Walter Frank Aspden.Birkenhead.Dock Labourer.

[pennydog]

I was wondering what had happened to little Eva who was with her parents in 1901. There is an 11 year old Eva A. Aspden in an institution in the 1911 census (shown as in Bangor registration district, Carnarvonshire). Could someone with access to the schedules check her birthplace to see if it is 'our' Eva, and what sort of institution it is?

It is an orphanage.

The first person on the page is a 24 year old Letitia Haffner who lists her occupation as general domestic servant, the enumerator has entered in the "industry/service" column - Church of England Waifs and strays Society.

There are 12 children listed with Letitia age range from 5 to 14, all are from Wales with the exception of Eva. Eva is from Birkenhead Cheshire.

[Coromandel]

Thank you for checking that, pennydog. Poor Eva, I wonder what had led to her being taken into care?

The moving stories behind some of the children cared for by the Waifs and Strays Society (now called the Children's Society) are told on the Hidden Lives website at

https://www.
hiddenlives.org.uk/

On the 'About Hidden Lives' page there details of how to contact the Children's Society about the records they hold.

[Coromandel]

This may explain why Eva was in an orphanage in 1911:

The death of Barbara Mildred Hughes (aged 30) was registered in the Birkenhead district in the last quarter of 1906.

[LANGO]

I think she went to St.Marks home for girls.Tregarth,Caernarfon.

[Coromandel]

I've had a chance to look at the Merchant Navy Seamen database mentioned above. The person indexed as 'Lenier' Morgan Aspden is really Lever Morgan Aspden; 'Date and Place of Birth 25/8/1898 B'head Eng'. There is a photograph of him, caught on a rather bad hair day! It would be worth you getting some credits with Findmypast to see it, LANGO (or perhaps your library provides access?).

There are three different cards for a merchant seaman with the number 606970: one for A.H. Aspden - 37 - Southport, rank or rating: Wiper, engaged 3.2.22 on ship no. 144375; another card for an Alfd Aspden, giving various ship numbers and dates from 1922 to 1930; and a third card for Alfred Henry Aspden (no.606970), Rating 'Donkeyman', b. 8/8/94 Southport (card dated 13.3.39). None of them has a photo.

Also somewhere above I'd mentioned finding a Jack Aspden on a Canadian passenger list in 1928. Looking at the image of the outgoing passenger list for the Duchess of Atholl, departing from Liverpool on 11 July 1928, 12 year old Jack Aspden is shown as one of a party of children going from Dr Barnardo's Homes, Liverpool (there were about 40 boys and 5 girls). The corresponding passenger list for their arrival gives Jack's place of birth as Rock Ferry and his nearest relative as 'Mother, Mrs. Annie Aspden, 114, Sea Bank Road, Wallasey, Cheshire'. This does indeed look like the son of Walter Aspden senior & Annie, and explains why he was later in a Canadian regiment. It raises even more questions though: perhaps some of the answers will be in the archives at Barnardo's.

[Coromandel]

Walter senior married again in 1907 to Annie (maiden name Hollingworth). He and his new wife Annie had a daughter Jessie (see 1911 census). I think they had at least three more children together. If you look on FreeBMD and search for Aspden births with mother's maiden name Hollingworth, you will find three birth registrations, in 1911, 1913, and 1916. I won't give the names of the older two, in case they're still alive.

Jack (the youngest) was not the only one to be at Dr Barnardo's. The Canada Ocean Arrivals forms on Ancestry (1919-1924) show that his sister M. (whose full name you will know if you followed the instructions in the quote above) had been sent to Canada in 1924, again by Dr Barnardo's. Among the information given on the form is her age (13), birthplace (Rock Ferry) and the fact that her nearest relative was her mother Mrs Aspden of Poplar Bank, 22 School Lane, Bidston, B'head. The answers are typed, but the child signed the form herself. (As with her brother Jack, she was destined initially for Dr Barnardo's in Toronto.)

I think it is safe to mention the child born in 1913 too, for there is this entry in the GRO death index on Ancestry:

Eric Aspden, b. 15 May 1913, death registered January 1988, Surrey Northern district, aged 74

His name and date of birth would fit with the 1913 birth registration mentioned above, and FreeBMD doesn't have another Eric of the same sort of vintage.

[LANGO]

Dear Coromandel,Thank you especially and all who are helping in my humble and fumbling efforts.At this stage sadness is high on my list of emotions,(Barnardos and the School for Waifs and Strays).I will however continue and will try to get onto some of the sites mentioned.

[reaspden]

Hello Lango

My father was eric aspden son of walter aspden .I believe he was in the second string of walters career!

I have a fair amount of aspden history please contact me

[LANGO]

Good evening,I am Michael Langan.My mum was Winifred Alice Aspden from Birkenhead.I will be delighted to hear from you.My e mail is langanmp AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk

[Colin Rowledge]

Hi Michael

I am happy for you that you are making headway. Me? --- I'm still diggiing and the dirt is making a bigger wall for me. Good luck and I hope you get your answers.