RICHARDS - LEACH - WOOD

[allyj50]

Catherine Richards from Runcorn, Cheshire born 1866 and died 1918.
She married George LEACH born 1860 from Colne Lancashire but don't have a date for when they married.

Originally they had 2 sons GEORGE born 1896 Nelson and KIEREN EDWARD known as EDDIE born 1901 Burnley. There was mention of an adopted daughter MAGGIE WOOD born 1880 Preston.

We knew that their parents' had died and that the will was divided 3 ways but we were told by Kieren's elder daughter (my Aunt) that no one seemed to know who the 3rd person was and we assumed it was Maggie.

However, last week my niece discovered an abstract will and codicil in Catherine's name and a 3rd son in the name of WILLIAM FREDERICK was named in the will. We have managed to trace him in the birth records as registered in 1903 but someone has written on the will that he was born in 1902. We realise that he might have been born then but they were just late in registering his birth.

Catherine asked that her personal estate be converted into money and to be used for educational trusts for her sons - Xarvarian College at Whalley Range Manchester and in the Codocil also took insurance policies (2 - one for £250 and the 2nd for £150) out on her husband from the Prudential Insurance Company and asked that the premiums be paid from the estate. The will was written in 1918 but she died in 1920. Executors were her elder son and family solicitor in Preston.

We cannot find a death date for her husband and neither have we been able to trace what happened to the 3rd son. The adopted daughter turned up in
1901 as a housekeeper with Robert & Elizabeth Baldwin, listed as Robert’s sister-in-law. So she wasn’t an orphan. They were living at 55 Rock Street, Nelson.

She left £24,200 11shillings 8d (old pence) which we have worked out to be half a million quid in today's currency!

The story goes that my grand-dad KIEREN EDWARD went to the Xarvarian College as a boarder and then went into the army. We have no army number or regiment for him although the family story is that he was in Ireland in 1920-21 at the time of the troubles. But that might have been with the black and tans who were not the regular army. I thought i have have been able to trace him via his army pension but the powers that be at preston need his army number or regiment and we only have "stories". We know he married though in 1922.

Anyone any ideas?

We are also curious to how Catherine came by "personal estate" as well as why we cannot find any trace of the 3rd son.

Ally x
newbie Warrington

PS hope I have put this in the right category. Just re read it and wondered if it should be in the brick wall category as well ???

[Jan1954]

PS hope I have put this in the right category. Just re read it and wondered if it should be in the brick wall category as well ???

Now sitting in Brickwalls.

[janbooth]

I don't know if you have any census records, but George and Catherine are shown as married in the 1891 census of Nelson (RG12/3376, folio 47, page 23). They are living at 21 Leeds Road and George is described as a Fish Dealer, aged 31, born Colne and they have adopted daughter Maggie WOOD aged 11 born Preston living with them.

In the 1901 census they are in Nelson, George a Fish & Game Dealer living at 24 Scotland Road with sons George & Kieren E.

I think I have found Catherine in the 1871 & 1881 census records and if you do not already have this info let me know and I will post it for you.

Janet

[allyj50]

There is a 3rd son WILLIAM FREDERICK born march 1903 - can you find him living with parents too?

Ally x

[allyj50]

Can you find a death date for the father at all?
We have been unable to.

Would you say being a fish and/game dealer in those days was a good occupation and worth lots of money?

Cheers
Ally x

[janbooth]

Ally,

Census records in the UK are only available every 10 years from 1841 to 1901 at the moment so until the 1911 census records are released I will not be able to find William Frederick. As to George snr's occupation, it depends on how much dealing & selling he did. Perhaps a search of directories will give you a clue. You can search some of these yourself online at www.historicaldirectories.org/hd/ for free.

1901 census of Nelson

RG13/3880, folio 50, page 1
24 Scotland Road

George LEACH Head M 41 Fish and Game Dealer Lancashire Colne
Catherine do Wife M 35 Cheshire Runcorn
George do Son S 5 Lanc Nelson
Kieren E do Son S 1 month do do
Charlotte MYERS Serv S 28 General Servant Domestic Yorkshire Yeddon

1891 census of Great & Little Marsden, Nelson, Lancs:

RG12/3376, folio 47, page 22
21 Leeds Road

George LEACH Head M 31 Fish Dealer Lancs Colne
Catherine do Wife M 24 Cheshire Runcorn
Maggie WOOD Adopted S 11 Lancs Preston
Catherine SHIELS Serv S 15 General Servant Domestic Ireland Kilkenny

I think this is George & family in the 1881 census of Bingley, Yorkshire but you will need his marriage certificate to Catherine to check that this is indeed his father:

RG11/4342, folio 25, page 2
2 York Place

Thomas LEACH, wife Emma and children George, Caroline, Hannah, Oliver & Thomas. You can look this up for yourself on the IGI Family Search website.

In the 1871 census of Bingley, Thomas & wife Mary (looks as if father Thomas was married twice!!) are living at Prospect St with children John W, George, Martha C, Joseph, Hannah & Oliver.

In the 1861 census George & parents are in Bingley:

RG9/3219, folio 34, page 15
Nelson Street

Thomas LEACH Head Mar 23 Worsted Weaver Kent Greenwich
Mary do Wife Mar 24 do Lancashire Colne
George do Son 1 do do

In the 1851 census of Bradford, Yorks (HO107/2287, folios 861/2, pages 13/14) Thomas is living with parents Joseph, aged 63, Wool Comber, born Keighley, Yorks and Caroline, aged 46, born Chatham Kent at West Lane together with siblings George aged 28, Tailor, born Greenwich, William H aged 10 born Greenwich, Martha aged 7 born Haworth, Yorks and a grandson Henry aged 1 born Haworth.

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