Brick wall - Skelton Wilson

[tessie31082]

Hello,

I have a Skelton Wilson b. 1835 (no records) in Cockermouth, Cumberland (according to census') on one of my trees. I have traced him on the census' and on the 1841 age 6 is in the Preston District Union Workhouse - how sad! On his marriage records he names his father also as Skelton Wilson but there I hit a brick wall. I cannot seem to find anything at all on his parent's nor any baptism for him. I've tried searching for other children born with the father named Skelton but I can't find anything! Maybe I'm looking too hard and completely missed something or maybe he's just 'one of those ancestors'!
Any advice/help/leads welcome if anyone would be willing to take a look, thank you.

Tessie

[kylejustin]

Possible he was illegitimate or didn't know father's name. Cumberland is supposed to be well covered on familysearch. Have you looked for a birth with just his first name?

can you get workhouse records for preston? Presumably in lancs? Have you tried lancsopc for records?

[tessie31082]

Possible he was illegitimate or didn't know father's name. Cumberland is supposed to be well covered on familysearch. Have you looked for a birth with just his first name?

can you get workhouse records for preston? Presumably in lancs? Have you tried lancsopc for records?

I did wonder if he had just made his fathers name up. I hadn't tried just using Skelton so will give that a go! I hadn't heard of lancsopc so will go check it out, thanks!

[Karamazov]

Possible he was illegitimate or didn't know father's name. Cumberland is supposed to be well covered on familysearch. Have you looked for a birth with just his first name?

can you get workhouse records for preston? Presumably in lancs? Have you tried lancsopc for records?

The Preston reference confused me initially as I live near Preston, Lancs so as Kyle suggested I jumped to lan-opc and found nothing.
However, we had both jumped to the wrong place - the 1841 census is for Preston Quarter workhouse in St Bees, Cumbria.
It seems that prior to 1854 there were two workhouses, one for females and one for males (at the Ginns) Info here - http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Whiteha...oogle_vignette
Inmates on the 1841 census seem to be grouped by family surname, so I’m guessing his father was not also an inmate, implying he is dead. (I haven’t scanned through the pages though to look for other Wilson’s)
Would it be worth finding the records for the 1841 female workhouse to see if there is a female Wilson who could be his mother?

Surviving Records: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/archives/...res/whalsc.asp
Whitehaven Archive and Local Studies Centre, Scotch Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 7NL. Holdings include: Guardians' minutes (1860-1931); Admissions and discharges (1893-1962); etc.

Might be worth contacting them to see what is covered by “etc”

Christine

[tessie31082]

The Preston reference confused me initially as I live near Preston, Lancs so as Kyle suggested I jumped to lan-opc and found nothing.
However, we had both jumped to the wrong place - the 1841 census is for Preston Quarter workhouse in St Bees, Cumbria.
It seems that prior to 1854 there were two workhouses, one for females and one for males (at the Ginns) Info here - http://www.workhouses.org.uk/Whiteha...oogle_vignette
Inmates on the 1841 census seem to be grouped by family surname, so I’m guessing his father was not also an inmate, implying he is dead. (I haven’t scanned through the pages though to look for other Wilson’s)
Would it be worth finding the records for the 1841 female workhouse to see if there is a female Wilson who could be his mother?

Surviving Records: https://www.cumbria.gov.uk/archives/...res/whalsc.asp
Whitehaven Archive and Local Studies Centre, Scotch Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 7NL. Holdings include: Guardians' minutes (1860-1931); Admissions and discharges (1893-1962); etc.

Might be worth contacting them to see what is covered by “etc”

Christine

Ah thank you! I will look into this this evening

[teasie]

I wonder if he might be connected to the marriage at Cockermouth 2 Nov 1834 between Skelton Cooper & Ann Wilson - perhaps Ann gave birth to him prior to their marriage?

The only Skelton Cooper I can find is one born c1815 who is in Flimby Village, Cockermouth in 1841, but without a wife.

By 1851 he has a wife named Frances & a step-daughter named Frances Bolton. Skelton Cooper & Frances Bolton married in Embleton on 20 Jan 1849.

So what happened to Mary Cooper nee Wilson?

[tessie31082]

I wonder if he might be connected to the marriage at Cockermouth 2 Nov 1834 between Skelton Cooper & Ann Wilson - perhaps Ann gave birth to him prior to their marriage?

The only Skelton Cooper I can find is one born c1815 who is in Flimby Village, Cockermouth in 1841, but without a wife.

By 1851 he has a wife named Frances & a step-daughter named Frances Bolton. Skelton Cooper & Frances Bolton married in Embleton on 20 Jan 1849.

So what happened to Mary Cooper nee Wilson?

Hey thanks Teasie, I'll take a look! I guess I'll probably never know the truth but this looks promising