Who Was Hannah Genders?

 People lie. A lot. While investigating another branch of the Genders family tree in Birmingham I came across a perplexing family. None of the “facts” they stated quite seemed to add up and it soon became pretty obvious that the information recorded in the sources was unreliable. Eventually I was able to untangle the truth from the lies and make sense of it all, but this example does highlight one of the possible reasons why Hannah Genders is proving so hard to trace. People lie. As Hannah did when she claimed she was married to William on her children’s birth records. But let’s sidestep away from Hannah to look at this family a little more closely. I’d like you to imagine that you are trying to trace Sarah Ann Genders, born in Birmingham in 1853. Sarah Ann Genders in the 1861 Census A census search brings up a result from 1861 - a Sarah Ann Genders who is 8, and living on Icknield Street East with her three sisters and her parents, Daniel and Ruth Genders. This seems like a good m...

 If you’ve been following this blog you won’t have failed to notice that all of my contenders for my ancestor so far have been from Staffordshire. We’ve had five possible Hannahs and we’ve discounted four of them. Farewell Hannah remains a contender. But what about some contenders from Birmingham? You’ll remember from an earlier post that I found a Hannah Genders living in Birmingham in the 1841 and 1851 census and that in both cases the place of both was “in county” and “Birmingham” respectively.  I have found zero baptismal records for anyone called Hannah Genders/Ginders in Birmingham for the correct timeframe, but that doesn’t mean such a person was never born there. This period predates civil registration and a baptism may not have taken place, or the records may not be available online (I am working exclusively online for the time being), or transcription errors may be confounding my efforts. If a Hannah Genders was born in Birmingham roundabout the same time WIlliam Whe...

 A Hannah Myott Ginders was baptised in Weston Upon Trent in Staffordshire on 20th February 1825. She was the daughter of Jeremiah (1801-1843) and Ellen (1802-1870). Jeremiah was a clerk at the Salt Works.  Hannah’s baptism record (1825) Hannah had an elder sibling, Ellen Worsey Ginders, who was baptised on 7th March 1824. Ellen’s baptism record (1824) I believe the two sisters are living together in Tillington in 1841.  Hannah and Ellen in the 1841 census Jeremiah married Ellen Marsh on 1st May 1823.  As well as Ellen and Hannah, they had: Julia Mabella, baptised 20th May 1827. Ann, baptised 19th July, 1830 Elizabeth, baptised 26th August, 1832 Jeremiah, baptised 1st February, 1829 Thomas, baptised on 27th April, 1834 Richard Marsh, baptised on 30th March, 1836 John Marsh, baptised on 14th January 1838 Mary Charlotte, baptised on 2nd April 1840s Joshua, baptised 19th December, 1842 Fascinatingly, John’s occupation varies widely across these baptism records. The fami...

 A Hannah Ginders (a common spelling variant of the Genders name) was born in Ingestre c.1810 and baptised in Bidulph St Lawrence on 13th May that year. Her parents were Jeremiah and Hannah. Hannah’s baptism record (1810) In the 1841 census, Hannah is 32 and living with her gather and siblings in Sandon, Staffordshire. A decade later she is living with her sister Ellen in Hopton, she’s 41, and still she’s unmarried. Hannah in the 1851 census While I suppose it is possible that this Hannah left Sandon, lived in Birmingham for a few years, had two children with William Wheelock, and then escaped him by moving back in with her sibling in Hopton, I think it is highly unlikely. This Hannah was buried in Biddulph on 15th June 1860. I have found nothing so far tying her to Birmingham.

 Now this Hannah is still in the runnings until I can determine what happened to her. Sadly she just vanishes so a question mark remains over her fate. She was born in Chorley, Staffordshire, and baptised with her sister Mary in St Bartholomew’s, Farewell on 11th November 1821. Their parents were John and Lucy Genders.  Hannah’s baptism record (1821) Lucy (nee Muckley) was born c.1795 in Burntwood, Staffordshire, and was baptised in Hammerwich that year. In 1819 she gave birth to an illegitimate daughter named Mary, who was baptised in Farewell on 21st February that year. I strongly suspect this is the same Mary who was baptised with Hannah in 1821, and that she was baptised a second time after her parents had married. John Genders was born c.1787 and was baptised in Hammerwich on the 30th December that year. He married Lucy Muckley on 3rd March 1821 at St Michael’s in Lichfield. So far I have found eight children: Mary (1819-?); Hannah (1821-?); William (1824-1906); Sarah (18...

 A Hannah Genders was baptised on 4th June 1828 in Walsall in Staffordshire. She was the daughter of Jeremy, a cooper, and Hannah.  Hannah in the 1841 census In the 1841 census she is 12 and living on Rushall Street in Walsall with her large family. A decade later, the family are still there, minus Hannah. This looks promising at first. Aha, she has gone to Birmingham, fallen for a violent man, and her family being in Walsall accounts for their lack of involvement in her son John’s life. Alas! If only it were that easy. I cannot account for Hannah’s whereabouts in 1851 as I cannot find her, however, her parents at this time have a 3 year old son called Albert, after a suspiciously long gap between him and the previous sibling.  Albert Genders in the 1851 census Hannah crops up in 1855 in a marriage record that reveals she was living in Middlesex on Henrietta Street  and was marrying a musician named John Edwards.  Hannah’s marriage in 1855 Come the 1861 census, ...

 When you start searching for contenders for Hannah Genders a few usual suspects keep cropping up in the search results. One is a girl who was born in Macclesfield in Cheshire and was baptised on 13th June 1817. She was the daughter of George, a cordwainer/shoemaker, and Martha. Assuming she was born the year she was baptised, she was the same age as William Wheelock.  A quick search of the 1841 census shows her living with her father and siblings at Chester Gate, Prestbury, Macclesfield. Her age is given as 20 and she works as a silk weaver.  Hannah Genders in the 1841 census A further search reveals Hannah is living on Bond Street in Macclesfield with her siblings and that she is 33, unmarried, and employed as a silk winder. Hannah Genders in the 1851 census I think it is highly implausible that this Hannah relocated to Birmingham, had 2 children with William Wheelock, only to then return to Macclesfield and her work in textiles, so we can safely assume that this is not...