The virus that took Daniel Johnson and his wife Sarah Birch

 Daniel Johnson was my 3x great grandfather. A domestic gardener by trade, he was born on 7 December 1817. 

On 31 May 1840, he married my 3x great grandmother Sarah Birch (born 1818) at St Nicholas Church, Liverpool.

Together they had eight children, including my great great grandfather Joseph.

Tragically they both died in November 1893 within four days of each other at home at 68 Langton Road, Litherland. Both death certificates state bronchitis, but older family members always said they died in a pandemic. This is probably true, in what was at the time the fourth and final wave of Russian Flu, which swept across Europe and the UK between 1889 and 1893.

I write this in the middle of another pandemic, as we await a potential second wave. It brings it home, and acts as a warning to wear masks, wash hands and keep socially distant.

The Meadows of Aughton

 John Medowe was my 12x great grandfather. He was born c.1550 in Aughton, near Ormskirk. I know very little else about him.

He has a son, Anthony Medowe (11x great grandfather) born c.1570 in Aughton, died 17 November 1625 in Aughton. In October 1594, again in Aughton, he married Elizabeth Adames (born c.1575 Aughton, buried 6 February 1621 Aughton).

Their son was Thomas Meadowes (10x great grandfather)(born 17 February 1604 in Aughton, buried 16 November 1659 in Bickerstaffe). On 6 February 1636 he married Margery Parker (born c.1606).

Their son, Roger Meadow (9x great grandfather)(born 1625 in Aughton, buried 10 May 1694 in Aughton) married Alice (born 1625 in Aughton, buried 17 February 1658 in Aughton) in 1643.

Their son, Thomas Meadow (8x great grandfather) (baptised 10 January 1653/4 at St Michaels Church Aughton, died July 1724 in Aughton) married either or both (to be determined) of Mary Hunt (married 25 May 1707 in either Aughton or Childwall) and Margaret Denton (born 1670 Runcorn, buried 6 April 1733 in Aughton).

Thomas’ son, Roger Meadow (7x great grandfather)( born 1695 in Bickerstaffe, died April 1736 in Aughton) married Elizabeth Warbreck (born 1693, buried in Bickerstaffe 4 May 1743, daughter of William and Elizabeth Warbrick) on 3 January 1713 in Aughton.

Their son, Robert Meadows (6x great grandfather)(born 1735 in Aughton, buried 27 September 1783 in St Thomas Church, MellIng-in-Halsall) married (7 February 1757 in Aughton) Margaret Webster (born 1735 Bickerstaffe to William Webster and Anne Molyneux, died 1816). During their lifetime it appears Robert, Margaret and their children were all evicted from their land in Aughton and moved to Maghull.

One of those children, Sarah Meadows (5x great grandmother)(born 1762 in Aughton, died 1836 in Sefton) married James Knowles (born 8 May 1763 in Sefton, died 1819) on 7 May 1786 in Sefton.

Their daughter, Anne Knowles (4x great grandmother)(baptised 13 May 1792 in Sefton Park, died 1871) married Robert Birch (born 1770 in Sefton Park, died 15 February 1866) on 1 May 1813 at St James’ church, Walton on the Hill, Liverpool.

Their daughter (3x great grandmother)(born 2 August 1818 in Ford, Sefton, died 1893) married Daniel Johnson (born 7 December 1817 in West Derby, died 1893) on 31 May 1840 at St Nicholas Church, Liverpool.

Their son Joseph Johnson 2x great grandfather)(born 23 November 1853 in Bootle, died 1926) married (19 July 1875 at St Nicholas Church, Liverpool) Ann Atkin (born 22 December 1855 in Wolverhampton).

My great grandmother (“Gran”) Was their daughter Alice Johnson (born 28 January 1891 died 20 March 1979. I remember her very well in my early childhood. She married (30 October 1913 at St John and St James Church Litherland) Frederick Timmes Taylor (born 5 October 1890, died 31 October 1945).

Their daughter, Edna Taylor, was my dad’s mum.

I found out the above back from Sarah Meadows to John Medowe today doing research. Not bad for a days work.

Margery Bannister 1816-1852

Margaret ‘Margery' Bannister  1816 - 1852

3 x great grandmother

Margery was born in c1815/6, probably in the Wigan area of Lancashire 1851 census says “ Wenel” (could be Orrell (Bootle or Wigan) or Vennel, an old place name near Ormskirk),