Genealogy Forum UK

Hi all, new today and sorry to start with a puzzle so soon.
My Gt Grandma, Alice Maloney, is causing me some difficulty.
I believe she was born in Aston, Birmingham, in the 4th Quarter of 1870. Father's name John Maloney, born 1844 Tipperary. Mother's name Mary Ann, born Birmingham. Sibling, Mary Ann born c 1866.
John Maloney married twice, (Second wife, I believe, was Lucy Ann Windle, born Rotherham 1853) and fathered around 18 children during the two marriages. It appears his first wife may have died quite young. I'd like to know which children were full siblings of Mary Ann & Alice, and which are half sibs. The family appear to have been fairly static in the Aston area, and I am very keen to find out as much about them as possible, particularly as further info about John will be nigh impossible to find due to his Irish origin.
Alice shows up on every census from 1871 - 1911. She was married twice (William Purcocks & Richard William Grove Bennett) and outlived both husbands. I have the marriage cert for the 2nd marriage, dated August 31 1907 on which she is listed as Alice Purcocks, widow, 35 years. Her half sister, Elsie Maloney was a witness to the marriage.
I really want to find Alice's missing birth record, does anyone have any bright ideas about how to find it, as searching AncestryUK, Genes Reunited & free BMD comes up with nothing

Given that first wife appears to die between 1871- 1881 the most likely death would be

Mary Maloney dob abt 1848 death Jul-Aug-Sep 1873 Aston Warwickshire

1881 3, Bk 320, Coventry Rd, Aston
MALONEY, John Head Married M 37 1844 Gun Barrel Sighter Tipperary Ireland
MALONEY, Lucy M A Wife Married F 28 1853 Rotheram Yorkshire
MALONEY, Mary A Daughter Single F 15 1866 Button Solderer Bham Warwickshire
MALONEY, Alice Daughter Single F 10 1871 Scholar Bham Warwickshire
MALONEY, Ellen Daughter Single F 8 1873 Scholar Bham Warwickshire
MALONEY, Sophia Daughter Single F 7 1874 Scholar Bham Warwickshire
MALONEY, William Son Single M 5 1876 Scholar Bham Warwickshire
MALONEY, Edwin Son Single M 1 1880 Bham Warwickshire

This would suggest that Ellen was the critical one to identify as a last possible child of first wife -- unless she was his step daughter and child of Lucy before marriage but adopted his name

Interestingly if this is the second marriage it was rather late in the day


James Thompson Kennedy Jan-Feb-Mar 1882 Aston Warwickshire
John Maloney Jan-Feb-Mar 1882 Aston Warwickshire
Annie Maria Sanders Jan-Feb-Mar 1882 Aston Warwickshire
Lucy Ann Windle Jan-Feb-Mar 1882 Aston Warwickshire

Looks like Lucy married again -- interestingly she states married 32 years 13 children 10 still living (crossed out)
that might help identify which children are hers - depending on how she counted them


1911 76 Baker St Sparkhill
BUSWELL, Lucy Anne Head Widow F 50 1861 Laundress Yorkshire Rotheram
MALONEY, John Son Single M 19 1892 Machinist On Capstan Lathe Warwickshire Birmingham
MALONEY, Elsie Daughter Single F 22 1889 Tailoress Warwickshire Birmingham
MALONEY, Lucy Daughter Single F 17 1894 Tailoress Warwickshire Birmingham
MALONEY, Evelene Daughter F 14 1897 Stitcher Warwickshire Birmingham
BUSWELL, Annie Daughter F 7 1904 School Warwickshire Birmingham

1901 315, Arthur Street, Aston
BUSWELL, Edwin Head Married M 55 1846 Engine Turner & Fitter Banbury Oxfordshire
BUSWELL, Lucy A Wife Married F 40 1861 Rotherham Yorkshire
BUSWELL, Frank Son Single M 13 1888 Iron Moulder Coventry Warwickshire
BUSWELL, Louis Son M 11 1890 Coventry Warwickshire
BUSWELL, Marion A Daughter F 8 1893 Coventry Warwickshire
MALOULY, Albert Step Son Single M 14 1887 Gun Maker Birmingham Warwickshire
MALOULY, Elyly Step Daughter Single F 12 1889 Birmingham Warwickshire
MALOULY, John Step Son M 9 1892 Birmingham Warwickshire
MALOULY, Lucy Step Daughter F 7 1894 Birmingham Warwickshire
MALOULY, Francis Step Son M 5 1896 Birmingham Warwickshire
MALOULY, Evelyn Step Daughter F 4 1897 Birmingham Warwickshire
MALOULY, Violetta Step Daughter F 2 1899 Birmingham Warwickshire

1891 13, Camp Hill, Bordesley, Birmingham
MALONEY, John Head Married M 47 1844 Gun Barrel Maker Ireland
MALONEY, Lucy A Wife Married F 31 1860 Rotherham Yorkshire
MALONEY, Mary Daughter Single F 24 1867 Tailoress Birmingham
MALONEY, Alice Daughter Single F 20 1871 Tailoress Birmingham
MALONEY, Helena Daughter Single F 18 1873 Warehouse Woman Birmingham
MALONEY, Sophia Daughter Single F 17 1874 Tailoress Birmingham
MALONEY, William H Son M 15 1876 Gun Barrel Maker Birmingham
MALONEY, Edwin Son M 11 1880 Scholar Birmingham
MALONEY, Margreta Daughter F 9 1882 Scholar Birmingham
MALONEY, Norah Daughter F 8 1883 Scholar Birmingham
MALONEY, Lillian A Daughter F 6 1885 Scholar Birmingham
MALONEY, Albert Son M 6 1885 Scholar Birmingham
MALONEY, Elsie Daughter F 4 1887 Scholar Birmingham

Her second ? marriage?
Edwin Buswell Jul-Aug-Sep 1900 Aston Warwickshire
Joseph Ives Jul-Aug-Sep 1900 Aston Warwickshire
Lucy Ann Maloney Jul-Aug-Sep 1900 Aston Warwickshire
Lucy Ann Malony Jul-Aug-Sep 1900 Aston Warwickshire
Catherine Newman Jul-Aug-Sep 1900 Aston Warwickshire

Hi all and thanks very much for the speedy responses. I have already got all the info you've posted, and it's doing my head in!
Alice shows up on the 1871 census as being 6 months old, therefore must have been born at the end of 1870?
John Maloney, her deceased father, is a Gun Barrel Sighter, place of birth Tipperary, on her 1907 marriage cert to Richard Wm G Bennett.
I really want to find her birth record to establish her exact DOB and mother's maiden name as much as anything else.
So much that doesn't add up. If she was born 1870/1 then she must have been older that 35 in 1907 when she married my Gt Grandad! Was it common for people to get away with fibbing about their age like that?
From Census records it also looks like the widowed Lucy Ann Maloney and her children were living with Mr Buswell, and her calling herself Buswell, but the marriage record I found suggests they didn't get married until after the census (scandalous!).

She may not have been fibbing, some people genuinly didn't know their exact age. On the other hand if she was older than her husband, she may have fibbed!

Fiona M wrote:From Census records it also looks like the widowed Lucy Ann Maloney and her children were living with Mr Buswell, and her calling herself Buswell, but the marriage record I found suggests they didn't get married until after the census (scandalous!).

If the marriage in 1882 for Lucy and John Maloney and the death in 1873 for Mary Maloney in 1873 are correct Lucy made a habit of living with men before she married them.

Crumbs! And this is supposed to be the upright RC branch of the family! No wonder my Gran didn't want to talk about it ...

1871. 42 Warner St, Aston.
John Maloney 28. Gun barrel lighter. Tipperary, Ireland.
Mary Ann Maloney 27.
Mary Ann Maloney 4.
Alice Maloney 6 Months.

Others born Birmingham.

1861. Old Mill ?. Rotherham.
David Windle 24. iron moulder.? Leeds, Yorkshire,
Lucy Windle 23. Rotherham, Yorkshire.
Lucy Ann Windle 6 MO. Rotherham, Yorkshire.

1871. Aston.
David Windle 36. Moulder. Leeds, Yorkshire,
Lucy Windle 38. Rotherham, Yorkshire.
Lucy Windle 11. Bham, Warwickshire.
David Windle 8. Bham, Warwickshire.
Ruth Windle 4. Bham, Warwickshire.
Sarah Windle 2.

Maths girl wrote:Given that first wife appears to die between 1871- 1881 the most likely death would be

Mary Maloney dob abt 1848 death Jul-Aug-Sep 1873 Aston Warwickshire

Looks about right,
Deaths Sep 1873.
MALONEY Mary. 25. Aston. 6d. 247.

Thanks Jimmy, that's definitely them on the 1871 Census at Warner St, Aston, and I can also find Alice on every census up to 1911. But why can't I find her birth record? (I think I found Mary Ann's, just need to buy the birth cert to be sure).