My Pop, Harold Downes, was born the third son of Daniel Downes (1854-1901) and Eliza Roe (1868-1904) on 20 December 1894 in Staffordshire, England. Pop died on 11 November 1963 in Dandenong, Australia long before I was born and I didn’t really hear a lot about his life prior to coming to Australia in 1913. Its not until I started researching more of his family that I found a very sad story of great loss to him, his father, Daniel, his wives, both named Eliza and their children. In this blog, as part of Family History Month, I tell the story of their family and the tradgey that fell upon them.
Daniel Downes was born 11 July 1854 in Leek, Staffordshire, England to Abraham Downes (abt. 1825-1887), a cordwainer, and Mary Goodwin (abt. 1824-1910). Baptised on 13 August 1854 in Quarnford, Stafford, Daniel was the third child of Abraham and Mary, who went onto have six children between 1850 and 1865. Daniel was employed in 1871 as a farm laborer aged 17 years at Buck Bank Farm in Cheshire then moved to Higher House farm by 1874.
On 25 April 1877 in Prestbury, Cheshire, Daniel married Eliza Foukes (1854-1887) the daughter of Thomas Foukes, a blacksmith. Daniel and Eliza would go onto have three children; Ann (abt. 1876), Mary Jane (1877) and James William (1881). Sadly on 27 August 1887 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, Eliza would pass away aged 33 years of liver disease leaving behind three young children aged 11, 9 and 6 years.
Three years on, Daniel married Eliza Roe on 11 November 1889 in Yoxhall, Staffordshire and they would have five children; Frederick (1890), Herbert (1892), Harold (1894), Edith (1898) and Arthur (1901).
By 1901, Daniel and his family had moved to Austrey and living in Cork Hall where Daniel was now working as a Banksman [a Banksman works at the pit bank dispatching coal and organising the workforce] at a coal mine. Disaster would soon strike the family when Daniel would suddenly pass away on 23 December 1901 in Tamworth, Staffordshire from an intestinal obstruction and shock leaving behind five young children, the youngest, Arthur, not even one year old.
With a young family of five children, Eliza, chose to fight and on 7 June 1902 was in court claiming workmen’s compensation for her husband’s death. Eliza alleged that Daniel’s death was the result of injury by accident arising in the course of his employment on December 20, at the Tamworth Colliery Co. She sought compensation for £171/12/3 for three years of earnings, at £1/3/- per week, and £10 medical and funeral expenses.
Mr. Masser who appeared for Eliza explained that the doctor certified that death was due to intestinal obstruction and shock, and the real point was as to whether it was the result of an accident or disease. Two fellow workman gave evidence that Daniel in the days prior to his death had strained himself while pushing a truck, which the defence ruled was not an accident.
Eliza in her statement said her husband was 47 years of age, and a banksman at the colliery where he worked for nine years. She went onto say that she had five children, who, with herself were dependent on her husband.
After the Judge ruled Daniel’s death not an accident, Mr. Masser argued with the Judge on the ruling but in the end the Judge ruled the case could not continue as he could not see there was any accident. The case was dismissed without costs.
Tradegy would soon strike the family for the second time
Eliza was to find love again and on 15 November 1902 she married George Henry Chapman, aged 32 years, a widower and miner in Austrey, Warwick. On 24 November 1904, Eliza and George would welcome a son, James. However, tragically this happiness would not last and seven days after James’s birth, Eliza passed away on 1 December 1904 from puerperal thrombosis a critical postpartum illness that develops within a week of giving birth.
It is unclear where Eliza’s five young children went following her death but in 1911 they were either living with her step son, James William or boarding whilst working as laborer’s or miners. The four boys, including my Pop, Harold, would soon immigrate to Australia where they married, had children and lived good lives.
Genealogy is becoming more popular as technology advances and more records become available online, but there are still many who don’t know the stories of their ancestors. I knew nothing about Pop’s family in England and after extenive research I have been able to tell apart of his story and as sad as it was for his family, it was probably these tragedies that drove him and his brothers to look for a better life here in Australia. During August, Family History Month, take advantage of specials being offered by genealogy websites and start to trace your family, you never know what you might find that has made you who you are today.
References
General Register Office, Downes, Daniel Registration of Birth, 1854, GRO.UK (Possession on Author)
1871 England Census, Civil Parish, Henbury, County, Cheshire, Class RG10; Piece 3678; Folio 98; Page 4; GSU roll: 841869.
1874 Morris & Co’s Directory & Gazetteer of Cheshire, (2013), UK, City and County Directories, 1766-1946, Ancestry.com.
General Register Office, Presturby Marriages, Downes, Daniel and Eliza Foukes, 1877, GRO.UK (Possession on Author)
General Register Office, Downes, Eliza Registration of Death, 1887, GRO.UK (Possession on Author)
1901 England Census, Civil Parish, Austrey, County, Staffordshire, Class RG13; Piece 2650; Folio 100; Page 12.
General Register Office, Downes, Daniel Registration of Death, 1901, GRO.UK (Possession on Author)
The Herald, (1902), Workmen’s Compensation Act Case, Saturday, June 7, 1902, page 5.
General Register Office, Chapman, Eliza Registration of Death, 1904, GRO.UK (Possession on Author)
Ancestor Detective 