I'm looking for information on an Elizabeth Howard born c1845 (date from marriage records), but I can't find her in Scarisbrick in 1851.
I've seen her marriage records from her marriage to Moses Westhead in 1883 in St. Helens, which shows her father as Nicholas Howard.
HodgePodge
This has proved a real puzzle.
In 1901 Moses is widowed with his son, Moses.
In 1891, Elizabeth Westhead is 43 and listed as born Southport. in the household are Moses' stepchildren named Howard: Robert 23, Edward 15, George 12 and Margaret 9. Also are Westhead children Elizabeth 7, John 5 and Moses 2.
After much searching, I did find Elizabeth and her children in 1881, but the surname was impossible to read with certainty. In Ancestry they're transcribed as Morster ? but it could read Welsby, Wright etc
The family are as follows (children born St Helens):
John 42. Carter. Scarisbrick
Elizabeth 35. Scarisbrick
Robert 13 Shop Boy
B?y a??? (son) 11
James 8
Edward 5
George 2
Sorry, just managed to track them down in 1871 in Windle, transcribed as Mooster (not correct, see below):
John Mooster 31 Lab. Scarisbrick
Elizabeth. 27. North Meols
Robert. 3. St Helens
B?????? 7months (still can't figure that name out! Think it's Benjamin). St Helens
They are next door to the Carr family, also from Scarisbrick, who may prove to be related.
Running a search on BMD for Moister in Prescot, I found the following:
Robert Sep 1867
James Jun 1873
Edward Mar 1876
George Mar 1879
Margaret Jane Jun 1881
These match the ages of Elizabeth's children in the census returns (though, sadly, the possible Benjamin isn't there to confirm it).
As an aside, Edward Moister married Anne Ellen Penketh in 1899 under his Moister name and was living with his wife, daughter Magdalene Amelia and his in laws in 1901, transcribed in Ancestry as Morstad. Magdalene married Thomas W Ashmore in West Derby, 1924.
I think I may be able to explain why the children are born as Moister but known as Howard in later returns.
There's a John Moister who died in 1893 aged 53 in Prescot district, which is a good match for John (it looks like this family are the only Moisters in Prescot) also a marriage for a John Moister in 1884. I can't find a marriage for a John Moister and Elizabeth in Ormskirk or Prescot
It's possible that John and Elizabeth never married, separated between 1881 & 1883 and both married other people in St Helens. After this time, Elizabeth changed her children's names to her maiden name.
In 1851, John Moister (11, Halsall) is son of William and Margaret, living in Scarisbrick
In 1841 John Moister (2) is with parents William and Margaret in Scarisbrick and 1 day old brother, Robert
Going by census returns, it seems likely that Elizabeth (Howard?) was born in Southport, as it is listed twice in the 3 returns I can find.
There are a couple of Elizabeth Howards of her age in earlier census returns , but none ith a father named Nicholas.
There is just one girl in 1851 named Elizabeth, daughter of a Nicholas, and that's Elizabeth Linaker of Southport.
I would suggest that Elizabeth was either:
a) daughter of Nicholas Linaker, and perhaps married a Howard before she met John Moister or Moses Westhead...
b) she was an illegitimate child of a Howard woman and her father was named Nicholas with a different surname (botching names together to hide illegitimacy was common)...
c) Nicholas Howard was a grandfather (also commonly listed to hide illegitimacy, though unlikely in this case as I can find no record of a Nicholas Howard ever existing)...
d) the name Nicholas Howard was simply invented for the same reason.
I've ruled out the possibility that she was Elizabeth Linaker and Howard was a stepfather's name, as Nicholas Linaker was alive and widowed in 1861 (daughter Elizabeth not present).
The fact that Elizabeth names a man who doesn't seem to exist as her father suggests that she was likely to be illegitimate, as there would be no reason to lie about her father's name if she weren't.
It's hard to pin a likely match down in 1851 & 1861, but it's possible she was known under a surname other than Howard, as her mother may have remarried when Elizabeth was young if she was illegitimate... alternatively, Howard could be a stepfather's name and she may have been born under another.
I know I haven't been able to identify Elizabeth's background for you, but perhaps this might help to point you in the right direction
Hope it helps
HodgePodge
Dotty
Blimey...
Well, I'm dizzy just thinking about the possibilities...
Hope you all manage to sort it out soon,
Dotty
Wes
Looking for elizabeth Howard/Moister
Hi, crozz,
I hope I can help a little, Elizabeth Howard/Moister was my Great Grandmother via her son Edward Moister and Ann Ellen Penketh. I have the birth certificate for Edward and it shows John Moister to be the father. Elizabeth Moister gave her maiden name as Howard.
According to the certificate they were living at 136 College Street, St Helens on the 29th March 1876.
My mother had a cousin who used to visit us called Margaret, whose maiden name was Howard and she told my mother that Elizabeth and John were not married but Elizabeth had been married to a Mr Howard her grandfather. Bad move.
I can remember someone called Westhead visiting our home in Thatto Heath during the second world war, but I can't remember Christian names.
I have found a record for a John Moister arriving in New York in 1883 on the SS Nevada. He was 40 yrs and 3 mths old.
As for more details on Elizabeth and John I can't help but would be very interested in anything you can help with.
Wes
HodgePodge
This is good news, I hope Crozz had email notification turned on.
So Howard was the name of Elizabeth's first husband, she lived with John Moister and then married Westhead.
So you now need a marriage between <unknown> Howard and Elizabeth <unknown>.... a bit of a tall order!
