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How can this MERRY family just disappear?

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  • How can this MERRY family just disappear?

    I need some help to solve this MERRY mystery!

    I've been searching for any trace of the family of Joseph Merry (b: 14 Dec 1828, Ripon Yorkshire), Inland Revenue Officer, who was found drowned in the River Carron (Scotland) in September 1861. His body was not recovered until 30 November. At the time of his disappearance, his wife, Elizabeth (nee Shaw bc: 1832 Wolverhampton) was pregnant with a son, Joseph Charles Merry who was born in Falkirk, Scotland on 16 Oct 1861. There were also three girls, Anne Merry bc: 1856 Ireland; Mary Elizabeth Merry bc: 1858 Ireland; and Catherine Merry b: 1860 Falkirk, Scotland. Ireland and Scotland were both postings of their father as an Excise Officer.

    After Joseph's untimely death and the discovery of his body, his widow stayed in Scotland until her son's birth had been registered in mid-December. Then she returned to her parents home in Wolverhampton. On 12 Mar 1862, Probate Admon records show Elizabeth living on Melbourne St, in Wolverhampton (her parents address in the 1861 census). Elizabeth's father, Thomas Shaw, dies in April 1864. On April 15, 1864, Elizabeth marries another Excise Officer, Joseph Blackler Coombe (b: 26 June 1838in Ashprington, Devonshire....at least she didn't have to worry about calling her new husband by her former husband's name!!

    Here is where things get interesting. Elizabeth, her husband and her 4 children all disappear from the records after 1864. Her new husband can be tracked in the Excise Officer records until 1866 and then NOTHING. None of them appear in the 1871 census, I cannot find them in any immigration records. I have found no BMD records that show marriages for the girls or a marriage/death for young Joseph Charles.

    I've hit a brick wall and am asking if anyone has any ideas on where to go next. I have run out of potential descendants on my direct line and finding any descendants of my gg grandfather's brother would make all my research time worthwhile. I have spent many hours searching the newspapers about Joseph Merry's death (which was never confirmed as an accident, murder or suicide) in spite of an inquest. His father, also a Joseph Merry (b:1801 Scarborough, N Yorkshire), was a Supervisor of Excise in Wolverhampton in 1861 and died in Aston, Birmingham in 1871. None of the children, however, are ever tracked living with him and his wife.

    Many thanks for any help or ideas.

    Louise Merry Larson
    California

  • #2
    Hello Louise and welcome to the forum.

    I presume that you subscribe to ancestry?

    I have found this: for a Joseph Merry
    1891 Census UK.

    Source Citation
    Class: RG12; Piece: 3596; Folio: 53; Page: 39; GSU roll: 6098706

    The entry has the names crossed out then rewrote and he has a wife and mother in law with him. I will have a further look to see if I can find anything else.
    Last edited by Darksecretz; 02-06-15, 10:15.
    Julie
    They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

    .......I find dead people

    Comment


    • #3
      hmmn it is looking like that this is a mistranscription it might be that this Joseph is BERRY I am trying to look for information as to whether it is BERRY or MERRY
      Julie
      They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

      .......I find dead people

      Comment


      • #4
        aha it looks like it was BERRY [info found on FreeBMD]

        Marriages Dec 1882

        Berry Joseph Halifax 9a 816
        Crowther Minnie Halifax 9a 816

        back to the drawing board!
        Julie
        They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

        .......I find dead people

        Comment


        • #5
          Could they have been sent overseas with the Government - if not a popular destination wouldn't probably be found on passenger lists.



          Researching Irish families: FARMER, McBRIDE McQUADE, McQUAID, KIRK, SANDS/SANAHAN (Cork), BARR,

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          • #6
            There is an article in Berrow's Worcester Journal of 3rd November 1866 about Joseph Coombe. Its the right man because it states that he "married some time ago the widow of an excise officer named Merry who died by an accident leaving three orphans" (don't know which 3 its referring to)

            Basically he had absconded leaving financial deficiencies in his tax collections and had deserted his family. Apparently he was known to "be partial to speculations in horse racing and the like"

            I don't know if you have access to these newspapers but just in case, I've saved it so can forward it to you if you'd like a copy
            Jackie

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            • #7
              Not sure I can add anything to take you forward but a couple of things of potential interest:

              (a) The Caledonian Mercury Tuesday Sep 24 1861 announced various customs appointments including: "Mr Joseph Merry Officer of Falkirk first division, Linlithgow collection has been appointed to Walsall second division, Lichfield collection"

              (b) poss baptism of daughter per familysearch:

              Name: Annie Merry
              Gender: Female
              Christening Date: 30 Apr 1856
              Christening Place: METHODIST,DROGHEDA,LOUTH,IRELAND
              Father's Name: Joseph Merry
              Mother's Name: Elizabeth
              Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C70119-1 , System Origin: Ireland-ODM , GS Film number: 941.825 B2L V. 8 #2

              (c) per Jackie's post above, there is a death of a Catherine MERRY Q3 1862 Wolverhampton

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Night Owl View Post
                There is an article in Berrow's Worcester Journal of 3rd November 1866 about Joseph Coombe. Its the right man because it states that he "married some time ago the widow of an excise officer named Merry who died by an accident leaving three orphans" (don't know which 3 its referring to)

                Basically he had absconded leaving financial deficiencies in his tax collections and had deserted his family. Apparently he was known to "be partial to speculations in horse racing and the like"

                I don't know if you have access to these newspapers but just in case, I've saved it so can forward it to you if you'd like a copy
                that is really interesting Jackie, I have been looking but not finding much at all, I did wonder if Elizabeth had married again or perhaps died.
                Julie
                They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

                .......I find dead people

                Comment


                • #9
                  Strange that none of the children can be found on 1871 census either.
                  Kat

                  My avatar is my mother 1921 - 2012

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                  • #10
                    This is HIM, Jackie! I am not sure I have access to that particular Journal article; but I will give it a go. If this was written in 1866, that corresponds with when the Excise records for Joseph Blackler Coombe stopped. And, If as found by "Bertie" one of Joseph MERRYs 4 children died in 1862 (as she found in the BMD records for Wolverhampton) then he would have "3 orphans" (although that would imply their mother was dead and we know she wasn't).

                    Thank you so much for that christening record from Ireland, Bertie. I have never had any luck tracing the baptisms of those 2 eldest girls nor did I know where the family had been posted in Ireland. This must be a fairly new record coming online at Familysearch. I am sooooo appreciative of that!

                    So, Elizabeth MERRY remarries Joseph Blackler Coombe who turns out to be a rascal and deserts his family. This still does not answer any questions about what happens to the family and why none of them appears in the 1871 or later censuses. So, still looking for any trace of:

                    Elizabeth MERRY Coombe (nee Shaw) bc: 1832 Wolverhampton
                    Anne (Annie) MERRY b: 1856 Ireland
                    Mary Elizabeth MERRY b: 1858 Ireland
                    Joseph Charles MERRY b: 1861 Scotland

                    Do you think they would have taken their step-father's surname? In which case I should be looking for them under the name "COOMBE" ?

                    Bertie....re: the reposting of Joseph MERRY to Lichfield: In some of the newspaper accounts of Joseph's disappearance, it was noted that he had recently been reassigned and that he may have been despondent about that. I wasn't sure where he was posted to; however, some of my relatives in Yorkshire apparently contacted others in England (I assume around Birmingham) in the hope that he had gone down there but no one had seen him.

                    You all have given me more info than in a few hours than I was able to find in the last 10 years or so! I shall try to find those sources you have quoted now. Many thanks!!!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I checked whether any COOMBE births Wolverhampton 1864-1866 to develop any lines there - there were 2 but both died as infants:

                      Ellen Q3 1864 died Q4 1864
                      Emma Q1 1866 died Q2 1866

                      (interestingly the only COOMBE births in Wolverhampton 1861-1881)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        According to Staffordshire Advertiser dated 10th November 1866, after 3 years in the Tax Office here (Staffs). he was appointed to the 'Madeley Ride' near Hereford. He was to return to finalise his accounts but didn't and therefore aroused suspicion.

                        Have saved article if you would like a copy



                        Vera
                        Last edited by vera2013; 03-06-15, 10:01.

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                        • #13
                          'orphan' in those days meant someone whose father had died, not both parents.

                          Considered they may have returned to Ireland or scotland?

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                          • #14
                            Good thought there, Bertie. I didn't think of any children post Joseph Charles MERRY; but there certainly could have been.

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                            • #15
                              I did some looking last night and found that same one, Vera. Thank you for saving for me.

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                              • #16
                                Elizabeth had no reason to return to either of those places unless with her husband....the first of whom is dead and the second of whom has deserted her and his career in the Excise service. I search of the Scottish censuses does not show any. And the Irish records on FMP don't show any either. Very frustrating!

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