The Cater Family - Canal Street. Sheffield
1891 Census - 1 Court 5 House Canal Street
John (35) and Mary (31) with their FOUR children John (9) Elizabeth (6) Sarah-Ann (3) and Ethel (11 months). There was also a boarder a 23 year old labourer Richard Barber. They were married ten years earlier in 1881
Marriages Sep 1881 - BROWN Mary Sheffield Volume 9c Page 572 Cater John Sheffield Volume9c Page572
North Pole Inn Sussex Street - the location of Mary Ann Cater's Inquest
December 12th 1900
The City Coroner, Mr. D. Wightman, held an inquest, yesterday, at the North Pole Inn, Sussex Street, concerning the death of Mary Ann Cater, the eight weeks old child of Mary and John Cater, of Canal Street. The child was put to bed about a quarter-past ten on Saturday night. It slept with its mother and father. The mother gave the child the breast about four o’clock on Sunday morning, and she went to sleep with the child still sucking. When she awoke again, about quarter-past seven, the child was dead.
Dr. Arthur Hallam had made a post-mortem examination on the body, and had come to the conclusion that the child had died from suffocation. The woman had lost seven children previous to this. It was stated by several persons present, who were not, however, called as witnesses, that the woman was drunk on Saturday evening when she went to bed with the child, and though the woman denied this, the Coroner said no value was to be attached to her statement. Inspector Stephens, who was present on behalf of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said the mother bore a very bad character for drunkenness and neglect of her children.
The jury returned a verdict that “deceased died from suffocation, but as to the cause there was not sufficient evidence to show”.
1901 Census - 1 Court 3 House Canal Street
John (35) and Mary (31) with their FIVE children John (18) Elizabeth (15) Sarah-Ann (13) Ethel (10) and Alice (3). In the period 1891 - 1901 the couple lost SEVEN children in total. Six of the children died before the age of 1 and the other Blanch was just two years of age.
Cater Frank - 8 months old born 1891 died February 1892
Cator, Minnie - 4 months old born and died 1894.
Cater, Blanch - 2 years old born 1892 died August 1894.
Cater, Richard - 2 months old born and died 1895 (July)
Cater, Eleanor - 1month old born May 1896 died June 1896 .
Cater, Charlotte - 9 weeks born and died 1899 (October)Cater, Mary Ann - 9 weeks. born and died 1900 (December)
1911 Census
Another child William was born in 1904 and died a year later in 1905. Another son John was born a year later in 1906.
The 1911 Census reveals that the couple had 16 children in total, 9 of which died and 7 who were still alive
Cator, Minnie (Child, age 4 months).
Died at 3ct Canal St; Buried on June 2, 1894 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 11073, Section W of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Cater, Blanch (Child, age 2).
Died at 3ct 3 Canal St; Buried on August 10, 1894 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 11073, Section W of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Cater, Richard (Child, age 2m).
Died at 3 Canal St; Buried on July 20, 1895 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 11073, Section W of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Cater, Eleanor (Child, age 1mo).
Died at 3ct Canal St; Buried on June 6, 1896 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 11073, Section W of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Cater, Charlotte (Child, age 9w).
Died at 3ct Canal St; Buried on October 14, 1899 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 11073, Section W of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Cater, Mary Ann (Child, age 9w).
Died at 3 Canal St; Buried on December 12, 1900 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 11073, Section W of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Cater, William (Child, age 12 mo).
Died at 3ct 3 Canal St; Buried on March 7, 1905 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 11073, Section W of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
DEWSNAP, Ernest (son of Joseph, age 14 mo).
Died at 8ct 1 Alexander Rd; Buried on June 2, 1915 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 11073, Section W of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Dewsnap, Evelyn (dau of Joseph, age 6).
Died at 8ct 1 Alexander Rd; Buried on May 29, 1915 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 11073, Section W of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
DEWSNAP, Harriet (daug of Joseph, age 3). Died at 8ct 1 Alexander Rd; Buried on June 5, 1915 in Consecrated ground;
Grave Number 11073, Section W of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
Another child Frank is buried elsewhere in Cater, Frank (child, age 8mo). Died at 15ct Sussex St; Buried on February 25, 1892 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 14027, Section Y of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
This is the burial record of the parents
Cater, John William (Miner, age 65).
Died at 2 Smilter Lane; Buried on November 22, 1924 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 19875, Section A6 of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
CATER, Joseph (Miner, age 66).
Died at City General Hospital; Buried on February 12, 1949 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 19875, Section A6 of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
CATER, Mary (Widow, age 74).
Died at 2 Herries Rd; Buried on September 18, 1935 in Consecrated ground; Grave Number 19875, Section A6 of City Road Cemetery, Sheffield.
For a woman who was described as "bore a very bad character for drunkenness and neglect of her children", Mary Cater lived a very long life. She had 16 children - it may have been more with miscarriages/stillborns but that will never be known. It would be interesting to ascertain the cause of death of the other children who died in infancy but the cost of obtaining the death certificates from the GRO is prohibitive.
Sources
UK Census
12th December 1900
Sheffield Indexers
This page was last updated on 26/04/17 14:46