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Showell family

K

Katrina

master brummie
Looking for information on the Showell family of Birmingham. I know they were brewers and one of their pubs the Bull's Head is in Price Street still. In particular James Showell (my great grandfather) who deserted 3 of his motherless children on a canal towpath in 1901.
 
Hi Lyn, James was born in 1864. I cannot find his death at all. I know when he was arrested in 1903 he was of no fixed abode so I presume when he came out of prison one month later he was again homeless. It could be he died in an alley somewhere or fell into the cut! I doubt he would have any ID. I have been in touch with the police museum in Steelhouse Lane to see if they had a photo but they don't. Very grim life for the children....
It would be great if anyone has any information or even is a member of the family!
Katrina
 
ok kat yes a very sad tale indeed..could i just ask have you searched ancestrys records yet? and also do you have james on any of the census years as it could help to narrow down when he died? the more info you give the better it will be to help you..oh who was his wife ?

lyn
 
The last year I found him on a census was 1891 when he was working as a strip castor. His wife Susannah ( nee Tomkins, daughter of Ann Chinn who may be related to Carl?? more research needed there) died in 1899 from a huge blood loss in late pregnancy. I found their boys in the 1901 census in the Marston Homes and their daughter Rosina (my paternal grandmother) living with her Aunt.
Katrina
 
Katrina said:
The last year I found him on a census was 1891 when he was working as a strip castor. His wife Susannah ( nee Tomkins, daughter of Ann Chinn who may be related to Carl?? more research needed there) died in 1899 from a huge blood loss in late pregnancy. I found their boys in the 1901 census in the Marston Homes and their daughter Rosina (my paternal grandmother) living with her Aunt.
Katrina
Click to expand...
yes ive got him on the 91 now strip caster and thats the same occupation on his marr cert to susannah...no luck so far finding him on a census after the 1891 will keep looking

lyn
 
I can't shed any light on James' fate, I'm afraid, but I recognise the Showell name. Walter Showell's 1885 Dictionary of Birmingham has been a source several interesting details about my own family.

Walter was nephew to Thomas Showell the victualler, which I'd hazard a guess makes him first cousin to James' father Joseph, the silver stamper.

I imagine you've already encountered this site in your research, which seems to have quite a bit of Showell biography:
www.morganfourman.com

Walter Showell | Morgan Web Site

Walter Showell, the Oldbury brewer, was born on 26 September 1832. He was baptized in St Martin’s Birmingham on 25 Oct 1832. He undoubtedly had a difficult childhood. His father, also Walter Showell, died when he was only three in 1835. His mother, Eliza Ann Breakspear, remarried in 1840. In the...
www.morganfourman.com www.morganfourman.com
 
so far i cant find james showell on the 1911 census anywhere in england which does not mean to say he was not somewhere..i could have missed him..it also does not mean he had died by then as i cant find a definate death either..however there is an entry for a james showell at sutton coldfield cem jan 1907 trouble is it does not give his age..so as kat has said the last known sighting of him was when he came out of prison in 1903...kat do you have a marr for the son alfred ? because have found one dated 1915 alfred marries minnie stanton and he states his father is james showell occ caster..it does not say he was deceased

lyn
 
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There is a death in 1919 in Preston - age slightly out. However, I haven't checked yet to see if that James is in Preston on earlier censuses
 
on the 1911 it looks like the other son james was serving in the navy from portsmouth..transcription is wrong though as it say he served from 1829 but he was not even born then :rolleyes:


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