Cowen - Brickwall

[mammyfitz]

hi to all,
here is my brickwall....
I'm researching my family tree and although i've got most of my grandfather's paternal side, his maternal side is posing somewhat of a problem. It starts with his mother who was born on 10th december 1886, she was called Ada and was born to a Henry and Betsey Cowen (formerly Auger) in Lower Wincobank Ecclesfield. Henry was an engraver and she was registered by her mother on 5th January 1887.I have her birth cert. By the time of her marriage she had changed her surname to Hallgath even though she was declared as a spinster on the marriage Cert and her father is down as _____Hallgath(Dec).

This marriage took place in Sempringham Abbey, Pointon Lincs on either 8th June or 8th July 1910 after banns to Thomas Todkill. I have tried to find any records of her parents but have had no luck, especially with her mother. I think that i had found Henry and i believe that by the time of the 1891 census he had died. If it is the right one he was married previously and had 6 children with his 1st wife who was called Mary. She died in 1880 and on the 1881 census he is listed as a widower and went by the first names of John Henry Cowen.

I can find no record of a marriage to Betsey Auger nor any records of her existance either prior to Ada's birth or afterwards.Neither can i find anything on Henry's previous children ( i have assumed that as a single working man he may have placed them in the workhouse as the eldest was only 11 and the youngest was 2) if he had, this in effect would have left him free to remarry with no ties but this is all supposition.

So that is as far as i have got, i do have some photos of Ada as a young woman and she doesn't look like she is poverty stricken as they are studio portraits and she is really rather well dressed so i did wonder if she was ever adopted after her father died? which would then maybe account for the name change, it could have been that her mother remarried to a Mr Hallgath but i couldn't find any record of this either. And that is my brickwall, so if anyone out there could help it would really be appreciated as no-one in my family knows anything about her before she married my great grandad. Thank you for reading this rather long post
Sarah

[Sue Mackay]

Is this ada on the 1901 census?

RG13; Piece: 3029; Folio: 21; Page: 11 (original TNA Crown Copyright)

Browntoft Lane, Donington

Elizabeth HALLGATH Wid 79 b Lincs, Friskney
Ada C HALLGATH granddaughter 14 General servant (not domestic) b Sheffield

[Coromandel]

Hello mammyfitz and welcome to the forum

Although the names Auger and Hallgath look very different, they could sound alike . . so perhaps this isn't a change of name at all, just two different ways of writing down the same name? At a time when many people had little or no education, such 'soundalike' variations were very common. Perhaps Hallgath is a variant of HALLGARTH, which seems to be more common to judge from FreeBMD.

[Sue Mackay]

OK (to help others help you) John Henry COWEN (engraver) and his children from his first marriage are on the 1881 census in Sheffield
RG11; Piece: 4640; Folio: 67; Page: 31 TNA Crown coyright)

Of these children I have found the following:

John Arthur married Hannah Hamnett Sep qtr 1898 Eccleshall Bierlow RD (9c/613). They are on the 1901 census in Derbyshire. RG13; Piece: 3257; Folio: 134; Page: 10 (TNA Crown Copyright) with a 2 year old daughter and also a 9 year old 'son' with a different name - stepson? Hannah was born in Damascus.

Walter married Hilda Fletcher Mar qtr 1898 Sheffield RD (9c/612). They are on the 1901 census in Eccleshall Bierlow RG13; Piece: 4356; Folio: 140; Page: 27 (TNA Crown Copyright) with a young daughter, also Hilda.

Doesn't help with Ada of course

[olliecat]

Is this ada on the 1901 census?

RG13; Piece: 3029; Folio: 21; Page: 11 (original TNA Crown Copyright)

Browntoft Lane, Donington

Elizabeth HALLGATH Wid 79 b Lincs, Friskney
Ada C HALLGATH granddaughter 14 General servant (not domestic) b Sheffield

Ada appears to be in the 1911 census in Lincolnshire.
RG14/19450 SN14

Following the grandmother Elizabeth back throught the census, this could be her with her family, including daughter Betsey...

1871: RG10 Piece: 3337 Folio: 31 Page: 4 (crown copyright, care of the TNA)
Poor Row, Frieston
HALGATH Thomas, head, 65, ag labourer, Freiston Lincolnshire
HALGATH, Elizabeth, wife, 43, Friskney Lincolnshire
HALGATH, Mary, dua, 11, Freiston Lincolnshire
HALGATH, Betsey, dua, 8, Freiston Lincolnshire
HALGATH, Scharlot, dua, 6, Freiston Lincolnshire
HALGATH, Alise, dua, 1, Freiston Lincolnshire

[Richard1955]

Well spotted Olliecat.
In 1881 Betsy Halligate with same birth year and place can be found as a servant to the McKenzie family
in Altringham Cheshire. RG11 3502/58/3

Betsey Halgate birth reg: Sept qtr. 1862. Boston 7a 343

Moderators Note:
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Crown Copyright is relinquished in relation to documents in their care (e.g. census returns), provided that:
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2. Acknowledgement is given that the census is in the custody of TNA.

[mammyfitz]

Wow,
replies so soon. Thanks to all for that so far. I never connected Auger with sounding like Hallgath,possibly because round here they don't really sound that similar but with a yorkshire accent they may well do. I had also come accross that listing in 1901 for Ada C Hallgath and thought there may be a connection as she was born in Sheffield. Did wonder if the C stood for cowen as she has no middle name recorded on birth cert. Also the age would fit with her age when married. I do know that Henry was Jewish and that Ada knew she was Jewish but told no-one and it was discovered by my grandad when sorting out her things after she died, (apparently she converted to church of england when she married Thomas Todkill and it was documents pertaining to this conversion that were found,unfortunately they weren't kept and were thrown away). If the Betsey Halgath in Freiston was Ada's mother not sure how she got to Sheffield so that might be worth pursuing. Is it possible that Ada was not Elizabeth's graddaughter and was just a servant but put down on the census as such? I must admit from my photos she doesn't look like a servant, but they could easily be her "best" clothes. Once again thanks for your help already . Also really good to find something out about Henry's previous children.

[mammyfitz]

Hi Richard1955,
Thanks for that piece of info. Halgates are quite well known in Boston and have been opticians in the town for years, i believe at the moment it is run by a D. Halgate, i'm not sure that any daughter of theirs would have married a poor farmer but you never know strange things happen.

[olliecat]

Is it possible that Ada was not Elizabeth's graddaughter and was just a servant but put down on the census as such?

It's quite possible for a mistake to be made with the relationships. However, I doubt the same mistake would be made twice. Perhaps you should look at the 1911 census; reference is posted above.

[mammyfitz]

just did a quick search on the 1911 census, there is an Ada Todkill who is listed as 39 and being born in 1872. This does not fit with the birth date that i've got, as the Ada i want wasn't born until 1886. To be fair i have not viewed the actual transcript yet as i need credits for that but as soon as i get some i will be looking in detail as there may be some clue there .