- Define the Problem
- Timeline
- Evaluate Evidence 1
- Evaluate Evidence 2
- Evaluate Evidence 3
- Evaluate Evidence 4
- Evaluate Evidence 5
- Evaluate Evidence 6
- Search for New Evidence
- Brown Family Certificates Received!
- Robert Unwin Will
- Search for New Evidence 1
- Search for New Evidence 2
- Charles Healey Will
- Going Around the Brickwall
- The Lost Children
In this post I continue to review all of the existing evidence and see if there are any more clues that I missed the first time around.
Reviewing the Evidence
1851 Census
- 1851: Census taken on 30 March 1851 shows George Brown, head, married, aged 36, file cutter, born Yorkshire, Sheffield; Ann Brown, wife, married, aged 38, born Lancashire, Liverpool; George Brown, son, aged 13, file cutter, born Yorkshire, Sheffield; Caroline Brown, daughter, aged 9, scholar, born Yorkshire, Sheffield; Ann Brown, daughter, aged 2, born Yorkshire, Sheffield and all living at Ct 1, No 5, Scotland Street in the Ecclesiastical District of Hollis Croft in Sheffield
Holliscroft (or Hollis Croft) was a chapelry in the Sheffield parish that was constituted in 1846 and was located on the corner of Solly Street and Garden Street.
By the time of the 1851 census, George and Ann Brown’s family had grown. They now had three children: George Jr. who was 13 and like his father working as a file cutter, Caroline who was 9 and a scholar and Ann who was only 2. The family was living at Ct. 1 No. 5 Scotland Street in roughly the same neighbourhood as in 1841, in the Ecclesiastical district of Hollis Croft.
Evidence of Birth
George Brown was 36 years old, indirect evidence that he was born in 1815, consistent with the rounded age of 25 in the 1841 census but more specific. His birth place is recorded as Sheffield, Yorkshire, consistent with the 1841 census that indicated he was born in Yorkshire.
Ann Brown was 38 years old, indirect evidence that she was born in 1813, again consistent with the rounded age of 25 in the 1841 census but more specific. Her birth place was recorded as Liverpool, Lancashire which is inconsistent with the 1841 census that indicated she was born in Yorkshire.
George Jr was 13 years old, indirect evidence that he was born in 1838, consistent with the 1841 census where he was recorded as being 3 years old and also consistent with his baptism record from the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul that showed his birth as 27 July 1837 and baptism as 27 November 1837. His birth place is recorded as Sheffield.
Caroline was 9 years old, indirect evidence that she was born in 1842. Since she did not appear on the 1841 census, we know that she was born after 6 June 1841 and a birth registration for Sheffield district does suggest that she was born in the fourth quarter (October – December) of 1841. Her birth place is recorded as Sheffield.
Ann was 2 years old, indirect evidence that she was born between March 1848 and March 1849. This would be consistent with the two birth registrations for the second quarter (April to June) of 1848. Her birth place is recorded as Sheffield.
Neighbourhood
The description of the neighbourhood on the first page of the bundle is messy and appears as though perhaps there was some confusion over the boundaries. It reads:
Part of the Ecclesiastical District of (Hollis Croft) comprizing West Bar Green Scotland Street to Pea Croft L Hand Scotland Street from West Bar Green to Meadow Street L Hand Upper Allen Street from Meadow Street to Brocco Street R Hand Pea Croft from West Bar Green to Brocco Street R Hand Brocco Street from Pea Croft to Upper Allen St including part Edward Street Tansbourne? Square.
To get an idea of the area that the Brown family lived in, I found this image of Court No 4 on Solly Street c. 1900. It seems a little grim.
This image is from about 1910 and shows Furnace Hill.
Occupation
George Brown is recorded as a file cutter which is consistent with his occupation in the 1841 census. George Jr. is also recorded as a file cutter at the age of 13 but more on that later when I look into the social history.
…To be continued
