ludlow. Her date of birth was given as 22 May 1881.

Please follow the following link for various photographs of Percy and associated people HERE.

4 - Mary Elizabeth DAVIES

Percy James Davies never revealed who his parents were. His birth certificate showed his mother to be Mary Elizabeth DAVIES, domestic servant, with no father named, therefore presumed illegitimate. The address on his birth certificate was given as Machine Cottage, Burford, Tenbury, Worcester, Salop and Hereford.

So, we looked for that address on the census and found the following information:

1901 Census - Machine Cottage, Burford (next door to the Rose and Crown)

name rel condition age occupation where born

John DAVIES head m 65 county court bailiff Salop, Shawbury

Mary DAVIES wife m 59 Cheshire, Audlam

Annie DAVIES dau s 34 Salop, Stoddestone

Julia DAVIES dau s 22 scholar Salop, Burford

John DAVIES son s 18 scholar Salop, Burford

1891 Census - Machine Cottage, Burford

name rel condition age occupation where born

John DAVIS head married 56 county court bailiff Salop, Besford Wood

Mary DAVIS wife married 50 Cheshire

Julia DAVIS dau 13 scholar Salop, Burford

John DAVIS son 8 scholar Salop, Burford

Next door, at Stanbrook House, lived one Martha Davis, widow, aged 71, living on her own means and born in Middleton, Herefordshire. Whether a relation or a coincidence, we do not know.

So, in 1891, Mary Elizabeth DAVIES was not living at Machine Cottage, but a DAVIS family was. We found Mary DAVIES working as a domestic housemaid at St Michaels College, Tenbury. She was aged 18 and was born at Burford. Ten years previously she was living with her family at Machine Cottages.

1881 Census - Court of Hill, Nash, Shropshire

name rel condition age occupation where born

John DAVIS head married 46 superannuated PC Salop, Shrawley

Mary DAVIS wife married 41 dressmaker Cheshire, Audlam

Annie DAVIS dau unm 14 domestic servant Salop, Stotesdon

Mary Elizabeth DAVIS dau unm 8 scholar Salop, Burford

Alice DAVIS dau unm 7 scholar Salop, Burford

Julia DAVIS dau unm 3 scholar Salop, Burford

From this we discovered, by applying for her birth certificate, that Mary Elizabeth DAVIES was the daughter of John and Mary (née HAMNETT) DAVIES and that she was born in the police station, Burford on 4th May 1872.

We have tried to find out what became of Mary but to no avail. Did she ever marry? How was she affected by having to give up her child?

5 - ?

Unknown person, possibly (but unlikely) with the surname WARD.

20 - Thomas DAVIES

Born in Shawbury around 1791. In 1841 he was described as a farmer and in 1851 a farmer with 50 acres. We have been unable to find him in the 1861 census, so it may be that he had died by then. We could not find his wife Ann or their son Henry either. However we did find Elizabeth working as a barmaid in Knockwardine? and Sarah working as a cook in Wolverley.

 

 

 

 

THE GIBBINS FAMILY

of Bloomsbury, etc.

6 - William Alban GIBBINS

born 1875, post office clerk, of 60 Gordon Road, Harborne, father Isaac GIBBINS of independent means, married to 7 Frances Millicent COTTOM on 11 Jun 1907 at Church of the Oratory, Hagley Road, Edgbaston (catholic), witnesses James COTTOM and Emily Gibbs - source marriage certificate

died 7 Apr 1934 at 1a Raddle Barn Road, Selly Oak aged 59, of 17 Albany Road, Harborne, a post office sorting clerk and telegraphist, informant Frances Millicent GIBBINS, widow of the deceased - source death certificate

12 - Isaac GIBBINS

age 6, a scholar, living with his parents in camden Hill, Kensington, born Bloomsbury. - source 1851 census

age 37, coachman, born Bloomsbury, living in Green Lane, Chertsey with Sarah A GIBBINS, wife age 31 born Claxby, Lincs, and children William age 6 born Gedley?, Lincs and Harry - source 1881 census

born 1844 Bloomsbury, London - source 1901 census aged 56, coachman (domestic), living 79 Woodlands Green Lane, Chertsey. Married to 13 Sarah A Gibbins - source 1901 census aged 51, born Claxby, Lincs.

13 - Sarah Ann GIBBINS nee ?

died 21 Mar 1955 aged 85 and interred at Shanklin cemetery. She was sister of Lady Hamilton - source note in file from Mary Davies?

24 - William GIBBINS

age 39, William GIBBONS, Gentleman's Coachman, born Brickstock (should be Brigstock), Northamptonshire, living at Campden Hill, Kensington with wife E S Gibbons and children Elizabeth, Thomas, Isaac, Emma and Mary - source 1851 census

THE COTTOM FAMILY

of Harborne, Smethwick, etc.

7 - Frances Millicent COTTOM

born 1887, post office clerk, of 67 Gordon Road, Harborne, father James COTTOM engineer, married to 6 William Alban GIBBINS on 11 Jun 1907 at Church of the Oratory, Hagley Road, Edgbaston (catholic), witnesses James COTTOM and Emily Gibbs - source marriage certificate

born 7 Mar 1887 in Harborne district - source birth certificate short form

born 7 Mar 1887 at 51 Raglan Road, Harborne, father James COTTOM iron turner, mother Theresa Maria nee GLOSTER - source birth certificate

14 - James COTTAM

born 1857, engine turner, of Stony Lane, Smethwick, father John COTTAM deceased, cordwainer, married 15 Theresa Maria GLOSTER on 6 Jan 1883 at Roman Catholic Chapel, Harborne, witnesses James GLOSTER and Sarah Ann GLOSTER - source marriage certificate

born 1858, steam engine fitter/turner, living at 67 Gordon Road, age 43, born in Smethwick, living with wife Theresa M Cotton age 49, Frances M daughter age 14, Ivon J Cottton son age 11 - source 1901 census

born 1 Jan 1857, father John COTTOM master cordwainer, mother Hannah nee EVANS, at Rolfe Street, Harborne - source birth certificate

29 - Hannah COTTAM

age 64, a shoe dealer, born Smethwick?, living at 167 Rolfe Street, Harborne with children Sarah Jane, James, George and Alice - source 1881 census

THE GLOSTER FAMILY

of Harborne, Edgbaston, etc.

15 Theresa Maria GLOSTER

born 1855, of Metchley Lane, Harborne, father Josiah GLOSTER deceased, ivory and bone turner, married 14 - James COTTAM on 6 Jan 1883 at Roman Catholic Chapel, Harborne, witnesses James GLOSTER and Sarah Ann GLOSTER - source marriage certificate

Theresa GLOSTER, age 25, born Edgbaston, dressmaker, living as a boarder with William ?'s family in Harborne - source 1881 census

died 18 Oct 1922 at 17 Albany Road, Harborne, aged 73, wife of James Cottom an engineers fitter, informant L Cottom daughter in law of 11 High Brow Harborne - death certificate

buried Olton Monastery - source invoice for monumental sculpture 22 Mar 1924

30 Josiah GLOSTER

age 47, market gardener, born in Birmingham, living in Hitchly? Lane, Edgbaston, with wife Frances, aged 45?, born Edgbaston, together with children Ann, Emma, James, Harriet, Clara, William and Mary - source 1851 census

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last updated

270606