Annie Walker nee Goodman. Born 10-Mar-1864, Died ?

[GerryM]

I've been trying to find out what happened to this woman for almost 10 years, and have run out of options.
She was living in Hartlepool on 2-Jan-1896 when she gave birth to a son William.
She was married to a Royal Artillery CSM gunnery instructor, seconded to the Durham Light Infantry manning the Batteries around West Hartlepool.
They already had 5 daughters, one of whom was my maternal grandmother.
Her husband was discharged to pension from the Army on 28-Jun-1897.

On the 1901 census the family is living in Portsmouth, one of the daughters (Laura) is missing (she would have been 13 years old at the time),
and the father is listed as a Widower.

I have not found a record of her death. I have chased index entries whenever they seemed to stand out as likely but have not found any trace.
There are too many Annie Walkers and I have no real idea whether I can limit the search by location ( I have obviously been most thorough
in the Hartlepool and Portsmouth areas).

I'm really looking for any ideas that would help.

Background information (just in case it helps)

The daughters names are Annie (usually known as Nance), Laura (usually known as Daisy), Nora, Ruby (my grandmother) and Eva (usually known as Biddy).
Nora, Ruby and Eva were born in Adelaide, South Australia.

The son (William) died on 30-Jan-1902. The Father remarried to an older woman in 1903. According to family gossip, the daughters all hated the step-mother
and all left home as soon as they could.

I have copies of documents wherever available, so I am sure of the facts that I have.

[gardener]

On the 1901 census the family is living in Portsmouth, one of the daughters (Laura) is missing (she would have been 13 years old at the time),
and the father is listed as a Widower.

Hi

Benjamin is down as married in the 1901 census. So I suppose Annie could have died between then and Benjamin's 2nd marriage?

[rockyfowler]

On the 1901 census the family is living in Portsmouth, one of the daughters (Laura) is missing (she would have been 13 years old at the time),
and the father is listed as a Widower.
Was the census 1901 a widower or married as it says on FMP ?

What did this one certificate say?
ANNIE
WALKER
Female
Birth year 1864
Age 38
Death quarter 4
Death year 1902
District BRISTOL
County Gloucestershire
Volume 6A
Page 70
Country England

[GerryM]

You are correct of course, both of you. One of the penalties of working on it for so long is a tendency to turn ideas in to facts if I don't check the actual documents each time.

Benjamin is definitely described as a Widower on the certificate of his 2nd Marriage, I have checked. I have assumed that to be true as there is no way (at the moment) to prove it.

I have, in the past checked for Annie's death from 1896 to 1903. Having not found it, and the fact that I couldn't find her on the 1901 census I started concentration on the period prior to the census. Should have revisited my assumptions earlier. Thanks for the wake up call.

As for the certificate you indicated, I haven't seen that one. I have no knowledge of any connections to that part of the country, so would probably have assumed it to be irrelevant. It'll take a week or so , but I'll check it.

In the meantime, any ideas about her and Laura's absence on the 1901 census?

[gardener]

Sorry, I have no ideas at all about the 1901 census.

Who is listed on William's death certificate? and how did he die?

[GerryM]

William's Death Certificate gives:

Date and Place of death as "Thirtieth January 1902", "Royal Portsmouth Hospital, Landport, U.D." .
Cause of death as "Hydrocephalus 7 months".
Informant as "B. Walker, Father, In attendance, 43 Hawke Street, Portsea"

[rockyfowler]

May be wrong Annie?
1901
Ann
Walker
Relationship Prisoner
Marital status Married
Gender Female
Age 39
Birth year 1862
Occupation Charwoman
Birth town Rudgeway
Birth town as transcribed RUDGEWAY
Birth county Gloucestershire
Parish Bristol
City -
Country England
County Gloucestershire
Municipal ward Horfield
Registration district Bristol
Archive reference RG13
Piece number 2399
Folio 176
Page 6

[GerryM]

rockyfowler,

Annie Walker nee Goodman was born 10 May 1864 in Weybridge, Surrey, so unlikely to be the same person. She was registered as Annie. She would have been 36 on the date of the 1901 census.

[rockyfowler]

Did say may be wrong who knows- they couldn`t afford to buy birth certs and lied about ages -Always keep an open mind she will turn up eventually,we`ve all had impossible brickwalls but they crack in the end one of mine took 6 years of searching regards RF
Easier to look for
1901
43, Hawke Street, Town, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Benjamin Walker Head Married Male 48 1853 Dock Labourer Neen Savage, Shropshire, England
Annie Walker Daughter Single Female 14 1887 Nurse Domestic Southampton, Hampshire, England
Nora Walker Daughter Single Female 11 1890 - Australia
Ruby Ada Walker Daughter Single Female 10 1891 - Australia
Eva Walker Daughter Single Female 9 1892 - Australia
William Walker Son Single Male 5 1896 - West Hartlepool, Durham, England

Nora Emily Walker
Female
1889
Birth date 27 Nov 1889
Place Semaphore
District Port Adelaide
State South Australia
Country Australia
Father's first name(s) Benjamin
Father's last name Walker
Mother's first name(s) Annie
Mother's last name Goodman
Registration number 448/484


Was Willams mother Annie and address on birth cert? Just found it in the clues- She was living in Hartlepool on 2-Jan-1896 when she gave birth to a son William no address given? was it 12 Vane Street?

[GerryM]

South Road, West Hartlepool, no number given. What is the significance of 12 Vane Street?

[rockyfowler]

Its where some other Walkers lived in 1902 but must not be related.

[GerryM]

Benjamin and family were definitely in Portsmouth by 1901 and I've no information to indicate any other locations once he was discharged from the Army in 1897. Nice try though.

[GerryM]

I would not have believed it. Certificate arrived.

1902 Death in the Sub-district of St Paul.
In the City and County of Bristol
29 Oct 1902 13 Princes Street U.D.
Annie Walker
Female
38 years
Wife of Benjamin Walker, Army Pensioner
Miscarriage 3 and a half months, Op Curettering, Septicaemia
E H Pearks, Sister, 3 A Block, Landguard, Felixstowe, Suffolk.


Absolutely flabbergasted. Thanks for the help.
Generates a few more questions now.

[gardener]

Brilliant! Glad that you found her (though it is a bit sad).

[GerryM]

All I have to do now is find out where she, and her daughter Laura (Daisy) were for the 1901 census, and why she was in Bristol.