Evangeline ADAMS [1296]

  General Notes:

Evangaline's father's occupation was given as grocer on her birth certificate and on her marriage certificate his occupation was given as railway guard.

It is possible that Evangaline was raised by her Aunt and Uncle Thomas and Maria Draper. There is an Eva Adams in the 1871 Eva Adams is said to be a "visitor" and 1881 census she is recorded as "niece" and is living with the Drapers at 3 High Street, Higham Ferrers. Both the Drapers worked in the shoe industry. The age and place of birth matches that given in the 1891 census after Evangaline married William Blackwell.

In 1891 William and Evangaline were boarding with Thomas and Maria Draper and Maria's father David Allen was also living at the same address. This proves that Eva Adams, who had lived with the Drapers since she was at least 4 years of age, is the correct person, and that Ann Maria (Maria ) Draper was Ann Maria Allen, the sister of Evangaline's mother Sarah Allen.

Witnesses to Evangaline and William's marriage were Beatrice Adams and Henry Garwood. Maria Beatrice also recorded as Beatrice Maria Adams was Evangaline's sister who later married Henry Garwood in 1891.

In 1871, Eva's mother, Sarah, was living with her parents and there is no mention of her husband Frederick Adams. She has two children living with her at this time the youngest is Beatrice who was 4 months old at that time. In 1881 Frederick Adams living in Nottinghamshire, occupation is pilot guard (rail). At the same census there is a housekeeper, Ann Wallis and her son Augustus Wallis and 10 children recorded with the surname Adams. All are listed as Frederick's sons and daughters. These 10 children include the two who had been living with Sarah in 1871, but there is no mention of a wife, although Frederick's marital status is recorded as married and the youngest child recorded is only 2 years of age. I have found a Sarah Adams who died in 1879 in Shardlow, Derbyshire.

I have now discovered that Eva's father Frederick Augustus Adams married Sarah Allen and they had 6 children of which Evangaline was the eldest. Sarah died when her youngest child was about 1 year old, in 1879. One year later, in 1880, Frederick married a widow, Elizabeth Fritchley (Choulenter) who had 6 children of her own, including a set of twins. It is possible that within a year of their marriage Elizabeth was placed in a lunatic asylum and that is why Frederick had a housekeeper to assist with the children. By 1891, Elizabeth is living with her husband and family at Ashton under Lyne, Cheshire, England. In 1901 Elizabeth is staying with her daughter Ellen Jane Wheeldon (Fritchley) in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, England. I have been unable to find Frederic Augustus Adams in the 1901 census. Frederick is listed as a widow at the 1911 Census and he is living with his son Frederick Allen Adams in Dukinfield, Lancashire, England.

It would appear that Sarah's sister Maria Draper and her husband Thomas had no biological children of their own but took charge of Evangaline's upbringing some time before 1871.

Evangeline married William BLACKWELL [1283] [MRIN: 397], son of Alfred BLACKWELL [1295] and Ann MILLER [1294], on 5 Oct 1890 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England ²¹⁷⁸.^,2179 (William BLACKWELL [1283] was born on 25 Apr 1867 in Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, England ²¹⁷⁵, christened on 16 Aug 1868 in Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, England,²¹⁷⁶ died on 3 Mar 1953 in Pakenham, Vic, Australia ²¹⁷⁷ and was buried on 4 Mar 1953 in Pakenham, Vic, Australia.)