Workday Wednesday - Needlewomen

Me - My Dad - Dorothy Eleanor May Warry - Alfred William Warry - Emily Worthington - Sarah Swain

In the Victorian era, I've discovered a family of needlewomen living in London on my Dad's maternal side. This family has been a challenge to research and I'm still searching for information. Looking through the census records, I've found a mother and her daughters using their needle skills to help contribute to their family income.

The earliest census I found for my 3rd great grandmother, Sarah Swain (Worthington), is 1871. Sarah was living in St. Pancras, Middlesex, England with her children Emily, Jane, and Alfred. Her occupation was a needlewoman. Sarah marital status was married, but her husband, William, is not listed in the household. This would not have been unusual as William is listed as a servant in all his daughter's (Jane Elizabeth, Emily, and Jane) marriage records. He could have been living at his place of employment.

Skipping to the 1891 census I found two of Sarah's daughters employed as needlewomen. My 2nd great grandmother, Emily Worthington (Warry), is living with her husband and her four children at 59 Campsbourne Road in Hornsey, Middlesex, England. Her sister, Julia Elizabeth Worthington (Fitch), is a few doors down at 29 Campsbourne Road with her husband. I can imagine these two sisters getting together for needlework.

Sources:

1871 England Census, St. Pancras, London, household 450, Sarah Worthington; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 March 2017); citing: ED 20; Piece: 228; Folio: 39; Page: 73.

1891 England Census, Hornsey, Middlesex, household 255, George Augustus Warry; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 March 2017); citing: ED 5; Piece: 1060; Folio: 27; Page: 45.

1891 England Census, Hornsey, Middlesex, household 229, George Fitch; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 March 2017); citing: ED 5; Piece: 1060; Folio: 25; Page: 41.

My English Roots

Alfred & Edith Warry

My grandmother’s parents, Alfred William Warry and Edith Eilnore Smith emigrated from England to Canada in 1906 and 1907.  Alfred arrived in March 1906 aboard the Southwark.  Edith followed more than a year later, arriving in December 1907 aboard the Kensington.  Traveling with Edith were the children;  my grandmother, Dorothy Eleanor May Warry, Sydney Alfred Warry, and John William Warry. They first settled at 34 Brunfield in Toronto West, as they are in the 1911 census. I’m not sure when or why they ended up in Alberta (this is an area for more research). While Alfred, Edith, Dorothy, and John came to Alberta.  Sydney stayed in Ontario, later moving to New York.

Automated Genealogy is a great site for free Canadian census information for 1901, 1911, 1906 for Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and 1851. The linking project looks interesting and I plan to try it in the future.