Genealogy Chat

I have asked for help before to find my g grandfather James Allison.
He was supposed to have been lost at sea - but I can find no record.
James was born in 1860 but I have no idea where. He married Mary Ann Cox in 1881. He was a sea man on his marriage certificate it says merchant sevice and in 1911 on his son's marriage certificate it says Royal navy.
I cannot find him with certainty on any census - as i don't know where he was born. He died before 1901 as by this time his wife has remarried.
His father was also james and a Brass finisher.
My father always said he was from Scotland but this could be wrong.
Any ideas on how to proceed?
Thank you for reading this - I feel better for writing it all down again !
Alice

Marriages Sep 1881 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Allison James Greenwich 1d 1330
COX Mary Ann Greenwich 1d 1330
KEYS Martha Greenwich 1d 1330
WOODS Thomas Greenwich 1d 1330

yes - that is the marriage
ALice

Do you have more info, like where their child was born, where Mary was in 1891?

Ozi.

Assume on his son's marriage certificate James is deceased. Is it certain that Mary Ann had re-married before 1901?

This might be him in 1891 -

1891 England Census
Name: James Allison
Age: 38
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1853
Relation: Crew
Gender: Male
Where born: Scotland

Civil Parish: Royal Navy
Town: Sheerness
County/Island: Kent
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Sheppey
Sub registration district: Minster
ED, institution, or vessel: Karrakatta

Are the witnesses on the marriage cert any help?

Wilma, that looks promising.

This might be Mary Ann in 1891 - stated to be married -

1891 England Census
Name: Mary A Allison
Age: 32
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1859
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Lewisham, Kent, England

Civil Parish: Lewisham
Ecclesiastical parish: Christchurch
Town: Forest Hill
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Lewisham
Sub registration district: Sydenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 28
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Fanny Balderston 41
Robert Balderston 18
Harold Yearwood 17
Marry William 78
Raglesald Harold 19
**************************Mary A Allison 32

well done - that is Mary Ann his wife but without her son - I cannot find him either hisname was ernest edward born in 1886.
The witnesses don't really help - I don't think but will put them down in a minute as i may have missed something there.
I have wondered about James in 1891 - maybe he joined up after his marriage and it ties in with scotland and my dad's theory ( although this could be wrong!

Witnesses at the wedding were stephen Fitch and Phillis Palmer - their names don't mean anything to me!
Alice

This could be Ernest in 1901 -

1901 England Census
Name: Ernest Allison
Age: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1886
Relation: Servant
Gender: Male
Where born: St Pancras, London, England

Civil Parish: Lewisham
Ecclesiastical parish: St Saviour
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Lewisham
Sub registration district: Sydenham
ED, institution, or vessel: 20
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 216
Household Members: Name Age
James Vincent 45
Emma Vincent 49
Mary J Vincent 21
Jessie E Heaysmante 37
Charles Shapherd 19
Frank Lamsden 19
********************Ernest Allison 15


Alice, do you know who Mary Ann remarried and when. The date might give some idea of when James died.

This could be Stephen Fitch. It looks about the right place and age. He has nothing to do with the sea so either he's a friend on Mary's side or James was in Greenwich long enough to know him. Or just to throw a spanner in the works, he might have been a church official who just was a convenient witness!

1891 England Census
Name: Stephen W Fitch
Age: 32
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1859
Relation: Son
Spouse's Name: Emily H
Father's Name: Stephen
Mother's Name: Charlotte
Gender: Male
Where born: Deptford, Kent, England
Civil Parish: St Nicholas
Ecclesiastical parish: Deptford St Nicholas
Town: Deptford
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street address: 34 Stowage

Occupation: boiler maker's labourer

Condition as to marriage:

Registration district: Greenwich
Sub registration district: St Nicholas Deptford
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Stephen Fitch 66
Charlotte Fitch 71
Stephen W Fitch 32
Emily H Fitch 25
Stephen Fitch 6
Emily H Fitch 5
Charlotte Rose Fitch 3
Mary Ann Fitch 9/12


Now this just may be a coincidence:
1871 Scotland Census about James Allison
Name: James Allison
Age: 16
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855
Relationship: Son
Father's Name: James
Mother's Name: Printes
Gender: Male
Where born: Glasgow, Lanark
Registration Number: 644/8
Registration district: Anderston
Civil Parish: Glasgow Barony
County: Lanarkshire
Address: 6 Stanhope Place
Occupation: Boiler Maker (apprentice) <<<<<<<<<<
ED: 77
Household schedule number: 111
Line: 3
Roll: CSSCT1871_138
Household Members:
Name Age
James Allison 41 - marine boiler maker
Printes Allison 34
James Allison 16
Agnes Allison 14
John Allison 11
Charles Steven 20


Both occupations are working with metal but would they be connected?

I cannot find the marriage - I an find a marriage for a Mary Ann Allison in 1892 but not to Edward Cardwell.
Here she is on the 1901 census - as you can see she has a child of 5 which narrows it down a bit.
Thank you to everyone for their help:

Edward Cardwell Mary A abt 1855 Hammersmith Head Lewisham, London


Edward abt 1896 Forest Hill Son Lewisham, London


Lilly Cardwell abt 1901 Forest Hill Daughter Lewisham, London
View Record

Mary A Cardwell abt 1859 Lewisham Wife Lewisham, London

Wilma - yes that is ernest in 1901.
ozzibird - That is a coincidence - or perhaps you have really found something - boilermaker and brass finisher are very similar - that could be james - i can't find him in 1881 - guess he was at sea ?

Is it possible Edward Cardwell and Mary Ann were not married?

Perhaps she got fed up with him being away.

Have found the following, but don't know if its your James Allison -

Probably not!


Saturday, 1 September 1917

WESTERN FRONT

31 July-10 November Battle of Passchendaele or Third Battle of Ypres including operations by 63rd (RN) Division

ALLISON, James, Able Seaman, RNVR, Clyde Z 4923, killed

Hi Wilma
Wel , as have recently discovered anything may have been possible.
I recently discovered Mary Anne's father was a bigamist - she was only 5 when he left. He changed his mname before his first marriage too - Mary Ann may or may not have known him after that1
This family are driving me crazy!!!!!
The death may indeed of happened long after we all imagined - such things were not talked about i guess and 2lost at sea " may have just been a good way of hiding the fact that James had gone off and left her!
thanks for your help
Alice

Hi,

if James finished his apprenticeship and became a marine boiler maker like his father then Stephen Fitch could have been his labourer. The 1891 census entry that Ozibird found gives Stephens occupation as boiler makers labourer.

Caz

There is this chap living in Greenwich but wrong dob and profession.

James ALLISON
Birth Year
Birthplace Manchester, Lancashire, England
Age 25
Occupation Lath Render
Marital Status U
Head of Household William WARD
Relation Boarder

Dwelling Orchard Hill No 1
Census Place Greenwich, Kent, England
Family History Library Film 1341168
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 0722 / 81
Page Number 5

Possible birth for Stephen

Births Jun 1859
Fitch William Stephen Greenwich 1d 563

1881 called William but still living at Stowage (I had relatives living there) He is a labourer

Stephen FITCH Head M Male 56 Thurlow, Suffolk, England Parish Constable
Charlotte FITCH Wife M Female 61 Hallsworth, Suffolk, England
Wm. FITCH Son U Male 21 Deptford, Kent, England Labr
Edwin FITCH Son U Male 19 Deptford, Kent, England Hall Messenger
Dwelling Stowage 4
Census Place Deptford St Nicholas, Kent, England
Family History Library Film 1341167
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 0717 / 93
Page Number 39