Thursday 14 March 2013

Update of the Past NEWS....... 11th March 1871


Catch up on the full story of last weeks NEWS...........

*Frederick Horton –

Frederick was in last week’s NEWS when he found himself accused of bigamy after he married a lady named Lucy whilst still being married to Letitia Phillips.

Frederick was the son of Ralph and Sarah Horton, Ralph worked as a game keeper and the family lived in Walgerton in Cheshire.  Frederick was baptised on 6th May 1838 at Wybunbury, Cheshire. In 1861 Frederick is aged 22 years old and he is recorded on the census as being a visitor at the home of Samuel Tonge an engine fitter at Barton Upon Irwell in Lancashire.  Frederick is employed as a gardener.

Frederick married Letitia Philips on 17th February 1863 at St Marks Parish Church in Hulme, Lancashire.  They were both of “full age” and single.  The witnesses at the marriage were Abel Mather and Mary Phillips.  Letitia was the daughter of George Phillips a farmer.

From online resources[1] I have found 2 possible children of Frederick and Letitia Horton, these may or may not be their children  - birth certificates would need to be obtained to confirm;

v  Sarah Elizabeth, born 17th December 1863, baptised 4th February 1864 at Accrington, Lancashire

v  John James, baptised on 12th August 1865 at St Marys Church, Stafford, died 1865

What occurred during the years after the marriage of Frederick and Letitia is not known.  If John James was their son then was it the sad death of baby John that caused the couple to part?  Letitia apparently left the country to live in France.  Frederick carried on with his life and married Lucy on 13th October 1867.

I have not managed to find out what happened to Frederick and Lucy after the trial in March 1871, did they remain together?

As for Letitia and her daughter …………there is no further mention of Letitia on English census records.  A 7 year old girl named Sarah Elizabeth Horton is living with Thomas and Ann Phillips at Cheadle, Cheshire in 1871 so this does look like it would be the correct Sarah Elizabeth Horton as the couple have her mother’s surname.

Letitia’s link to France may be that she was born there; on the 1861 census there is a 16 year old girl named Letitia Phillips who is visiting John Duna and his family in Middlesex.

Does anyone have any more information about this complicated family?
 
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*Ann and Sarah Page –
 
This couple were in the NEWS after it emerged that they concealed the birth of a child and buried the dead baby at South Normanton.
 
Ann was the daughter of Sarah and Samuel Page.  In December of 1870 she was working as a servant for Mr Swan a colliery proprietor.  A lady named Mrs Brown had visited the residence of Mr Swan and noticed that Ann looked as though she was “in the family way”.  Ann admitted that she was but told how the father of the child would not take responsibility.  She went on to tell Mrs Brown how terrible she felt that day.  Later the same day Mrs Brown found Ann and she had delivered a male child who was sadly dead when she found the pair.  Mrs Brown sent for Ann’s mother Sarah who arrived and wanted to take the dead child away to put him in the “dustheap”.  Mrs Brown denied her this and Sarah left the house.  Later that evening she returned and took away the child. 
 
It wasn’t until 18th February 1871 that the police were informed and P.C Lovatt went to call on Sarah Page asking her to take him to the place of the burial.  She did this, taking him to “an enclosed place, where the coal was kept” and “got a coal pick, and removed a quantity of coal slack, as well as a brick, underneath which she had buried the child, which was wrapped up in a piece of sheeting”.
 
At the trial Ann said that the father was a publican named Edwin Epperson.
 
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[1] https://familysearch.org/search/record/results#count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3Ahorton~%20%2Brecord_country%3AEngland%20%2Bmarriage_place%3Achorlton~%20%2Bmarriage_year%3A1863-1864~%20%2Bfather_givenname%3Afrederick~%20%2Bfather_surname%3Ahorton~%20%2Bmother_givenname%3Aletitia~%20%2Brecord_type%3A(0)

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