Genealogy Chat

The surname I picked up off the marriage certificate was Conway and I have looked for Sarah Conway on the census collection but not really been able to pin anything down as her children were married and not living with her. I haven't found a marriage either. She may have moved away from Clerkenwell I guess. Thanks for your interest -it's nice to have someone to talk to !

Hi Jennifer,

The images I was referring to are the census images, Have you viewed them?

The details you said you had found about Birds Buildings seem to show that if it was something related to a workhouse it was until 1836.

What was the surname of the Sarah on the marriage cert?

You could try to find her in the census or a death because ages were shown after about 1866.

Christine

http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/docstores/publications_store/archives/infosheet12.pdf

On the images for Birds Buildings they just appear to be 4 seperate households, some containing families with all the same surnames. Why do you think it was a workhouse?

WHich images are you referring to? The census records perhaps?

Hi! I suspect it was a workhouse because I found a list of workhouses on City of Westminster's website and this was the clip
'Liberty of the Rolls
See K324 (2 March 1736/7), and Pigot’s Directory 1836
before 1737 not known
[c1737] – ? Elm Street, Gray's Inn Lane/Road
? – 1836 Bird’s Buildings, Lower Street, Islington (now Essex Road, east of Islington Green)
1838 onwards see Strand Union

I suspect it was Granny at the wedding because of an old family story about a Granny who lived to over 100.
I just never knew which one it was and it might not be Sarah but I hope it was!
Thanks for all the help!

Hadn't seen all the previous ones as there is a break in between them called River Lane. I need to look more closely in future.

Christine

On the images for Birds Buildings they just appear to be 4 seperate households, some containing families with all the same surnames. Why do you think it was a workhouse?

Why do you suspect that the Sarah ? on the granddaughters marriage cert is her? Does it give the relationship?

Christine

Thanks Christine - yes those are her census records. I've found out that the Birds BUilding one was a workhouse and am not sure if she was a pauper or if she worked there as a nurse. I intend to find those records as soon as possible. I don't know if the death reg is hers or not as there were quite a few Sarah Munro's around Clerkenwell at the time but they were unrelated families. One seems to have moved to Lambeth. Short of ordering all the death certificates I'm not sure how else to prove her death!

Jennie

I presume this is Sarah in 1841/51

Her address is Birds buildings in 1841, occ nurse.

1841 England Census
about Sarah Munro
Name: Sarah Munro
Age: 45
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1796
Gender: Female
Where born: Middlesex, England

Civil Parish: St Mary Islington East
Hundred: Ossulstone (Finsbury Division)
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street address: Birds Buildings

Occupation: Nurse

Registration district: Islington
Sub registration district: Islington East
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Sarah Munro 45
Jas Hector Munro 15
Rob Hugh Munro 15

Address in 1851, 45, Old St, occ housekeeper.

1851 England Census
about Sarah Munro
Name: Sarah Munro
Age: 56
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1795
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: St Geo East, Middlesex, England

Civil Parish: St Luke Old Street
Ecclesiastical parish: St Luke
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Registration district: St Luke
Sub registration district: Finsbury

Sarah Munro 56
Robert Munro 26 born Clerkenwell

Wondered if this was her death reg.


Deaths Dec 1857 (>99%)
Munro Sarah Clerkenwell 1b 344


Christine

Sorry I wrote a little hastily - they were her children's marriage certificates -not birth. The probate was granted to the executor personally. The signature on the marriage certificate could have been someone else called Sarah so I am looking for her second marriage at the moment. There are no other children or sisters with the name Sarah in the family as far as I know and I have looked extensively. Her name was handed down as a third name to her granddaughter. Julia Hephzibah Sarah Munro. She only had one family that carried on as her second son also died young. My GGG Grandfather was the only son who went on to have children.

Unless you have found a death certificate I'd be tempted to assume the witness is a child or grandchild named after their grandmother as names were regularly passed down families.

If you have certs (her death and remarriage) and census information to back this up then wow.

I'm pretty sure I have a 92 year old in my tree, born in 1853, I am waiting on her death certificate, but I am pretty sure it is her due to area of death and an unusal name.

Just thought I'd share this with you. We have a mystery in the family where Sarah Munro 1795 is with her husband John Thomas Munro 1783 on her children's birth certificates in 1825/26. One of her twins died and then I found her saying she was a widow in 1851 and living in a work house (possibly working there as a nurse but not sure) Bird's Buildings in Islington. I felt so sorry for her when I found a proven will in 1858 with her husband name as the executor -obviously not dead but just living elsewhere! Next I found her X mark on her Grand daughter's marriage certificate - she was over 100 years old and had remarried! She must have been such a tough old survivor. Good for her!!