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France family

G

GILLIAN52

proper brummie kid
Hello am new here but am looking for my France family, Elizabeth France b1845 and her daughter Mary Ann France b1866 Birmingham in 1891 they were living in Gt Hampton Street I believe. Elizabeth's parents were Richard France and Christiana Hill. I believe there were in the Aston area but being familiar with Birmingham not sure if Hampton St is in that area.

Regards Gill
 
in 1841 living new church st. bham

richard france 40, christiana 35, thomas 12, christiana 8, mary 6, richard 3, elizabeth 7 mths

in 1851 living great russell street, bham

richard france 50 painter and glazier b. shrewsbury
christiana france 48 b.bham
mary ann france 14 b.bham
richard france 12 steel toy trade b.bham
elizabeth france 10 b.bham
samuel france 7 b.bhm
 
in 1861 living st. georges street, bham

henry pimkiss? 27 gun stocker b.bham
emma 25 (wife) b.bham
henry 3, john 8 mths.

lodging with them
christiana france widow 57 washer woman b.bham
richard 21 porter water works
elizabeth 19 servant of all work
samuel 17 german silver stamper
 
Shera brilliant thank you so much I have really struggled with finding this family christiana is my 4 x gt grandmother and could never find them on all census and I found this site my accident last nite so much appreciated. Gill
 
glad you found us gill and welcome :)

in 1881 elizabeth france is boarding with the "day" family in farm st. bham
elizabeth france 36 laundress b.bham
mary ann france 14 tie maker b.bham
 
i think this must be them in 1901 living unett st. bham

elizabeth france 56 widow (think that might not be true!) b.bham
mary ann france 33 daughter single jeweller gold b.bham
 
Yes looks like Shera the thing is Elizabeth was actually unmarried and not a widow I do know that as Mary Ann her daughter was also unmarried when she had my grandfather she had grandad in 1897 in Seaham Harbour (no idea why) and then returned to her mother in Birmingham that was all I knew.
 
i wonder whether this is mary ann in 1911 living 186 wattville street, handsworth

james william allen 80
eleanor allen 76
mary ann davies 54 daughter
mary ann france 44 single (boarder) warehouse woman b.bham
 
there is a mary ann france living in handsworth area until 1939

she is lodging with a john and winnie capnerhurst at 13 clarence avenue

and there is a death of mary ann france in birmingham in 1940 aged 74yrs (which would be about right)
 
Richard France appears in the directories;

1841 France Richard, painter and glazier, 28 New Churchst
1845 France Richd.plumber & painter,103 Hampton st.St.George's
Mike
 
Shera and Mike thank you so much for the information, I only joined yesterday and the information that I have been given is fantastic I have struggled for 10 years with this family and being unfamiliar with Birmingham didnt help and so I employed a researcher for many years but never got the information you are giving me now so absolutely thrilled to at least know a bit more about my family really appreciate it.
 
Mary Ann France did die in 1940 in Handsworth I know that from a paper my grandfather had. My grandfather Clarence Major Demarion France was the illigitmate son of Mary Ann and she paid for his upkeep to another family but Mary Ann would have no contact through his life with my grandfather and she would not let the family who looked after him adopt him and it appears Mary Ann was illigitimate that is why it has taken me so long to find things that is why the information you have given me already is brilliant.
 
im so glad we were able to help. being illegitimate in these years was such a disgrace it all had to be kept secret. i expect that is why mary ann went to seaham harbour to have the baby and then leave him with another family. also that would be why elizabeth france said she was a widow because she had a daughter living with her.
 
It does answer a lot of questions Shera and some of the names mentioned ie the allen's and davies cropped up in the researchers report once so that makes that clearer and at least I can try and go forward now to find out more about them so glad I came across this sight while googling lol
 
was your grandfather taken in by walter and emma france in yorkshire? as there is a clarence france of correct age with this couple in yorkshire.
 
Hi Shera all I know and it was not spoken about was that my grandfather was born in 1897 in Seaham Harbour but in 1901 he was fostered by a family here in Northwich in Cheshire called Stephens and Mary Ann had returned to Birmingham I don't know why she would have gone to seaham harbour to have a baby and then foster him to a David Stephens in Northwich so I don'yt know who he may have been with in between times that is a great mystery but grandad never talked about his mother as she paid these people for his care but never allowed them to adopt him but would have no contact with grandad.
 
ive found him in 1911 living 6 edward st. northwich, cheshire

david stephens 39 alkali labourer b. manchester
lydia stephens 40 b. northwich
clarence stephens adopted son 13 b. seaham harbour
and there was a frederick and harriett thomas with their 2 children boarding with the family

david and lydia stephens had been married 14 yrs and had had no children
 
Shera how can I thank you you are a star and thanks so much for your help you cant believe how much time and money I have spent looking for my grandfather's family and you have given me a lot in just one day.
 
and he was with them in 1901 as well living london rd. northwich

david stephens 28 alkali labourer b. manchester
lydia stephens 29 b. northwich
clarence m d france 3 adopted b. seaham harbour
 
GILLIAN52, There was a shop selling radios, electric irons etc and the name was France, on the Coventry Rd next to Hardings Bakery near the Swan Island pre WW2 and post WW2 is there a possible connection?. Len.
 
Hi Len, I don't know Birmingham at all or anything about my France family in Birmingham so I couldn't say to be honest as not familiar with the area, I know that they were in the painting and decorating trade and also the gun trade at some stage but I don't know if there was a connection with the shop you mention maybe as I piece them together I may find a connection. Regards Gill
 
gill
There are a number of other people named France in the directories over the years , including painters, carpenters, a pearl worker (i think this might have been mother of pearl) and a gunmaker. Let me know if i can find anyone else for you
Mike
 
Thanks Mike I cant believe how helpful people have been since my first post I am so thrilled to have at last found somethng on my family as I have looked for them for years, there is a connection with the France's and gunmaking and also painting and decorating I have them missing for a couple of years on the census 1871/1881/1891 if I can fill in some gaps I may finally be getting somewhere, thanks again. Gill
 
just found them in 1871 living gee st. bham with thomas and hannah middleton and their daughter maria.

elizabeth france (transcribed frana) boarder unmarried 25 domestic servant b.bham
mary a france boarder 4 b. bham
 
ive already given you 1881 but here is 1891 living gt. hampton row, bham

elizabeth france 47 widow! housekeeping
mary a france 24 single gold and silver worker
samuel france 45 brother widower gold and silver stamper
annie france 22 niece single gold and silver worker
clara france 21 niece single steel pen cutter
nelly france 12 niece chain maker

all born bham.
 
Hi,

I have some France's in my family tree namely my mom's cousins Lesley France b.1911 married my g Aunt Thelma Stevenson let me know if i can help.

Laura-Jen
 
Hi there until marriage I was a France but I live in Cheshire, do you know who the parent's of Lesley France were, my ancestors were a Mary Ann France 1866 Birmingham her mother Elizabeth abt 1844 and Elizabeth's parent's Richard France and Christiana Hill I only have the information that has been very kindly sent to me above, I believe my France family were painters & decorators and also involvement with the jewellery and gunmaking trades of that area. Gill
 
Shera said:
there is a mary ann france living in handsworth area until 1939

she is lodging with a john and winnie capnerhurst at 13 clarence avenue

and there is a death of mary ann france in birmingham in 1940 aged 74yrs (which would be about right)
Click to expand...
Hi, very old post I note but interesting to note that John (Jack) and Winnie were my great Uncle and Aunt.
 
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