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Walsall Hannah

 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, Albert is living with Hannah and Edward, so he is indeed Hannah’s son.

Albert Genders in the 1861 census

Albert was born in the last quarter of 1847. As “my” Hannah gave birth to her son John in early 1848, we can safely rule out Walsall Hannah. Pity. I rather liked the idea of Hannah escaping William and marrying a musician. 

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