Find Living Relatives

I have had an oak bureau for many years, originally given to Mum by her godmother's family when they cleared her house.
When the time comes to get rid of it, I would first of all like to trace any descendants of the original owner, so need a little help with this please.

It has a small brass plaque on the front ' Presented by the members of the Battersea Club Manchester and District Branch to W C Francis on his marriage Mar 1913'
As a widower Will remarried to a widow Ethel Parker, the bureau was in her house in Carnforth Lancs. They married in Dec 1959 in Lancaster. I have found that Will died in Jun 1968 in Lancaster age 84. Ethel d 1967 at her daughters in Nottingham.

He married Sarah A Robinson in Mar 1913, she seems to have been born in Sept 1885.
The only child I can identify as a maybe is Mary D Francis b Sept 1915 in Salford.

Can anyone please find any other descendants, or other blood family, who I can eventually offer the bureau to?

First marriage in Bury RD

Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page
Marriages Mar 1913 (>99%)
Francis William C Robinson Bury 8c 944

--------------------
is this Sarah's death registration?

Deaths Dec 1949 (>99%)
Francis Sarah A 64 Lancaster 10c 607

Family in 1921 ?

1921 Census Of England & Wales
6, Granville Road, Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship to head Sex Birth year Age in years Birth place Occupation Employer
William Charles Francis Head Male 1884 37 Norwich, Norfolk, England Head Schoolmaster Salford Education Committee
Sarah Ann Francis Wife Female 1885 35 Ringley, Lancashire, England Home Duties -
Mary Davenport Francis Daughter Female 1915 5 Pendleton, Lancashire, England - -

1939 Register
69 Worsley Road, Worsley, Worsley U.D., Lancashire, England

First name(s) Last name(s) Birth date Sex Occupation Marital status Schedule Schedule sub number
William C Francis 22 Mar 1884 Male Head Schoolm?ter Married 90 1
Sarah A Francis 27 Jul 1885 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 90 2
Mary D Phillips (Francis) 12 Sep 1915 Female School Teacher Single 90 3
Transcript of William C's record

?
Surname First name(s) Spouse District Vol Page
Marriages Dec 1940 (>99%)
Francis Mary D Phillips Barton 8c 1711
Phillips George A Francis Barton 8c 1711

Thanks for this so far, greyghost.
Have to dash out now, will catch up later.

Probate - William Charles Francis of Slyne House, Slyne-with-Hest, Lancaster died 8 April 1968 Probate Lancaster 8 May

A copy of the will may reveal further information -https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/search-results

Probate - Sarah Ann Francis of Stainton Cottage Bloomfield Park, Carnforth Lancs (wife of William Charles Francis) died 16 December 1949 Probate Lancaster 11 February 1950 to said William Charles Francis retired head school master

England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007
North Dorset, Dorset, England

First name(s) Mary Davenport
Register number 884
Last name Phillips
County Dorset
Sex Female
Volume 23
Birth day 12
Page 453
Birth month 9
Country England
Birth year 1915
Record set England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007
Death quarter 3
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Registration month 8
Subcategory Civil Deaths & Burials
Death year 1984
Collections from Great Britain, England
District North Dorset

Possible child of Mary D:

Births Dec 1942 (>99%)
Phillips Janet S Francis Barton 8c 757

No other likely births in Lancashire, but for all we know, the family may have lived elsewhere during Mary's childbearing years.

If in Lancashire, a possible marriage:

Janet S Phillips
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005
Name Janet S Phillips
Registration Date Apr 1970 [May 1970] [Jun 1970]
Registration Quarter Apr-May-Jun
Registration district Darwen
Inferred County Lancashire
Spouse XXXXXX Woolley [may still be living ]
Volume Number 10c
Page number 345


Mrs Janet Sarah Woolley
in the England and Wales, Death Index, 1989-2022
Name Mrs Janet Sarah Woolley
Gender Female
Age 72
Birth Date 11 Nov 1942
Last Residence Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, Wales
Postal Code District Sa38
Death Date 25 Nov 2014


Can't tell if Janet and her husband had children or not.
1970-1990 there were three Woolley/Phillips births registered in Derbyshire, and two in Pontypridd.

Janet's on the Electoral Roll at Llandyfriog, Ceredigion from 2003 onwards.
Her husband is listed until 2018, and may still be alive

Ethel died 11.4.1967 in Nottingham but her home address at the time was 24 King Street, Carnforth. She was cremated at Wilford Hill Crematorium, Nottingham 14.4.1967.

Probate - Ethel Annie of 24 King Street, Carnforth, Lancs died 11 April 1967 @ 134 Wollaton Vale Wollaton Nottingham. Probate Lancaster 12 June to Douglas Clift solicitor Helen Mary Richards married woman and Edward Parker air line pilot.

Might have some reference to William and Sarah's family.

That's brilliant greyghost, thank you so much.

I remember Granny Parker living in the King St house, my grandmother lived next door with her children many years before that, and were pals with the Parker children all their lives. When Granny Parker remarried, Will must have moved in with some of his belongings, but after he moved into the care home, the house was emptied and Mum ended up with some of the furniture and stuff. I have no idea what the arrangements for personal stuff was in the wills, it was Granny Parkers children who gave the furniture to Mum, I was a young teenager at that time. Those 2 children fell out over the will, plus that of Ethels brother, and only communicated through solicitors. Mum was neutral, so they both spoke to her.
I remember Edward P bringing an easy chair which we put a stretch cover on.
When Helen next came she sat in that chair and cursed her brother, asking Mum if she knew what had happened to the chair. Mum stayed silent....

The main reason for asking about this, is that if there was something similar in my family, I would quite like to at least see it before it was sold on.

FRANCIS, WILLIAM CHARLES KETT
GRO Reference: 1884 J Quarter in NORWICH Volume 04B Page 134

Marriages Jun 1881 (>99%)
FRANCIS Thomas George Norwich 4b 264
Kett Eliza Jane Norwich 4b 264



Numerous siblings to research if you don't find a direct descendant

1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census
44, St Stephens Street, Norwich, Norfolk, England
Thomas George Francis Head Married Male - - Stationer Hindringham, Norfolk, England
Eliza Jane Francis Wife Married Female 36 1855 - Norwich, Norfolk, England
John Henry Francis Son - Male 10 1881 - Norwich, Norfolk, England
Thomas George Francis Son - Male 8 1883 - Norwich, Norfolk, England
William Charles Francis Son - Male 7 1884 - Norwich, Norfolk, England
Constance Mary Francis Daughter - Female 5 1886 - Norwich, Norfolk, England
Margery Francis Daughter - Female 4 1887 - Norwich, Norfolk, England
Dorothy May Francis Daughter - Female 1 1890 - Norwich, Norfolk, England
Hilda Eliza Francis Daughter - Female 0 1891 - Norwich, Norfolk, England
Frances Wade Servant - Female 18 1873 General servant domestic Horsford, Norfolk, England

Eliza Kett seems to be in the tree of one GR member.....................try making contact if no other line proves fruitful

Thanks erica. I'm not ready to get rid of the bureau yet, so have plenty of time to chase up any rellies.