Who Do You Think You Are - William Roache 26th Sep

[Shona]

Originally Posted by kiterunner

I wasn't sure how they could tell from the photos that Albert didn't go on the holidays - couldn't he have been the one taking the pictures?

One of the photos looked like the Alhambra in Granada.

[Shona]

Originally Posted by Olde Crone

May's birth is registered 1897 on Lancsbmd, mmn Ratcliffe, which makes her a child of Zillah and Albert, not James and Alice.

OC

Thanks, OC. Still puzzled why she is referred to as 'daughter' not 'grand daughter'. One census can be an error, two made me suspicious.

[Olde Crone]

There was something of a custom almost, in Darwen in particular, where the first child was given to granny to bring up. Not sure why - maybe to give the young couple a chance to get on their feet. Not sure either whether it was inbtended from birth or whether it was just a temporary arrangement which became permanent.

Maybe they described her as daughter because that was how they felt about her and thought it was nothing to do with the nosey government as to what the exact relationship was.

OC

[kiterunner]

Looking at Lancs BMD, it seems that James and Alice had a son Ralph who was born in 1878 and died in 1880 age 1.

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by Olde Crone

Someone on GR has found a newspaper report from 1894 when Albert was charged with stealing a piece of ham, lol.

It was a baker named Arthur Pinkerton who stole the ham, and he also did grievous bodily harm to Albert. Presumably the man who broke Albert's leg.

[Shona]

You're on to something, OC. Checking the Ratcliffes, I found:

1891 census - Leigh, Staffs

John Ratcliffe, 54, butcher, born Leigh
Mary Ratcliffe, 60, born Leigh
William Radcliffe, 31, son, butcher, born Leigh
Zillah Ratcliffe, 19, dau, dressmaker, born Leigh
Addie, 16, dau, born Leigh

Next door...
Mary Ratcliffe, head, widow, 77, pub innkeeper, born Leigh
Fanny Ratcliffe, grand dau, 32, born Leigh

In the 1881 census, the two families are living next door to each other and Mary has two grand daughters living with her - Fanny and Emily.

[Shona]

Looking at the 1881 census for James Waddicor, his occupation was quarry man AND grocer. They didn't mention grocer in the episode.

[kiterunner]

Yes, I noticed the "grocer" part when they showed the page, and I wondered why they ignored that bit.

[kiterunner]

By the way, there is no episode next week because Panorama is on instead.

[anne fraser]

I wondered with the holiday thing if Albert was actually at home running the cafe.