Abigail Brown, Essex/Suffolk border

[megsnan]

I am looking for a death record. Abigail was my 3x great grandmother and originated from Kedington in Suffolk, born around 1791. She was the second wife of Ralph Brown, marrying him in Stambourne, Essex on 21 September 1819. They lived in Birdbrook, Essex where they had three children.
- Sophia, born 1822, married and emigrated to Australia in 1858.
- Hannah, born 1819, married John Beavis of Haverhil, Suffolk in 1851 and moved to Haverhill
- William, born 1825/6, married Mary-Ann Medcalf in Birdbrook in 1848 and moved to Gosfield, Essex between 1855 and 1859

Abagail's husband, Ralph, died in 1833 and, in the 1841 Census, Abagail is living in Birdbrook with son, William. By 1851, he had moved and she was shown as a widow, living alone in Birdbrook. In 1861, she is living with another elderly widow in Birdbrook, Amy Chaplin.

Then the trail goes cold. Amy turns up again in 1871, but by now living in the Workhouse at Kedington. I assume that Abagail died between 1861 and 1871, but can't find any records. I have searched FreeBMD Ancestry and Find My Past for the entire country. I have looked at SEAX on-line, as well as checking the fiches at Essex Record Office. There is nothing on Family Search, and I have been to the churchyard to see if there is any clue. I checked records for Kedington, thinking she may have gone to the Workhouse, as well as Haverhill in case she moved in with her daughter and Gosfield in case she was with her son.
I wondered whether she might have followed Sophia to Australia, but she was 70 in the 1861 Census, so is that likely? I have tried to see if some old boy wanted a new elderly wife, but can't find a marriage. I know she was recorded as Abagail and Abigail, so I have searched these names, as well as lots of Wildcard searches.

All that is certain is that she died. What I can't find is where and when.Any help or advice would be very welcome.

[Guest]

sorry cant find anything but then I am tired will have another go tomorrow if nobody has found her ,night

[Darksecretz]

have you discounted this one??


Name: Abigail Brown
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1786
Date of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1871
Age at Death: 85
Registration district: Poplar
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1c
Page: 439

can't see her in the census yet though!..

[Heather Positive Thinker]

Take it you have followed the kids in England? Just in case she went to live with them in her last few years?

I guess there is a possibility that she is in an institution of some kind and shown only by her initials on the census. Or her surname has become confused with a family she is living with. But that doesnt help with the death.

[kylejustin]

i saw that one in london and wondered. i didn't have the time to check for the census. i figured, a move to london from essex is logical though, any of her family in london?

[Darksecretz]

i saw that one in london and wondered. i didn't have the time to check for the census. i figured, a move to london from essex is logical though, any of her family in london?

sometimes folk DO move, and like you say London isn't a million miles from Essex, its certainly worthwhile looking into.

[megsnan]

Thanks for your ideas so far.
I have checked to see if she was with her children. She only had two remaining in this country in 1861, but I have also checked her stepchildren (by Ralph's first marriage) and grandchildren but she is nowhere near them in 1871 Census records. I would be very surprised if she had gone to Australia to follow the daughter who had emigrated - but certainly London is a possibility.

I have checked the Poplar Census, there is an Abbe Brown, born 1788, living with a family called Welch. They all say they are from Ireland, so I don't think it is my Abigail. But, there is always the possibility that Abbe is not the same Abigail who died in 1871 so I've ordered a certificate to check.

[megsnan]

I followed the lead, and got the death certificate, but ran straight into another brick wall. The certificate shows Abigail Brown, aged 85, died 29/8/1871, signed by Hugh Tracey in attendance at the Poplar and Stepney Sick Asylum. Occupation of deceased is unknown, cause was Senectus (old age) and the place of death was the Asylum.

The Census for 1861, shows an Abbe Brown living in Poplar, but she is not there in 1871. She was Irish, whereas mine was a Suffolk woman. The death certificate doesn't mention any relative or home address.

Interestingly, the Asylum only opened its doors a couple of weeks before Abigail died there. Her friend, from the 1861 census, Amy Chaplin, was taken into Kedington (Suffolk) Workhouse. I wonder (given the railway being nearby) whether they transferred some of the senile patients from that workhouse to the new Asylum in London until it became established with patients from the local population. I checked all the on-line information about it, but the records don't start until after her death. There are some minutes and some papers relating to patients being admitted at London Metropolitan Archives, so once all the Olympic circus has finished, I will have to take a trip up there to see if I can find anything.

I've looked on FamilySearch, Ancestry, Find My Past, and Deceased On-line but found nothing about burials for her.

Until I prove that this is not her, I think it is my best bet, although I still wonder about the Irish one. Has anyone got any thoughts on where else I could search?