Part 151p – Smith Robertson Genealogy – My Pursuit of the Life of Great-Great-Grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley

Evening,

Last night I discovered three pieces in the puzzle of gg-grandmother Elizabeth (née Parker) Crossley’s life and genealogy. One definite; one possibility; and one maybe-but-it’s-really-not-there sort-of possibility… You have to understand that the hunt of this ethereal, but ever-so real ancestry is just so all consuming.

First, I finally discovered that gg-grandmother Elizabeth was living, according to the 1901 England Census, with her youngest son, great-granduncle Josiah Crossley. The 1901 Census was taken as of the night of 31 March 1901. They lived at 104 Hare Hill Road in Littleborough, Lancashire. My source of 1901 Census page is Ancestry.co.uk.

And I’m amazed at technology today. Just check out the inserted map I was able to snag from Bing Maps. The orange pin marks the approximate location of number 104. (I’m now officially a bi-user: Google and Bing!)

The 1901 Census indicates that gg-grandmother Elizabeth was 60 years old and that her place of birth was Clitheroe, Lancashire. This information follows very well to the data as provided by the previous three Censuses, as I outline in Part 150p.

The next step of my search was to see if I could find a listing for gg-grandmother Elizabeth in the 1911 England Census. Images of the 1911 Census are available through FindMyPast.com, 1911Census.co.uk, and The National Archives, in London, just to name three sources.

I discovered the 1911 Census for great-granduncle Josiah and his family including his wife Mary and son Harry. Great-great-grandmother Elizabeth was not listed as living in the household. Great-granduncle Josiah had had been living with his mother, gg-grandmother Elizabeth, per Census data from the age of 3 to 23 years. The following is the 1911 England Census.

Per my research and further documentation, I’ve located that great-granduncle Josiah and his family emigrated from Liverpool to Boston, Massachusetts on the 28th of April 1914. GG-Grandmother Elizabeth was not with him, that I can see, on the ship Franconia. (I always stand corrected.)

And my next thought was to check the Indexes of the Civil Registers for the possible passing of gg-grandmother Elizabeth. Subsequent to the 1901 Census, and beginning the in the Second Quarter, Q2, I examined the Indexes for a period through and up to, and including the Third Quarter of 1911. (My source is FindMyPast.com. I searched for those Elizabeth Crossleys who passed away during that period and who may appear to correspond to the expected location of birth and age of gg-grandmother Elizabeth. I found one such entry, out of 23 possibilities, which may be that of gg-grandmother Elizabeth. The information listed is for the Third Quarter, Q3, 1906 - “Crossley, Elizabeth; Age 65; District – Rochdale; Volume 8e; and Page 44.” All-things-being-equal this may be a match.

The inserted image is the page of the Index which may correspond.

To be continued,

Jim