Biography of Rose Helen THEXTON
[Ref. Q.84]
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Index for THEXTON |
Biography of Rose Helen THEXTON
[Ref. Q.84]
| Ancestors | |
Profile | |
Photos | |
Index for THEXTON |
Rose Helen Thexton was born at Stricklandgate in Kendal, Westmorland
on 2 February 1877. The address is given as No.12 Yard 142. Kendal has a series of Yards off
the main streets and White lion Yard in Stricklandgate is
typical of where Rose was born.
Rose was the second of three children, all daughters, born to Sarah Thexton prior to her marriage to Thomas Blair. These children remained with Sarah and her family and looked upon Thomas as their father. In the census of 1881, the family were shown as living at Moss Side, Ulverston, Lancashire.
By the time the census was taken in 1891, the family had migrated down to Liverpool, most likely in order to find work. At that time, Rose had adopted the name of Blair and was engaged as a general domestic servant by the Armstrong family at 126 Harrowby Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool and, therefore, living away from her family.
Rose had met John Swinnerton and was either living with him or next door in Whittier Street in Liverpool when she bore his child, William Leslie, on 14 September 1899 at number 28. They registered the birth as if they were already married.
Rose and John married on 14 April 1901 at Liverpool parish church. Her father and sister Elizabeth were the witnesses. She gave her name as Rose Thexton Blair and was shown as living in Grove Street Liverpool.
The 1901 census shows the family living at 30 Whittier Street, Sefton Park, Liverpool which is where daughter Sarah was born on 16 June that year. When daughter Eva was born on 30 November 1903, the family were living at 51 Lowther Street in Liverpool. When daughter Emmie was born on 6 February 1905, they were back in Whittier Street, but at number 58 then later at number 54 when daughter Edith Lilian was born on 31 October 1906.
The family had moved to 101 Ponsonby Street in Toxteth Park, Liverpool by the time daughter Doris was born on 30 July 1908 and this became the home in which the family grew up. Son John was born there on 13 November 1911, Frank Rodney on 31 December 1914, Harold Norman on 6 May 1916 and finally Eric Gordon on 18 May 1920. Eric only survived until the age of two.
Rose's husband was a marine engineer which meant that he was away from home a good deal working on the Canadian Pacific liners. As the trans-atlantic traffic started to migrate from Liverpool to Southampton, Rose would travel down there by train to meet her husband when he called at port. It became apparent that such trips were usually followed by an addition to the family in due course. Rose kept a 'baby drawer', and when the children found new items being put into it, they knew another brother or sister was on the way.
By all accounts, Rose was very capable of managing the household herself, besides which she assisted neighbouring ladies with the birth of their children. Her own children also took their place in running the household. The eldest son Bill would line his siblings up once a week and give them a tanning as a caution against misbehaviour. The older girls looked after the youger children.
Rose and John were married in the church of England, however, Rose did not get on with the vicar when they lived in Ponsonby Street, so she took the family to the Baptist church at Princes Gate. The children also took part in activities organised by that church.
Rose and John were living at 44 Greyhound Farm Road in Liverpool when he died on 20 September 1943. Rose fell ill with influenza on top of chronic asthma and was being nursed by her daughter Sarah when she passed away at Sarah's home at 18 Olive Drive in Neston on 24 January 1951. She had written an informal will in pencil on a piece of notepaper leaving instructions to her sons.
She was known amongst her family as Rosie, but her full name appears differently on various documents. On her birth certificate she is Rose Helen Thexton, and on her marriage certificate she is Rose Thexton Blair, having adopted the surname of her mother's husband, who may well have been her father. Her death certificate gives her name as Rose Helen Ellen Blair, the name Ellen having been crossed out. The insurance policy which Rose assigned to her daughter Edie bears her signature as Rose E Swinnerton indicating that she used the middle name Ellen.
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