Genealogy Forum UK

Looking for Elizabeth who married Matthew Downes please
The only information I have is the 1851 census in which Matthew is only 6 years old and that he married Elizabeth (don't know when)
Whetstone Ole, Quarnford.
Samuel Downs 33. Farmer. Unm.
Susannah Downs 36. Sister. Unm.
John Downs 15. Nephew.
Matthew Downs 6. Nephew.
Joseph Downs 4. Nephew.

In 1851 he is living with his mother Susannah and her brother Samuel. I'm not sure if the spelling is Downes or Downes. Can anyone help with this or any other information for Matthew or Elizabeth please Thankyou.

FreeBMD has:

Marriages Jun 1865 (>99%)
Cheer James Congleton 8a 343
Downes Matthew Congleton 8a 343
Elliss Elizabeth Congleton 8a 343
Lea Ellen Congleton 8a 343

and

Marriages Jun 1882 (>99%)
BRADLEY Ann Barton On Irwell 8c 789
Downs Matthew Barton I. 8c 789
SAVAGE Elizabeth Ann Barton I. 8c 789
SMITH Frederick Henry Barton I.

Thanks
I'm really not sure about either of them as the family didnt seem to move out of the Leek district and i'm not sure where Congleton or Barton on Irwell are
Maybe the censuses will help to find out which year they were married if anyone can help please?

I have found the children of Matthew and Elizabeth if this helps. Could anyone find the 1891 census for me please as I think that Matthew was living with his father Josephus in 1881. Maybe some of the children will be there?
ruth downes, prudence downes and susannah downes who died 1891, william downes who died in infancy, frances ann downes who died 1888
Fingers crossed...

extracted

MATTHEW DOWNES
Christening: 16 JUL 1848 Quarnford, Stafford,

Father: SAMUEL DOWNES
Mother: SARAH

siblings

MARY ANN DOWNS
Christening: 24 AUG 1845 Quarnford, Stafford,

NANCY DOWNS
Christening: 26 AUG 1838 Quarnford, Stafford,

HANNAH DOWNS
Christening: 06 AUG 1843 Quarnford, Stafford,

SAMUEL DOWNS
Christening: 28 FEB 1841 Quarnford, Stafford,

SARAH DOWNES
Christening: 10 SEP 1854 Quarnford, Stafford

joseph belongs to susannah ?

1881 Angrack, Quarnford, Stafford

Susannah HEAPY Head W 67 Quarnford, Stafford, Farmer Of 23 Acres Of Land
Eliza HEAPY Step Daur U 26 Quarnford, Stafford, Empd At Home (Dom)
Joseph DOWNES Son U 34 Quarnford, Stafford, Genl Farm Labourer
Mary A. HEAPEY Step Daurs Child 7 Quarnford, Stafford, Scholar

strange ? extracted

Matthew Downs
Father: Josephus Heapy

Marriages:
Spouse: Elizabeth Mellor
Father: Joseph Mellor
Marriage: 15 JUN 1885 Alstonfield, Stafford

1881 Angrack, Quarnford, Stafford

Susannah HEAPY Head W 67 Quarnford, Stafford, Farmer Of 23 Acres Of Land
Eliza HEAPY Step Daur U 26 Quarnford, Stafford, Empd At Home (Dom)
Joseph DOWNES Son U 34 Quarnford, Stafford, Genl Farm Labourer
Mary A. HEAPEY Step Daurs Child 7 Quarnford, Stafford, Scholar

next or same house

this getting stranger

1881; Adders Green, Quarnford, Stafford

Josephus HEAPY Head U 72 Quarnford, Stafford, Farmer Of 90 Acres Of Land
Nathan DOWNES Son U 36 Quarnford, Stafford, (Farmer Son) Employed On Farm


next

1881; Pound Hill, Quarnford, Stafford

Ralph HEAPY Head U 51 Quarnford, Stafford, Farmer Of 41 Acres
John HEAPY Brother U 65 Quarnford, Stafford, Farmer Bro
Moses HEAPY Brother U 43 Quarnford, Stafford, Joint Farmer
John GOODWIN Serv 13 Heatheylie, Stafford, Domestic Farm Servant


next after that samuel

1881; Knowl End, Quarnford, Stafford

Saml. DOWNES Head U Male 63 Quarnford, Stafford, England Farmer Of 20 Acres Of Land

peterd wrote:this getting stranger

1881; Adders Green, Quarnford, Stafford

Josephus HEAPY Head U 72 Quarnford, Stafford, Farmer Of 90 Acres Of Land
Nathan DOWNES Son U 36 Quarnford, Stafford, (Farmer Son) Employed On Farm

That Nathan has been annotated as Matthew on Ancestry.

Yes Joseph's mother was Susannah. Joseph was my great great great grandfather and Matthew was his brother. I have been speaking to a decendant of Matthew and she has been trying to find out who he was married to for ages so I said I would try to help. Its amazing that i'm in contact with a relative and that we're related from that long ago. We are both decendants of Josephus Heapy (Joseph and Matthew's father)!!
She has obviously done more research than me on Matthew as i've been more interested in Joseph, and she seems to think he was born in 1844. She also has a grave inscription which seems to prove this:

matthew downes of adders green died august 7th 1905 aged 61 years also elizabeth wife of the above died june 17th 1920 aged 67 years. also their daughter ruth frodsham died december 12th 1955 aged 66 years.

When I read this i originally thought that Elizabeth could be nee Frodsham but no - Ruth married Harry Frodsham (FreeBMD) so that's ruled that out.

1891. Adders Green Quanford
Matthew Downes, head, 46, Farmer
Elizabeth, wife, 39, Heatlee?
Ruth, daur, 2,
Susannah, daur, 6 months
All others born Quarnford

peterd wrote:strange ? extracted

Matthew Downs
Father: Josephus Heapy

Marriages:
Spouse: Elizabeth Mellor
Father: Joseph Mellor
Marriage: 15 JUN 1885 Alstonfield, Stafford

So it is this one then?
Alstonfield is about ten miles from Leek. And Quarnford church was a chapelry in Alstonfield parish.

Very confusing isn't it? I went through it all with Joseph. Your 1881's are correct. Susannah and Josephus were together at first but never married and Joseph & Matthew were their children. Susannah married Samuel Heapy when she was in her 50s and by 1881 he was deceased so she WAS a widow and Josephus was unmarried. I don't think he ever married.

Yes it looks like that's the correct one!! Thankyou she will be really pleased as I think she's tried nearly every genealogy site on the internet!!

The FReeBMD entry gives the marriage as

June qtr 1885
Matthew Downs 7b 953 Ashbourne

but Elizabeth Mellor has been put in as 7b 95[83] Ashbourne

so that is why searching for Matthew Downs marrying an Elizabeth does not find her

Alstonfield came under Ashbourne registration even though one is in Staffordshire and the other Derbyshire.