One of my favourite black-sheep ancestors was my great-great-great-grandfather, John Harris. He married Elizabeth Byrn in Rotherham, Yorkshire on 5 October 1835. After giving birth to ten children between 1835 and 1858, Elizabeth contracted tuberculosis and after five years of suffering, she died on 16 April 1859.
Her death certificate reads:
Certified copy of an Entry of Death given at the General Register Office; Registration District Ecclesall Bierlow; 1859 Death in the sub-district of Nether Hallam in the County of York; #71, Sixteenth April 1859, 79 Wentworth Terrace, Nether Hallam, Elizabeth Harris, female, 42 years old, wife of John Harris, file grinder, Phthisis 5 years certified, X the mark of Elizabeth Harris, present at the death, 20 Queen Street, Nether Hallam, registered Eighteenth April 1859
Who was the other Elizabeth Harris who was present at the death? Why did my Elizabeth Harris die somewhere other than her home?
Searching the 1861 census for an Elizabeth Harris living at 20 Queen Street, we find this family:
20 Queen Street;
Samuel Harris, head, married, aged 58, pen blade grinder, Scotland;
Elizabeth Harris, wife, married, aged 56, Yorkshire, Sheffield;
Elizabeth Harris, daughter, single, aged 31, boot binder, Yorkshire, Sheffield;
Henry Harris, son, aged 25, pen blade grinder, Yorkshire, Sheffield;
Jane Harris, daughter, 18, employee in fancy box warehouse, Yorkshire, Sheffield;
Ellen Harris, daughter, aged 13, employee in fancy box warehouse, Yorkshire, Sheffield;
Sarah Harris, grand-daughter, aged 9, scholar, Yorkshire, Sheffield;
Samuel Harris was born about 1803 while Elizabeth’s husband, John Harris, was born about 1814. A plausible theory is that Samuel and John are brothers and that the two Elizabeth Harris wives were sister-in-laws.
This is what I’ve found about the Samuel Harris family and although I don’t yet have any further information that will support my theory, I haven’t found any information to disprove it either. The most interesting information so far is that Samuel Harris was born in Scotland, based on both the 1851 and 1861 census, however, so far, I’ve been unable to find a birth record for a Samuel Harris born about 1803 at the Scotland’s people website.
Samuel and Elizabeth HARRIS:
1. Samuel HARRIS was born about 1803 in Scotland. He appeared in the census on 6 Jun 1841 at George Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. On 6 Jun 1841 he was a ginder in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. [Note] Samuel appeared in the census on 30 Mar 1851 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. On 30 Mar 1851 he was a pocket blade grinder in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. He appeared in the census on 7 Apr 1861 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. On 7 Apr 1861 Samuel was a pen blade grinder in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. He was witness to the historical event of the Great Sheffield Flood on 11 Mar 1864 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. He died on 27 Feb 1870 at the age of 67 in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. Samuel was buried on 2 Mar 1870 at General Cemetery, Grave G2 82 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.
Samuel HARRIS and Elizabeth were married estimated 1825.
Elizabeth was born about 1805 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. She appeared in the census on 30 Mar 1851 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. She was present at the death of Elizabeth BYRN on 16 Apr 1859 at 79 Wentworth Terrace in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. Elizabeth appeared in the census on 7 Apr 1861 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. She appeared in the census on 2 Apr 1871 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. She died on 3 Oct 1885 at the age of 80 at Fir Vale Union in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. Elizabeth was buried on 6 Oct 1885 at General Cemetery, Grave G2 82 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.
Samuel HARRIS and Elizabeth had the following children:
2 i. Martha HARRIS was born on 15 Aug 1825 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. She was baptised on 25 Dec 1827 at Sheffield Parish Church, Church Street in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. She appeared in the census on 6 Jun 1841 at George Street in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.
3 ii. Elizabeth HARRIS was born on 29 Jan 1830 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. She was baptised on 17 Jun 1832 at Sheffield Parish Church, Church Street in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. She appeared in the census on 6 Jun 1841 at George Street in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. On 30 Mar 1851 Elizabeth was a boot binder in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. She appeared in the census on 30 Apr 1851 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. She appeared in the census on 7 Apr 1861 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. On 7 Apr 1861 Elizabeth was a boot binder in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. She appeared in the census on 2 Apr 1871 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England.
4 iii. Samuel HARRIS was born on 24 Feb 1833 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. He was baptised on 23 Feb 1834 at Sheffield Parish Church, Church Street in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. He appeared in the census on 6 Jun 1841 at George Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. Samuel appeared in the census on 30 Mar 1851 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. On 30 Mar 1851 he was a pocket blade grinder in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England.
5 iv. Henry HARRIS was born about 1836 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. He appeared in the census on 6 Jun 1841 at George Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. He appeared in the census on 30 Mar 1851 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. On 30 Mar 1851 Henry was a pocket blade grinder in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. He appeared in the census on 7 Apr 1861 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. On 7 Apr 1861 he was a pen blade grinder in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. Henry appeared in the census on 2 Apr 1871 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. On 2 Apr 1871 he was a grinder in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England.
6 v. William HARRIS was born about 1841 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. He appeared in the census on 6 Jun 1841 at George Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. He appeared in the census on 30 Mar 1851 at 20 Queen Street in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England. On 30 Mar 1851 William was a pocket blade grinder in Nether Hallam, Yorkshire, England.
+7 vi. Jane HARRIS, born abt 1843, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England; married Charles Thomas HURST, abt Mar 1864, Ecclesall Bierlow, Yorkshire, England.
+8 vii. Ellen HARRIS, born abt 1848, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England; married James SHERWOOD, 25 Dec 1873, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England.
