This post is based on Amy Johnson Crow's "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" challenge. This week's them is: CENSUS.
I recently
located my 3rd great grandmother and two of her children—including my 2nd
great grandmother—on the 1851 England census. The document is difficult to read
as it is faded and stained. It is also difficult to read because of the word
written on the line with her: pauper.
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| 1851 census of England, Lancashire, Ashton under Lyne, Leesfield parish, p. 31 (printed), house number 126, Sally Eastwood household; digital image, ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 February 2018). |
After
reading she was a pauper, I tried to imagine Sarah's life in 1851. She was
living alone with two of her children: Elam, age 9, and Sarah, age 3. Several
of her young children had died, and her husband had left for America. Just a
few months after this census, Sarah and her two young children left for
America, leaving behind family and friends to live in an unknown world. What a
difficult journey that must have been!
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| Map of Lancashire Parishes from Ancestry |
When
accessing the 1851 census on Ancestry, you also can see a map if you click the
button: "view record." In this case, the map is of the
"Lancashire Parishes: with dates of commencement of registers for parishes
formed before 1832." The Archdeaconry of Chester is outlined in red. I
have included just a portion of the map.
The Eastwood family was living in Ashton-Under-Lyne (see the right side of the map). But, this map also shows other places associated with the family: Mossley, Hey, Oldham, and Prestwich. Parish maps, like those found on Ancestry, are wonderful tools to use while researching your
English ancestors!
Sarah and her family left for the same reason so many others did in the 1800s - a chance for a better life. My Slovak family were all peasant farmers, barely staying alive. I hope Sarah's life took a turn for the better after she got here.
ReplyDeleteI hope to learn more details, but Sarah did move to the U.S. and settled in Pennsylvania. She had at least 3 more children, though one died as an infant and another died at the age of 6. She died in 1888 at the age of 75.
DeleteIt is sometimes heard to learn truths about our ancestors' lives -- and pauper would be one of those. It seems like Sarah and her husband at least had a plan and they were able to carry it through and be in America together. Hopefully all went well for them when they arrived.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nancy. As I replied to Linda, I think things did turn out pretty well for the family. I still hope to learn a lot more, though.
DeleteIt must have been so difficult waiting for her husband to earn the money for their journey, and so difficult for him leaving them behind in the first place.
ReplyDeleteDara, YOu are so right! And, it must have been difficult for her husband to leave her and their two children behind. I hope they loved each other dearly and rejoiced when they were reunited!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine leaving your spouse and children wondering if you'll ever be reunited. I'm glad they were!
ReplyDeleteMe, too. It must have been incredibly hard!
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