In 1877, Elizabeth was christened with both the Aldous and Clarkson surnames. This was because she was born several months before Matthew and Maria were married.

Matthew James Aldous

Born: 1855 in Claycross, Derbyshire County, England

Father: William Aldous (1831 to 1903)
Mother: Sarah Ann Barber (1823 to 1895)

Spouse: Maria Ann Clarkson (1857 to 1929)

Married: 1877 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England

Children:

Elizabeth Aldous Clarkson (1877 to 1937)
Robert William Aldous (21 JUN 1880 to 15 APR 1950)
Cyril Herbert Aldous (6 AUG 1881 to 24 MAY 1941)
Albert Aldous (29 DEC 1883 to 27 JUL 1944)
John Aldous (20 MAR 1885 to 1950)
Matthew Aldous (29 NOV 1886 to 1956)
Samson Aldous (1889 to 1912)
Annie Aldous (16 MAR 1891 to 1966)
David Aldous (13 MAY 1893 to 1972)

Died: 15 JUL 1928 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England

Probate:

Timeline:

1858 Death of sister, Elizabeth
1861 Basford, Nottinghamshire County, England
1871 Todwick, West Yorkshire, England
1877 Birth of daughter, Elizabeth
1877 Marriage to Maria
1880 Birth of son, Robert
1881 Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England
1881 Birth of son, Cyril
1883 Birth of son, Albert
1884 Death of brother, John
1885 Birth of son, John
1886 Birth of son, Matthew
1887 Death of brother, Herbert
1889 Birth of son, Samson
1891 Birth of daughter, Annie
1891 Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England
1893 Birth of son, David
1895 Death of mother, Sarah
1901 Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England
1903 Death of father, William
1911 Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England
1912 Death of son, Samson
1916 Death of brother, William
1919 Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England
1928 Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England
1928 Death and Burial

Occupation: coal miner

Records:

1861 to 1911 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
West Yorkshire, England, Electoral Registers, 1840-1962
England & Wales, Death Index: 1916-2005
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941

Variations of Surname: none

In 1853, Matthew’s father decided to leave the farmlands of Suffolk County, England. William must have determined that he could make more money from mining coal than tilling the soil.

William worked in the coalfields of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire. In the late 1870s, the family settled in Kiveton Park.

In 1864, Carrington and Sons leased the rights to mine coal in the Kiveton Park area. When the Barnsley Seam was reached at the end of 1867, there was a need for a greater number of coal miners.

With the influx of new workers to the parish, houses were hastily built to accommodate them. These were called “row houses”.

The 1911 England census shows that Matthew and Maria were living at 15 Wesley Road. The Google Map entry of this area shows that the houses were built close together. That is how they became known as “row houses”.

There are photographs of these houses and other buildings on the Kiveton Park and Wales History Society website. The photos are not dated, but many look quite old.

After Matthew and Maria died, the 1931 Electoral Register shows that Annie and her disabled brother, John, lived at 15 Wesley Road. Next door, at 17 Wesley Road, was her brother, Cyril. And, her brother, Robert, lived at 19 Wesley Road. Annie most likely lived at 15 Wesley Road until she died.

Spouse:

Maria Ann Clarkson:

Maria was born in 1857 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England. She died on 31 JUL 1929 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England.

Maria’s father was Robert Clarkson. He was born in 1827 in Heslerton, East Yorkshire, England. He died in 1893 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England.

Maria’s mother was Maria Hesp. She was born in 1829 in East Lutton, East Yorkshire, England. She died in 1917 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England.

Maria had thirteen brothers and sisters. The four oldest children were born in East Lutton, the fifth child in Allerton, and the rest in Kiveton Park:

Elizabeth Clarkson (1849)
Henry Clarkson (1851)
George Wilson Clarkson (1852)
Hephzibah Clarkson (1854)
Lucy Clarkson (1856)
Jemima Clarkson (1859)
David Clarkson (1860)
Mary Clarkson (1863)
Albert Clarkson (1865), twin brother
Sarah Clarkson (1865), twin sister
Alfred E Clarkson (1867)
Frederick W Clarkson (1869)
Horace Clarkson (1873)

Maria had one child out of wedlock:

George Henry Clarkson was born in 1874 in Sutton In Ashfield, Nottinghamshire County, England. He died in 1942 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England.

Daughters:

Elizabeth Aldous Clarkson:

Elizabeth was christened with both the Aldous and Clarkson surnames. This was because she was born several months before Matthew and Maria were married.

As Maria already had one illegitimate child, Matthew may have doubted that Elizabeth was his offspring. That would explain why they did not wed before Elizabeth was born. By giving Elizabeth the middle name of Aldous, Matthew acknowledged that she was his child.

Elizabeth was born in 1877 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England. She died in 1937 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England.

Elizabeth married Edwin Illsley in 1896 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England. Three known children were born to this marriage:

Ella Illsley (1897)
Doris Illsley (1900)
Vincent Illsley (1907)

Edwin Illsley was born in 1874 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England. He died in 1961 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England.

Annie Aldous:

Annie was born on 16 MAR 1891 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England. She died in 1966 in Kiveton Park, West Yorkshire, England.

Annie never married. She took care of her brother, John, for 30 years. In 1919, John was wounded while fighting in World War I. He may have been partially or fully paralyzed.

Notes:

Here are some links to websites that helped with my Aldous family research:

Aldous.net (Aldous family history and family tree),
Ancestors of Tim Farr, Descendants of Stephen Farr (family tree)
Reid-Schroeder Genealogies (family tree)
The Tree of Us (family tree)
Family Search (family tree website)
The Internet Surname Database (surname meaning and origins)
House of Names (coat of arms)

Creating Your Family Tree

Interested in building a great family tree? Remember these important steps:

Look in your photo albums. You may have old pictures that your parents or grandparents gave you. Or, ask them for copies of photos that they have in their possession. Many people will write names and dates on the backs of photographs. Letters, diaries, and family bibles are also excellent sources for vital records.

Talk to your older relatives to find out about your ancestry. They may relate stories about an ancestor that you can add to your family tree. Family history is usually not found in newspapers. It is more of a verbal memory passed down from generation to generation.

Find the right family tree builder that suits your needs. You can choose one that has a paid subscription like Ancestry.com. There are also free sites like FamilySearch.org.

When you start building your family tree, add documentation to your ancestor’s profile. Records should include birth, marriage, death, census, military, city, and county directory listings. Any information that you can find will help create a life story about your ancestors.

If you have a unique surname, you may find databases on the internet that are useful in your search. I use SurnameDB.com for my English surnames. There are other websites on the internet for countries like Italy and Germany.

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would start with one individual and go “back into time.” You would add their parents, grandparents, and so on. There are also family trees that go “forward into time.” Many of these family trees start with a famous person, such as a president or royalty. They would then move forward into the present time. The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline to that famous person.

There is no limit on how big your family tree can grow. The blank canvas is there for you to use. Cherish your family history, and it will be there for generations to come!