After Emma died in 1891, Stephen kept his daughter, Beatrice, but not Ellen. I discovered that Ellen had been adopted by Stephen’s second wife’s sister, Ellen Cook Howell, and her husband, George Ernest Howell.

Stephen Oxborough

Born: 1858 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Father: John Oxborough (1814 to 1889)
Mother: Maria Piper (1815 to 1892)

First Spouse: Emma Reeder Baxter (1858 to 1891)

Married: 1877 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Children:

Caroline Edith Oxborough (1877 to 1898)
Arthur Edwin Oxborough (25 APR 1880 to 1950)
Frederick Stephen Oxborough (1882 to 1891)
Charles Edward H Oxborough (1884 to Unknown)
Beatrice Emma Oxborough (27 JUL 1886 to 1967)
Ellen Gertrude Oxborough (22 SEP 1888 to 1982)
Ethel May Oxborough (1891 to 1891)

Second Spouse: Alice Mary Cook (1857 to 1937)

Married: 1896 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Children: none

Died: 1906 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England

Timeline:

1861 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1871 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1877 Marriage to Emma
1877 Birth of daughter, Caroline
1880 Birth of son, Arthur
1881 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1882 Birth of son, Frederick
1884 Birth of son, Charles
1886 Birth of daughter, Beatrice
1888 Birth of daughter, Ellen
1889 Death of father, John
1890 Death of sister, Harriet
1891 Birth of daughter, Ethel
1891 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1891 Death of son, Frederick
1891 Death of daughter, Ethel
1891 Death of wife, Emma
1892 Death of mother, Maria
1895 Death of sister, Mary Ann
1898 Death of daughter, Caroline
1901 Beccles, Suffolk County, England
1906 Death and Burial

Occupation: house painter (1881 and 1891), mechanical engineer’s painter (1901)

Records:

1861 to 1901 England Census Records
England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index: 1837-1915
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1915

Variations of Surname: none

Daughters:

Caroline Edith Oxborough:

Caroline was born in 1877 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1898 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Caroline was 21 years old when she died.

Beatrice Emma Oxborough:

Beatrice was born on 27 JUL 1886 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1967 in Kingswood, Surrey County, England.

Beatrice gave birth to one child out of wedlock:

Beatrice Emily Gertrude Oxborough (1908 Lambeth, Surrey)

Beatrice married Herbert Malcolm Sayers in 1910 in St Pancras, London, England. Two known children were born to this marriage:

Herbert Stephen George Sayers (1911 Islington, London)
Edward Stanley Sayers (1914 St Marylebone, London)

Herbert Malcolm Sayers was born on 16 SEP 1888 in Dorking, Surrey County, England. He died in 1966 in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey County, England.

Ellen Gertrude Oxborough:

Ellen was born on 22 SEP 1888 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1982 in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk County, England.

Ellen married Albert George Howard on 15 JUL 1911 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. One known child was born to this marriage:

Ivy Ellen Howard (1911)

Albert George Howard was born on 29 DEC 1884 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. He died on 22 FEB 1954 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Probate:

After Albert died, Ellen married Francis William Ulph in 1956 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Ellen was 68 years old and Francis was 78 years old.

Francis William Ulph was born on 13 AUG 1878 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. He died on 3 OCT 1964 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Probate:

Francis had previously married Florence Ellen Walker in 1906 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Two known children were born to this marriage:

Ada Kate Ulph (1908)
Francis Herbert Jack Ulph (1911)

Florence Ellen Walker was born on OCT 1877 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1955 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Stephen’s First Spouse:

Emma Reeder Baxter:

Emma was born in 1858 in Bulcamps, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1891 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Emma was 33 years old when she died.

Emma was born out of wedlock to Caroline Baxter.

Caroline Baxter was born in 1836 in Blythburgh, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1915 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Caroline did not marry Emma’s biological father.

Caroline married Amos Kirby in 1861 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Five known children were born to this marriage:

Caroline Wright Kirby (1862)
Charlotte Wright Kirby (1863)
Florence Kirby (1868)
Ernest Arthur Kirby (1870)
Albert Edward Kirby (1874)

Amos Kirby was born in 1826 in Shipmeadow, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1877 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

After Amos died, Caroline married George Roe in 1895 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Caroline was 59 years old and George was 56 years old.

George Roe was born in 1839 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1902 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

George had previously married Sarah Woolnough in 1863 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. Eleven known children were born to this marriage:

Sarah Roe (1864)
Eliza Roe (1866)
Susan Roe (1868)
George Roe (1871)
William Roe (1874)
James Roe (1876)
Stephen Roe (1879)
Benjamin C Roe (1881)
Leander Thomas Roe (1884)
Alice M Roe (1886)
Harriet Annie Roe (1887)

Sarah Woolnough was born in 1844 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1893 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Finding Emma’s Father:

Emma was christened with the middle name of Reeder. As Caroline was unmarried at the time of Emma’s birth, I thought that Reeder was her father’s surname.

I searched the 1861 England census for a man named Reeder or Reader who lived in the Beccles area. I found Robert Reeder.

I do not have definite proof that Robert Reeder was Emma’s father. As Caroline was unmarried, the birth and baptism records would not list a father’s name.

There are many instances of unmarried women adding the father’s surname as a middle name for their illegitimate children. I have to assume that Caroline and Robert were engaged to be married. One of them must have called off the wedding.

Emma’s Father:

Robert Reeder was born in 1837 in Gisleham, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1914 in Lound, Suffolk County, England.

Robert did not marry Emma’s mother.

Robert married Georgina Rushmere in 1862 in Ellough, Suffolk County, England. Four known children were born to this marriage. The children were born in Suffolk County, England.

Henry William Reeder (1866 Mutford)
Elizabeth Mabel Reeder (1869 Mutford)
Alfred Reeder (1872 Hulver)
Jessie Maria Reeder (1874 Lound)

Georgina Rushmere was born in 1837 in Ellough, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1920 in Wrentham, Suffolk County, England.

Stephen’s Second Spouse:

Alice Mary Cook:

Alice was born in 1857 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1937 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Alice’s father was Edward Cook. He was born in 1828 in Ellough, Suffolk County, England. He died in 1909 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Alice’s mother was Hannah Maria Lewis. She was born in 1833 in Shadingfield, Suffolk County, England. She died in 1874 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Alice had ten brothers and sisters:

Hannah Cook (1858)
Edward Cook (1860)
Frederick Cook (1861)
Ellen Cook (1863)
Annie Cook (1864)
Elizabeth Cook (1867)
Daisy K Cook (1868)
Frederick L Cook (1870)
Herbert W Cook (1873)
May F Cook (1874)

Alice had previously married George Tooke in 1880 in Worlingham, Suffolk County, England. Three known children were born to this marriage:

James E Tooke (1880)
Fanny Tooke (1882)
Thomas Tooke (1884)

George Tooke was born in 1851 in Earsham, Norfolk County, England. He died in 1887 in Woodbridge, Suffolk County, England. George was 36 years old when he died.

Did You Notice?

Emma and two of their children died in 1891:

Frederick died in the second quarter of 1891, volume 4a page 597.

Emma and Ethel died in the third quarter of 1891, volume 4a, page 453.

 

Emma and Ethel’s page numbers are identical. This indicates that they died on the same day.

I searched the internet to find out what happened in 1891 in England. I discovered there was a worldwide influenza epidemic that began in 1889 and lasted until 1895. This may have been what caused the deaths of these three individuals.

What Happened After Emma Died?

The 1901 England census shows that Stephen and his second wife were living on New Market Street in Beccles. Stephen’s daughter, Beatrice, was the only child listed on the census.

That made me wonder what happened to Stephen’s daughter, Ellen. She would have been three years old when her mother died.

I was lucky enough to find Ellen on the 1911 England census. I then backtracked and found her on the 1901 England Census.

The 1901 England census shows that Ellen was the adopted daughter of George Ernest Howell and his wife, Ellen. They were living at Gosford Terrace in Beccles.

The 1911 England census shows that Ellen was still living with the Howells. They were then living on Bridge Street.

What caught my attention on the 1911 England census was the name, Mary Ann Cook. I wondered if this woman was somehow related to Stephen’s second wife, Alice Mary Cook.

After doing a little more searching, I discovered:

George Ernest Howell had married Ellen Cook in 1886 in Beccles, Suffolk County, England.

Ellen Cook was Alice Mary Cook’s sister. Alice, of course, was Stephen Oxborough’s second wife.

Mary Ann Cook was Ellen and Alice’s stepmother.

I still wonder why Stephen kept Beatrice but not Ellen. He married Alice in 1896, which meant that Alice should have been able to care for both children.

Notes:

The surname, Oxborough, originated in Norfolk County, England. It appears in church registers as early as the mid-16th century. As the world population grew, these Oxborough ancestors moved to other counties in England. By the late 19th century, some had immigrated to Canada and Australia.

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 births, marriages, and deaths.

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 that is 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. The records can 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 ancestor.

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

Genealogy is the study of a person’s “line of descent.” As you create your family tree, you would typically 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, and move forward into the present time.  The purpose of this type of pedigree is to establish a person’s bloodline with that famous person.

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