Widnes records

[Ireland]

Hi folks,

I visited Widnes in August in the hope of finding my great-grandmother, Evelyn IRELAND / ALLISON, on the electoral role (roll?) but without any luck.
I found her in the 1911 census mysteriously married to a man, John ALLISON (d. 1913) my dad had never heard of. By the time she died in 1930 her son declared her as widow of his dad (Thomas IRELAND) not John.
I would like to know if she decided to call herself IRELAND again or was it just my granddad not acknowledging John?
What records are there after the 1911 census I can look up? I believe the electoral rolls for the area were destroyed in the 1970s...

Please help.
Val

[Geoff Wycherley]

Trying to find information about Widnes and its residents is pretty haphazard, you are right about information after 1911, the electoral rolls do exist for the Borough from 1934 onwards,but you would need to know what street or road your family lived in. I was lucky I knew what streets my family lived in so it made my research easier.

Widnes Library do have copies of the local weekly paper Widnes Weekly News on micro film,it covers every edition since the paper was first published,it has a good births, marriage, death section,to view the papers you have to book time,which is no problem.

Regards
Geoff W

[Geoffers]

As well as the problems highlighted by Geoff Wycherley, finding your lass in an electoral roll is also dependent on when she had the right to vote (see the Representation of the People Act 1918 which gave some women the right to vote).

Have you tried using directories - either those available for purchase from The Parish Chest or if there is anything of use on the historical directories web-site

[giveover]

Hi Val,

Not sure if you have this info?

There was a marriage of an Evelyn Ireland and John Allison in West Derby, Lancashire, in 1909.
This is on Free BMD volume 8b page 432

Also on Lancashire BMD, marriage was Edge Hill, St Cypian.
the reference is held at Liverpool . # is 2041WD/4/232


Best wishes

Anne

[garstonite]

Hiya Val.....firstly , just to let you know I live 4 miles from Widnes and go to Widnes market every Wednesday, so if you do find info and need someone to have a nose around for you ,just PM me....
secondly,
What was Evelyns maiden name....the Ireland family are in Hale Village (where I now live) back as far as 1500`s and are well known in this area...if we can establish Evelyns birth place we may be lucky and find a relly...quite a few Ireland family members drink in the local pub here.....friends of mine ....you never know...the register office for Hale Village was Prescot...was Thomas Ireland birth registered in Prescot...where did Thomas and Evelyn marry ?..if you could post as much detail as possible it would help.....allan

[garstonite]

Hi again Val....could this be our couple...registered Prescot...??
thomas ireland to Evelyn Appleton married dec qtr 1887 Prescot 8b 957....allan

[garstonite]

think these look like Thomas....
born 1861 Widnes register Halton WID/9/27 Thomas Ireland
death sep 1894 Prescot.. aged 33 ..8b 434 Thomas Ireland (so young)
so it would appear that he married and died in Prescot register area....do you have Thomas and Evelyn in the 1891 census in the Prescot register area ?....allan

[garstonite]

Hiya Val...went to the park with the dog today...found this info...from Hale Village
in 1617 SIR GILBERT IRELAND (LORD HUTTE) took John Middleton (The Childe of Hale) to James 1 where John wrestled the kings bodyguard and beat him...John Middleton was a freak and reported to be 9` 3 " tall....this has since been reduced to 7` 3" ,which in those days was a huge size.....anyway...we are talking 2 and a half miles from where your Thomas was born and it`s generally accepted around here that all the Ireland family descended from the Ireland family that lived in the great hall built in 1567 ish...we have old HUTTE lane...new Hutte lane ...Ireland road....so I would do a bit of googling as I think someone must have done the family tree for the Ireland family around here.....good luck and it looks a very interesting line.....allan

[garstonite]

Hiya Val....found out that Sir Gilbert Ireland was
Sheriff of Lancashire
Lord Mayor of Liverpool
a famous art collector and very very rich.....might I suggest you join
www.yoliverpool.com a free site and when you are registered post as much info on your Ireland family.....under the Merseyside and Districts board -SOUTH LIVERPOOL....I am FIFTY FIVE on yoliverpool...PM me if you get stuck or PM me on here...I hope you don`t find me forward but I have been fascinated by your family here going back to John De Ireland in 1066 to present day ...what a family to research...rich and famous ....it makes it a lot easier.....if I can help in any way let me know....rumour has it here that when Sir Gilbert built Hale Hall the Manor house during the Civil War-he used SILVER to line the roof as LEAD was scarce due to the war.....rich or what ???.....allan (just lucky living in the area you are researching and having local knowledge )
BTW the above posting should read 1657 Not 1567 re the building of the Hall....oops

[Ireland]

Dear All,

Thank you so much for all the information you’ve posted up about my very frustrating IRELAND family!
My dad Thomas IRELAND b. 1936 and still in shock to find out that his paternal gran had married twice! His dad was Harold b. Widnes 1888.

Evelyn IRELAND nee APPLETON b. 1859 in Barnton, Cheshire married (1887) Thomas IRELAND b. 1861 into a house in Halton View, Widnes.
Evelyn married John ALLISON from Lincolnshire in 1909 and he died in 1913 – she wasn’t very lucky with her men. They were married in Liverpool which is strange as she lived in Halton View Road from her marriage to Thomas until her death in 1930. John declared himself as resident in Halton View Road & she claimed to live in Liverpool.

Thomas (b. 1861, d. 1894) was the son of Thomas IRELAND (b. 1816 Much Woolton, d. 1893) and Elisabeth (b. Widnes 1828) married in Rainhill in 1854. Thomas the elder was a farmer and had (in 1861 census) 2½ acres in Halton View.
I think Thomas the elder is the one listed as living with his parents (Thomas and Ellen) in Speke on the 1841 census. By 1851 Thomas has moved to Widnes with his mother and two sisters (Ellen, 35 and Margaret, 45).

This is as far back as I have managed to go as there seem to be so many Thomas IRELANDs around!

Any more help gratefully received…

Thanks,
Val