Sophia Weston was born in 1846 in Denby, Derbyshire. Her mother's maiden name was Gillwer or Gilliver.[1][2] The daughter of Joseph Weston, a collier, and Mary Anne, his wife, was christened at St Mary in Denby on 22 Feb 1846 .[3]
In 1851 Sophia (5) lived in Denby with her parents, Joseph and Mary. She had three siblings: William (7), Frederic (3), and Sarah (11 months). Her father was Coal Miner.[4]
When Sophia was 15, she was a 'House Servant' living at Market Place in Belper. Her employer was Richard Martyn Clark, a Draper & Clothier. Also in the household were Richard's wife and four children.[5][6]
When Sophia was 21 she married 22 year old collier, James Lancashire on 2 Jul 1866 in Duffield, Derbyshire. She was a residing at Belper. Her father was noted as deceased. James was also residing at Denby, son of Francis Lancashire, a collier. The witnesses were William Weston & Sarah Ann Lancashire.[7][8][9] By November of that year they were no longer together. The following notice appeared in the Ilkeston Pioneer Newspaper on the 6 December 1866: "I James Lancashire, hereby give notice that I will not be answerable for any debt that my Wife, Sophia Lancashire, may contract after this date, she having left me without just cause. James Lancashire, Street Lane, Ripley, Nov 27, 1866.[10]
In 1871 Sophia was found in the household of another coal miner, James Horsley. Sophia is recorded as his wife although no marriage has been found. She is a Lace Maker and they lived in Belper, Derbyshire. [11] (see research notes)
To reconcile Sophia's maiden name the following information was found.
Search for a Sophia born in Denby c1846 on the 1851 and 1861 censuses only has one result: Sophia Weston, the daughter of Joseph Weston & Mary.
Sophia Weston married James Lancashire 1866, but on the 1871 census James was not living with any spouse (his marital status was "unknown" - he was definitely the same James Lancashire because two siblings lived with him and the 1861 has them all living with the father mentioned in the marriage record). *Sophia Lancashire does not appear on the 1871 census at all, but her death was not registered until 1873. Based on the newspaper notice found, Sophia and James Lancashire had separated by 1871, and that Sophia was living with James Horsley as his wife without having legally married him.
James Lancashire (26, Coal Miner) found in 1871 was a lodger in Nottingham St Mary, Nottinghamshire in the household of Priscilla Harvey (58, Housekeeper) - also in the household were eight other lodgers, including two of James' siblings.[13]
Sources
↑Birth: "England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth" (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content : accessed 20 July 2023), database entry for Weston, Sophia (Mother's maiden surname: Gillwer). GRO Reference: 1846 M Quarter in Belper Volume 19 Page 461.
↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26PP-NK9 : 1 October 2014), citing General Register Office, Southport, England. Sophia Weston, 1846.
↑1851 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGDH-8CG : 8 November 2019), Sophia Weston in household of Joseph Weston; citing , Derbyshire, England, p. 12, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
↑1861 Census: "General Register Office: 1861 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5902b977e9379091b11c33a6 : viewed 13 Apr 2023), Sophia WESTON in household of Richard Martyn CLARK, Market Place, Derbyshire, England; from 1861 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives RG 9/2509, Folio 72, Page 6, Schedule 18, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
↑1861 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7XK-2PS : 3 March 2021), Sophia Welton in household of Richard Martyn Clark, Belper, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
↑Marriage: "England, Derbyshire, Church of England Parish Registers, 1537-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KB6H-VFJ : 19 October 2020), citing Derbyshire Record Office, England; FHL microfilm 1,041,433. Marriage of James Lancashire and Sophia Weston, 2 Jul 1866;
↑Marriage:
"Derbyshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932,"
Derbyshire Record Office; Matlock, Derbyshire, England; Diocese: Diocese of Derby; Reference Number: D 2402 A/PI 3/19 Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry ca Record 61409 #93904211 (accessed 19 July 2023)
Sophia Weston (21) marriage to James Lancashire on 2 Jul 1866 in Duffield, Derbyshire, England.
↑Marriage GRO: "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DCH-3F5 : 13 December 2014), Sophia Weston, 1866; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1866, quarter 3, vol. 7B, p. 657, Belper, Derbyshire, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
↑Ilkeston Pioneer, Find My Past Newspaper Collection : (accessed 19 Jul 2023); p4 col7. Entry for James Lancashire and Sophia Lancashire.
↑1871 Census "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBXC-T83 : 25 June 2022), Sophia Horsley in entry for James Horsley, 1871.
↑Death: "England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Death" (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content : accessed 19 July 2023), database entry for Lancashire, Sophia. (Age at death: 28). GRO Reference: 1873 D Quarter in Belper, Volume 07B Page 302.
This profile was originally created by an import of Bennett family tree 020411.GED. The original maiden name was "Unknown".
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