Yesterday, whilst trying to unravel a mystery regarding a separate member of the France family, I encountered a record for Elizabeth Radley, who married Thomas France at Christ Church, Knottingley, on 6th February 1871. The marriage entry transcription I have available to me records that Elizabeth was
‘a Spinster of Full years and the daughter of John Radley, a Bricklayer’.
Looking at our family tree database I discovered that there were 3 possible individual records for an Elizabeth Radley and to my surprise one of those was already recorded as the wife of Thomas France. So, were these actually 3 separate Elizabeth Radley’s or could two or more be merged into a single record? Firstly, let’s see what we have to start with.
The 3 individual records were:
I3261 Elizabeth Radley, daughter of William & Sarah, baptised at Christ Church, Knottingley, 15 July 1850
I9760 Elizabeth Radley, mother of Alfred Radley who was baptised at Knottingley on the 1st August 1869
I4240 Elizabeth Radley, wife of Thomas France
The fact that our marriage transcription records Elizabeth’s father as ‘John, a Brickmaker’ appears to dismiss any theory that she was the daughter of William & Sarah. However, transcriptions can often be erroneous and there is some evidence to suggest that this may be the case here. There are ‘unions’ and relationships in later census records that suggest a link between Elizabeth, the wife of Thomas France, and a George Radley, son of William & Sarah (her possible parents). What I have certainly not yet discovered is an Elizabeth Radley baptised to John, or a census entry showing Elizabeth with a father, John.
We know from baptism records that William and Sarah Radley had a daughter Elizabeth born in 1849, she being recorded at home with her parents on the 1851 and 1861 census. We also know that an Elizabeth Radley had an illegitimate son Alfred who was baptised in 1869. The fact that a 2-year-old Alfred Radley is recorded at the home of his ‘grandparents’ William and Sarah Radley on the 1871 census, and as a 12 year-old at the home of his widowed ‘grandmother’ Sarah Radley in 1881, means that Alfred’s mother must be Elizabeth, the daughter of William & Sarah Radley. It is clear that records I3261 and I9760 as listed above can be merged into a single record. That leaves us to consider any possible links with Elizabeth, wife of Thomas France.
It may be important to recall that as already discovered, Alfred was the grandson of William and Sarah Radley and that the 1871 & 1881 census records also reveal a George Radley, son of William and Sarah and the uncle of Alfred Radley. In fact the 1891 census records George Radley, a Coal Merchant, living at Low Green, Knottingley with his nephew Alfred, a Coal Labourer.
One fact that might be of interest is that on the ‘Thomas France’ marriage record of 6th February 1871, Elizabeth Radley’s father is recorded employed as a ‘Bricklayer’ but to date I haven’t yet encountered that occupation within the family. However, the 1911 census records George Radley, previously a coal merchant, as a ‘Retired Brick Maker’ so there is clearly some family connection with that occupation.
Returning to George Radley we find that in the 1891 census he is recorded living with his nephew Alfred next door to Topsy Johnson, a married lady whose husband William appears to have not been present at the time of the census, or indeed those of 1901 and 1911. William and Topsy’s only child Ann Louisa died at the age of 7 years in 1887. Perhaps William and Topsy no longer resided together as husband and wife although William was later interred in the same grave as his wife Topsy and daughter Ann Louisa at Knottingley Cemetery, his wife being interred in 1912 and he in 1927.
On the 1901 and 1911 census we find George Radley recorded as a Boarder at the home of Topsy Johnson. In addition, the 1901 census also reveals that William and Frederick France, sons of Thomas & Elizabeth (nee Radley), are recorded as visitors. Furthermore, the 1911 census reveals that 4 sons of Thomas & Elizabeth France; Frederick, John, Dawson and Walter, are all recorded as Lodgers with Topsy Johnson and George Radley. Does that suggest a family connection through Topsy Johnson or with George Radley?
Although the evidence suggested by the marriage transcription indicates Elizabeth, wife of Thomas France, not to be the sister of George Radley (her father being John and his William), there are some clear assumptions that they were in fact brother and sister and that there is a possibility that the marriage transcription is incorrect. Had ‘John’, as recorded on the marriage transcription, been recorded as ‘William’ then everything would fall neatly into place. If you are able to offer any confirmation or other suggestions then please let me know.
