Looking for La Granda Alpha Watson
 

I am looking for the family of La Granda Alpha Watson and ideally what happened to his parents. Alpha, as he was known, was born (April, May or June) 1875 in Cononley, Yorkshire. In the 1881 and 1891 census, it says his relationship to the head of the house (Christopher Mason) is nephew. Christopher's wife is Elizabeth Mason.

I know he emigrated to Australia twice - 1898 and 1919 (returning to England in between), where he eventually dies 12/5/1938, leaving he is widow Annie Watson (nee Pickles).

Any information about his parents or family besides his wife Annie and daughter Lizzie is greatly appreciated.

Thanks Nerrida

Hi Nerrida! I'll just put these here for reference.

1881
Christopher Mason 37
Elizabeth Mason 38
Le Granda A. Watson 5
Jane Mason 5

1891 (I corrected all three mistranscribed as "Cason" to Mason.)
Christopher Cason 47
Elizabeth Cason 48
Jane Cason 15
Legranda A Watson 15

1901 (Ancestry had Mason transcribed as Mabon. I put in the correction.)
Elizabeth Mabon 57
Alfred Smith 24
Jane Smith 24
Ernest Smith 3
Alpha Watson 25
Annie Watson 26
Lizzie Watson 3/12

1911 (Ancestry had him indexed as female. I've put in the correction.)
9 Progress Villas, Gladstone Road Ashtead, Surrey
Alpha Watson 35
Annie Watson 39
Lizzie Watson 10

I guess you have not acquired his birth certificate? And what about his marriage certificate?

Christopher and Elizabeth married between 1861 and 1871 (censuses). This marriage looks likely:


Marriages Jun 1866

BARRETT Sarah J Skipton 9a 51
Mason Christopher Skipton 9a 51 <<<<<<<<<<<<
Watson Elizabeth Skipton 9a 51 <<<<<<<<<<<<
Watson James Skipton 9a 51

I don't know if James Watson is connected yet.

The PR for the marriage is on fmp - I don't have time to type it out but Eliz's father (so presumably also Alpha's grandfather) is George Watson, miner.

Ancestry is being difficult, but this is them in 1861:

George Watson 51
Jane Watson 43
Thomas Watson 20
Elizabeth Watson 18
Marmaduke Watson 15
Mary Ann Watson 12
John Watson 10

Ancestry won't let me see the 1851 page, but these are the people you need to look for!

George Watson 40
Jane Watson 32
Thomas Watson 9
Elizabeth Watson 8
Marmaduke Watson 6
Mary A Watson 2
John Watson 5 Mo

So, it's likely one of those siblings is Alpha's parent.

Oooh, no more time now and I can't cope with endlessly seeing the 'not available' page.....

Here's the 1851.
George Watson 40
Jane Watson 32
Thomas Watson 9
Elizabeth Watson 8
Marmaduke Watson 6
Mary A Watson 2
John Watson 5 Mo

Christopher Mason is on the same page of the 1861, toward the bottom.

Here's the PR on FMP.
03 Apr 1866 Christopher Mason-Elizabeth Watson

First name(s) Christopher
Last name Mason
Age Full Age
Birth year -
Marriage year 1866
Marriage date 03 Apr 1866
Marriage place Kildwick
Residence Crosshills
Father's first name(s) William
Father's last name Mason
Spouse's first name(s) Elizabeth
Spouse's last name Watson
Spouse's age Full Age
Spouse's residence Cononley
Spouse's father's first name(s) George
Spouse's father's last name Watson
County Yorkshire (West Riding)
Country England
Archive North Yorkshire County Record Office
Archive reference N-PR-KLD1-25
Page 223
Record set Yorkshire Marriages
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Marriages & divorces
Collections from Great Britain

Probate 1939
Le Granda Alpha of South-street Albany Western Australia died 12 May 1938 at Government Hospital Vancouver-street Albany Probate Perth to Annie Watson widow and George Herbert Haywood orchardist
Effects £568 3s 1d in England.
Sealed London 16 January.

If you mean that his birth was registered April - June, we get 6 weeks to register a birth, so he could also have been born in February or March.

On the 1891 Census the family are living at Clegg-street, Burnley.

Christopher died on 1st October 1891.

His administration is in the probate calendar.

MASON Christopher
21 October
Administration of the Personal Estate of Christopher Mason late of 1 Clegg-street Burnley in the County of Lancaster Engine Tenter who died 1 October 1891 at Burnley was granted at the Principal Registry to Elizabeth Mason of 1 Clegg-street Widow the Relict.
Personal Estate £502 18s 5d

Do you know whether Alpha's death certificate gives his parents' names, Nerrida? Though I realise sometimes parents' names on death certs are not accurate.

I tried entering forenames for the potential parents on the search page for his death cert, but I think perhaps that only works for births as I got no results for any name no matter how commonplace. I realise this doesn't mean there isn't further info on the actual death cert though. (I don't have any experience of certs from Perth.)