THE FAMILY OF VIOLET MILLS (1901

The following information was derived from the 1901 Census for the United Kingdom

Dwelling: 268 Dunlop Street Carbrook Sheffield Yorkshire  - Reference RG13/4382 Page7 

The main factor to emerge from the census is that they were staying at the house of Violet's Uncle ADOLPHUS OTTER. As his status is given as widower, his wife and Ellen's sister must have died prior to 1901 leaving Adolphus with a young daughter Libby to bring up. His sister in law ELLEN MILLS and her husband ADAM obviously helped in this task by moving in with Adolphus.

In June 2004, I checked with the FREE BMD website regarding the marriage of Adolphus Otter. There was an entry for the September quarter of 1892 that showed that ADOLPHUS OTTER had married an ELIZABETH RODDIS (GRO Vol 9c Page 527). We know that Adolphus was a widower at the time of the 1901 Census and the FREE BMD website gave confirmation of this when it recorded the death in the March quarter of 1899 of an ELIZABETH OTTER (GRO Vol 9c Page 264). Elizabeth was only 25 at the time of her death and so must have only been 17 at the time of her marriage to Adolphus. The 1881 Census shows an Elizabeth Roddis (born 1874) as a pauper age 7 in the Sheffield Union Workhouse at Pitsmoor, Sheffield. (PRO ref RG11 Piece/Folio4664/153 page9). There must be every possibility that this is the same person who ten years later married Adolphus but to date I have been unable to confirm.

There are indications that ADOLPHUS remarried in the March quarter of 1902 (PRO REF Ecclesall Brierlow Vol 9c Page 508) but I've yet to confirm the name of his second wife

Whilst the 1881 Census shows Elizabeth as a inmate of the local workhouse, ADOLPHUS OTTER is shown as a ten year old scholar

Living at the same address was his two year old sister ELLEN OTTER (1879 - )

Adolphus and Ellen were the children of WILLIAM OTTER my wife's great great grandfather. The entry is

The FULL entry in the 1881 census for the family is as follows

Dwelling: 222 Bright Street
Census Place: Attercliffe Cum Darnall, York, England
Source: FHL Film 1342128 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 4665 Folio 43 Page 80

I must admit that I was surprised by the size of the family given the nature of William's employment but large families were not uncommon in late nineteenth century Britain  The other important fact to arise out of the census is the date that the family moved to Sheffield. The two eldest sons were born in Nottinghamshire, circa 1860 but the third William was born in Sheffield in1863-4 and so the move must have been made in the period 1860 - 63. 

The main problem I had when obtained the information from the 1901 Census was that I could find no trace of ADAM H MILLS and his family in earlier records. Two years later whilst researching the FREE BMD, website, I entered the name ELLEN OTTER and found that in the March quarter of 1899  - Sheffield - an Ellen Otter had married a ALDAM, MARSHALL MILLS. The search was over and I soon found out that ALDAM was the third son of THOMAS and MARY MILLS.   

In March 2008 I applied for the marriage certificate for WILLIAM and ELLEN. They were married in the Parish Church in Kirkby in Ashfield at July 12th 1858, William was a 21 year old  Bachelor, and Ellen a 19 year old spinster. Both were living in Kirkby, at the time of the marriage, with William's occupation given as labourer. Ellen's maiden name and the surname of her father was a problem but after a little thought and investigation, I discovered that ELLEN's maiden name was BRADDOW, - the writing of the person who filled in the certificate was difficult to read.

ELLEN BRADDOW,  was the daughter of JERIMIAH BRADDOW, a collier by occupation.    

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This page was last updated on 03/04/08 15:10