Join us for full benefits and know that ‘You’ll never search alone’ with your Liverpool and South West Lancashire Family History Society.

George Cowley b c 1775 or 1782

By lynne99 |
General Genealogy

I thought I had asked about him before, but when I searched the old and new sites, there were no matches.

He is my 3 x great grand father.  He was born some time about 1775 to 1782, possibly in the IOM, but this is guess work.  He married Mary Mason, but again I have no details and had a child Elizabeth Cowley  b 1816 d 1888 in Liverpool. (bapt St Peter's; buried Anfield)  She married Richard Howard. 

Back to George and Mary.  I cannot find any of their data in Liverpool.  I found a possible death for Mary Cowley in 1830, but apart from Liverpool, no details.  A possible baptism 1778 October in Bishop's transcripts for Liverpool.  There is a possible will for George Cowley  on family search , the details I have are    https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DRH3-L66?i=53&cat=3259…; but again this comes up with no records. There is another George Cowley in Liverpool at the same time, he was a boarding house keeper in Union Street in 1841 census and I am 90% sure this is not mine as he had different children.   I had asked on the IOM forum, but cannot now search for it. 

I am in a right pickle, please can anybody help me.  I would be very grateful.  

Lynne,

The will is likely to be this chap,

Name: George Cowley
Death Age: 64
Birth Date: abt 1753, 
Burial Date: 24 Feb 1817, Address, Earle Street.
Burial Place: Liverpool, Lancashire, England

The boarding house keeper, 1841 census was married to a Jane, at the time of his children's baptism he was a Tailor living in Edmund St.

Died 1850, aged 78

Lynne,

 

Just scratching an itch and probably more hair pulling to follow.

 

One of the signatories, probate, is George Gadd, I think born about 1792. He married a Mary Morris.

His parents were Richard Gadd and Mary Mason, married 1791, Farnworth.

Marriage: 9 Sep 1791 St Luke (formerly St Wilfrid), Farnworth (Widnes), Lancashire, England
Richard Gad - Bricklayer, Farnworth near Prescot
Mary Mason - (X), Spinster, Farnworth near Prescot
    Witness: John Pye; Peter Shaw
    Married by Banns by: Thomas Kidd Minister

 

 Perhaps Mary Gadd/Mason lived with George Cowley, the reason no marriage can be found. 

The children's baptism would still be correct, formerly, Mason.

 

George Gadd and Mary Morris named one son, John Mason Gadd. 

Found the will in Lancashire Archives and will send for it.  Thanks.  ( love wills, so interesting.

I am a bit confused, not unusual, about Mary Mason/Gadd.  If she married Richard Gadd in 1791 , that would make her too old to have then married George Cowley and had children up to 1816.  Or perhaps not.  George was born c 1775 and I thought Mary was a little younger.  Where from I don't know.  

I am working hard at the moment so I am sorry for the delay in replying.

George Cowley died Intestate, no will. The only will I came across was that of George Cowley the Tailor/Boarding House Keeper (National Archives).

Mary Mason/Gadd would have been 44 years old in 1816, still capable of having children.

George Cowley the Labourer was born 1753.

To put some meat on the bone, Richard Gadd/Mary Mason, m1791 and had 2 children, George, 1792 and Richard, 1794. Later both became Tallow Chandlers, perhaps a partnership. I can't find any further children born to Richard and Mary Gadd, nee Mason. It may suggest  an end to their relationship between 1794 and  1802 when George and Mary Cowley/Mason had their first child.

I can't find a suitable death for Richard Gadd between 1794 and 1802 which may suggest why no marriage can be found for George Cowley and Mary Mason.

 

If the probate for George Cowley, 1817, Family Search is your George, what's the chances of a George Gadd being a signatory for Mary Cowley who was previously a Mary Mason, his mothers maiden name. 

Just to confuse you even more .....  My grandmother Harriet Harrison had an older sister Mary Ellen Harrison b 1873 Liverpool. Mary Mason and  George Cowley were their great grand parents.    She married George Mason Gadd b 1874 Liverpool. Married 1898 All Souls Liverpool. I think if you follow him back 

His father   Charles William Gadd b 1842 mother Mary Jones?

Then John Mason Gadd b 1823 d 1876 his wife Hannah Jones ?

His father George Gadd b 1792 d 1863 (Was he the one on the probate?)  +  Mary Morris

His father Richard Gadd.  I think he married Mary Mason in 1791.

Mason is still a middle name in this family

Is this the same family??

From Lancs OPC  there is a Mary Mason b 1772 at Farnworth where she married.  

Your thoughts please

Lynne

Then John Mason Gadd b 1823 d 1876 his wife Hannah Jones ?

His father George Gadd b 1792 d 1863 (Was he the one on the probate?)  +  Mary Morris

His father Richard Gadd.  I think he married Mary Mason in 1791.

 Lynne,Yes 

Now to try to check that they are the same Mary Mason.  Life is so difficult.  My DNA matches might well help on this.

I agree with above.

Once you start mixing in DNA matches it tends to get more complicated, I would suggest attempting to build "quick and dirty" trees for some of those matches and then see if they fit, rather than trying to attach them first before making the tree.

There is a tree on Ancestry that has Richard Gadd's death in 1843 Manchester and Mary 1841 also in Manchester.  They don't show any proof though.  Have looked on Lancs OPC and can't find a death for Richard, but there are a couple for a Mary Gadd not in 1841.  Both of them don't fit with a birth date of c 1772

Again from FreeBMD - age at death given by the GRO is 2 years however I don't know how they get that detail since the index page doesn't show ages.

Deaths Sep 1841   (>99%)
Gadd  Mary    Manchester  20 348

Do you have access to the GRO Private Beta Project? if not let me know and I'll send you the invitation, you can order either or both of these Certificates as a digital image, they cost only £2.50.

Mary Gadd aged 2 at death, 1841, is likely to be the daughter of Richard Gadd/Catherine Davies who married 1834, Manchester.

None of the above would be them.  They would have been a lot older in the 1840s.  both born 1770s.   So I think I can ignore those Manchester deaths.  Now I don't know whether to tell the tree owner or not.  If it was me I would like to know.  

I don't have access to the project that you mentioned and know nothing about it.  I am sure it would be useful.  Thank you.

I will put the links we have discussed on ancestry, with asterixes (If that is how you spell it)

Forgot to say, of the DNA matches with Gad or Gadd in them, only 2 have them in Lancashire, the others have them a long way away.