|
|
Samuel
Western & Eliza Stentiford
|
|
Eliza Stentiford was the first of four
illegitimate children born to Ann Stentiford of Coldridge. Ann, in turn
was the eldest daughter of the William Stentiford whose attack of road
rage is featured elsewhere in this Issue. The Coldridge Poor Law papers
are not complete but we may be sure that Eliza had the same hard
upbringing as any other child affected by the Poor Laws of the time
Samuel Western married Eliza Stentiford on
18 Feb 1858 at Winkleigh. The groom gave his age as 32 but the bride was
only 20. Her brother-in-law, William Saunders was one of the witnesses
and presumably gave consent on behalf of her family. Eliza described herself as a shoemaker,
a common trade for girls brought up by the Parish, and
Samuel as a farm labourer.
Almost immediately after the wedding, the couple left to join the
thousands of emigrants looking for a new and better life on the other
side of the world in the United States of America. |
©
www.expedia.co.uk
|
Like many people who made this journey in the 19th
century, they did not go alone. Samuel's brother William Western and
his wife Ann made the journey too. They all went to Genesee County in the State of Michigan
close to the town of Flint and
became near neighbours, Samuel farming in Clayton Township and William
in the adjacent Township of Burton.
|
| The American Census of 1880 comprises some 27 CDs but luckily, like
our 1881 Census, it has a most useful Index. Using this, we can find
them and their families.
At Clayton, we find Samuel Western who is 53, his wife
Eliza (née Stentiford) aged 43 and four of their children - John who is
21 and a law student, Sarah aged 14, Silas aged 12 and Eliza Ann who is
8.
At Burton, we find William Western who is 58, his wife Ann aged 54
and a family of five - Ann aged 22, John William aged 20, Elizabeth aged
19, Nellie aged 14 and Mary aged 12. |
Click here to
continue
|
