Deaths between 1871 and 1891

In the 1891 census Abigail describes herself as a widow, the census was recorded on the night of 5th April 1891.  We cannot find George, Abigail or their daughter Alberta in the 1881 census, where did they go after all living together in Woolwich in 1871?  What happened to George?

I went in search of death records between the dates of these two censuses under various names, the following were extracted from FreeBMD UK for the period between 1871-1891.  Arthur 'George' indicated he was 30 years old at the time of the 1871 census, so if he died between 1871-1891 he would have been roughly between 30-50 years of age.


Hans Christian Andersen's deathbed at Rolighed, Østerbro, Copenhagen (Wikimedia Commons)


Arthur Courtney/Courteney/Courtenay/Courtny - all too young!

* 1873 Arthur Baldwin Courtney, aged 0, St Thomas; 

* 1877 Arthur Frederick Courtney, aged 3, Holbourn;

* 1879 Arthur Courteney, aged 7, Camberwell;

* 1885 Arthur Ernest Courtney, aged 0, Alderbury;

* 1885 Arthur Courtney, aged 19, Greenwich;

* 1890 Arthur Courtney, aged 5, Hendon;

* 1890 Arthur Courtney, aged 0, St Thomas.


George Courtney/Courteney/Courtenay/Courtny - 8 possibilities?

After reviewing each of the 8 possibilities, the 3 in 'red' remained in contention and required further research. 

* 1871 George Courtney, aged 1, West Derby

* 1873 George Courtney, aged 76, Dorchester

* 1876 George Courtney, aged 67, Tiverton

* 1876 George Henry Courtney, aged 34, Medway - now identified as George Harvey Courtney

* 1877 George Courtney, aged 21, Manchester

* 1878 George Littler Courtney, aged 17, Bolton

* 1880 George Thomas Courtney, aged 3, Hayfield

* 1880 George Courtney, aged 0, Hendon

* 1881 George Courtney, aged 1, Whitechapel

* 1882 George Alfred Courtney, aged 1, West Derby

* 1882 George Courtney, aged 2, Tiverton

* 1882 George Courtney, aged 35, Ulverston - now identified as husband of Mary Jane Wells

* 1883 George Holman Courtney, aged 85, Barton R

* 1883 George Courtney, aged 27, Cookham

* 1885 George Henry Courtney, aged 0, Newport M

* 1886 George Courtney, aged 67, Medway

* 1886 George Courteney, aged 38, West Derby - now identified as husband of Henrietta Hinds

* 1885 George Courtney, aged 2, Torrington

* 1885 George Frederick Courtney, aged 66, St Olave

* 1886 George Courtney, aged 72, Weymouth

* 1886 George Courtney, aged 83, Wareham

* 1886 George Courtney aged 41, Prestwich - m Henrietta Hinds in 1876. In 1871/1881

* 1887 George Courtney, aged 40, Brigend - m Mary Power; b1846 Devon.  In Wales 1871/1881 

* 1888 George Courtney, aged 58, Islington - m Ann Jacobs, b Isle of Wight. In 1871/1881

* 1888 George Courtney, aged 27, Patrington

* 1888 George Henry H Courtney, aged 57, Barton R - m Prudence Langdon. In 1871/1881

* 1888 George Courtenay, aged 65, Barnstable

* 1889 George Thomas Courtenay, aged 47, Birkenhead - Born in France, Doctor, Scotland in 1871

* 1889 George Courtney, aged 81, Wareham

* 1890 George Augustus Courtney, aged 83, Isle of Wight

* 1891 George Alfred Courtney, aged 0, Cardiff

* 1891 George Dodd Courtney, aged 18, Newcastle T

* 1891 George Courtney, aged 0, Bridport


After purchasing the death certificates, we now know:

* The 1876 death registered for George Henry Courtney is actually George Harvey Courtney who died in prison.  Believed to be the child of Michael William (Rickard) Courtney and Sarah Ann Death.  No 1871 census record yet found, but he may have been in prison (refer 1869 prison record)?

* The 1882 death registered for George Courtney in Ulverston is for an iron ore miner, married to Mary Jane Wells. He also goes by Courtenay, probably born in Cornwall in 1848.  No 1871 census record yet found.

* The 1886 death registered for George Courteney is actually the husband of Henrietta Hinds, a fire police officer.  Most researchers evidence the Prestwich death in the same year, but this has now been proven incorrect.  Believed to be working as a servant with the Symth family in Devon at the time of the 1871 census and from 1881 is in Lancashire. 

* The 1886 death registered for George Courtney in Prestwich is for an Iron Moulder of Manchester, who died at the Crumpsall Workhouse.  His sister in law was Mary Ann Shone of Chorlton, Lancashire, she was present at the death and the informant.  George is not recorded in the 1881 census for the workhouse and without more details regarding his place of birth it is difficult to identify him in earlier censuses.

More research needs to be undertaken for these men to rule them out.


NOTE:  I am still yet to find a death record for George Courtenay of Waterford


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This blog is dedicated to finding my second great grandfather Arthur 'George' Courtney c1841.   To view  a summary of my research click here.  

If you help with any of questions raised in this post, please contact me using the contact form on this blog or send me a private message via Wikitree, Ancestry or Facebook. 


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