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Lucy Cripps is proving a little illusive. I have a birth regstration as Lucy Frances Cripps @ Newbury Berks Q4 1842 and a marriage in Reading April 1866 to a Richard Shannon or Shannons. I also have her on the 1851 census under the spelling Crips with mother Sophia (widow) and siblings in Thatcham Berks. She had an illegitimate daughter Agnes Ellen in Q1 1862, the birth being registered at Reading, Berks.

I can't seem to track her down on the 1861 census, or after her marriage on a census, nor can I find a death for her.

Daughter Agnes somehow ended up in Ormesby, Middlesborough where she married George Short in 1877 at only 15. Although the marriage register has her as 18 and incorrectly as Agnes Hannah - she made her mark so the error wouldn't have been apparent to her, She does appear on census data under her correct name and birthplace following her marriage. I can't locate her on the 1871 census either.

Lucy's mother married again in 1852 and became Sophia Childs, I have her on the 1861 census, again as a widow, but Lucy is not listed in the household.

I may have found an 1871 census entry for Richard Shannon in Henley with birthplace Reading, but no Lucy with him, another lady is shown as his housekeeper.

Can anyone help fill in the gaps?

1851 for places of birth - have put into age order to make it easier to follow

1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Quicks Green, Ashampstead, Bradfield, Berkshire, England


First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Sophia Crips Head Widow Female 48 1803 - Reading, Berkshire, England
George Crips Son Unmarried Male 24 1827 Ag Labourer Bradfield, Berkshire,
Jane Crips Daughter Unmarried Female 21 1830 - Bradfield, Berkshire, England
Emma Crips Daughter Unmarried Female 19 1832 Dressmaker Bradfield, Berkshire,
Catharine Crips Daughter Unmarried Female 17 1834 Plain Needle Work Bradfield, Berks
Henry Crips Son Unmarried Male 15 1836 Ag. Lab Bradfield, Berkshire,
Selina Crips Daughter Unmarried Female 13 1838 - Bradfield, Berkshire, England
Harriot Crips Daughter - Female 10 1841 - Bradfield, Berkshire, England
Lucy Crips Daughter - Female 8 1843 - Thatcham, Berkshire, England
Louisa Crips Daughter - Female 6 1845 - Thatcham, Berkshire, England
Frewin Crips Son - Male 3 1848 - Ashampstead, Berkshire,
James Crips Nephew - Male 6 1845 - Thatcham, Berkshire, England

Have you followed the siblings to see if she is with any of them?

Could she have been living with the Father of her child under his name ?

Long shot ?????

1861
Name: Lucy Francis
Age: 18
Estimated birth year: 1843
Relation: Lodger
Gender: Female
Where born: Newbury, Berkshire, England
Civil Parish: Cheltenham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
Town: Cheltenham
County/Island: Gloucestershire
Country: England
Street address:
Occupation:
Condition as to marriage:
View image
Registration district: Cheltenham
Sub-registration district: Cheltenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 18
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 192
Piece: 1799
Folio: 146
Page Number: 32
Household Members:
Name Age
Thomas Sells 60
Hannah Sells 60
George Smith 1
Elizabeth Patchett 8
Mary Ann Capper 30
Eliza Capper 3
John Sutton 33
Jane Derrett 29
Archibald Clason 36
John Antony 40
William Richardson 42
Sarah Cousins 27
John Davis 35
Lucy Francis 18
Susan Antony 20
Mary Hughes 61
Henry Hughes 46
Mary Hughes 35

..........can't find a birth for a Lucy Francis born at htis time and place.

Good point about her siblings, although if she was with one of them in 1851 she ought to show up more readily. Although assuming she didn't die before 1871, and her marriage had foundered, she might have taken refuge with one of them. I've been looking for her under Cripps, Shannon(s) and Child(s) (on the off chance she adopted her step-father's name). I haven't traced all of the siblings, it's proving a bit tricky as there seem to be several Cripps with the same forenames in the area. Daughter Agnes was registered as Cripps, no indication of who the father was.

looks likely Catherine, matches

England & Wales Births 1837-2006

First name(s) LUCY FRANCES
Last name CRIPPS
Birth year 1842
Birth quarter 4
Registration month -
Mother's maiden name -
District Newbury
County Berkshire
Country England
Volume VI
Page 209

Yes, this is the birth regn. There is a slightly odd aspect in that there is no MMN, however the other children do have MMN as either Hamblin, Hambling, Humblin or Humbling, this fits with the marriage I've found. It could just be a transcription error.

The Richard Shannon in Henley in 1871 is unmarried and occupation is a Hawker. What occupation is given for Richard on !ucy's marriage certificate please?

I don't have a cert as I've only very recently found the marriage. However, I also have a Richard Shannon, birthplace Reading, on the 1861 census as a servant to to dealer, so it would make sense that he would have gone into that line himself.

I'm thinking that maybe the marriage didn't last, in which case it wouldn't be that odd for him to describe himself as unmarried.

Record Transcription:
England Marriages 1538-1973

First name(s) Lucy
Last name Cripps
Name note -
Age 23
Marriage year 1866
Marriage date 16 Apr 1866
Marriage place Reading
Father's first name(s) John
Father's last name Cripps
Spouse's first name(s) Richard
Spouse's last name Shannons
Spouse's age 33
Spouse's birth year 1833
Spouse's birth date 1833
Spouse's father's first name(s) William
Spouse's father's last name Shannons
County Berkshire
Country England
Record set England Marriages 1538-1973
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Parish Marriages
Collections from England, Great Britain
Index (c) IRI. Used by permission of FamilySearch Intl

In 1841, Sophia and 6 children were in the Bradfield Union Workhouse.

Yes Erika I know, husband John was half way through a 12mth sentence in Reading Gaol!

Sophia and some of her children in 1861 - I think you'll have this, as you don't mention not being able to find it:

Sophia Childs
in the 1861 England Census
Name: Sophia Childs
Age: 56
Estimated birth year: 1805
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Reading, Berkshire, England
Civil Parish: Reading St Mary
Ecclesiastical parish: Oxford
Town: Reading
County/Island: Berkshire
Country: England
Street address:
Occupation:
Condition as to marriage:
View image
Registration district: Reading
Sub-registration district: St Mary
ED, institution, or vessel: 1
Neighbors:
Household schedule number: 32
Piece: 745
Folio: 8
Page Number: 8
Household Members:
Name Age
Sophia Childs 56
Harriet Cripps 19
James A Cripps 16
Francis J Cripps 14

I do mention Sophia on the above census as a widow in my opening comments.

I'm not yet sure about her after then, but one step at a time, I'm trying to crack the issues with Lucy.

How do you connect with Lucy?

I don't personally. In these strange times I'm trying to help others crack a few brick walls. Enlisting help on Genes where I don't quite manage to get there. In this case for one of my U3A friends, it's her husband's family, Lucy is his 2x Great Grandmother.

So is Agnes the line?

That's right, My friend's husband had some knowledge of her, but had no idea of the connection to Berkshire or how Agnes ended up so far north. This only came up when she found census data with her place of birth, searched for a birth regn for Agnes, and got hold of a copy of her birth cert. However, she coudn't find any trace of Lucy., so asked for help.