Mary Veronica Madge Waller (née Whelan) (1890-1956).

My great great grandmother Mary Thornton, born about 1811 to 1813 in Ireland, had at least two children born in Ireland with her husband William Thornton. One was William born about 1851, the other was Ann born about 1853. From Ann’s marriage certificate in 1874, we can see that Mary’s husband was William Thornton, a Shoemaker, and he was deceased by 1874.

In the 1871 census my great grandfather Patrick Whelan, an apprentice riveter aged 22 (he was 20 going by the 1881 and 1891 censuses and the 1874 marriage certificate) is staying with his aunt Catherine Boyle in Birkenhead. Her husband Anthony is not present. There is an Anthony Boyle aged 50 in Chester Castle prison at this time.

On 17 January 1874 Anne Thornton married Patrick Whelan at St. Laurence’s Church on Beckwith Street. From the marriage certificate, Patrick, 23, was a riveter living at 58 Park Street Birkenhead, and his father was Thomas Whelan (deceased), a Labourer. Ann, 21, was living at 60 Park Street, and her father was William Thornton (deceased), a Shoemaker. Patrick signed with an “X”, Anne signed her name. Witnesses were Charles McNally and Mary Rooney.

It has proved impossible to trace the birth of Patrick Whelan in Ireland, it’s a pretty common name! Unfortunately, in the censuses Ireland was considered sufficient as a birthplace, no town or county seems to have been recorded in most cases.

In Q1 1880 the birth of William Thornton (junior) in Birkenhead was registered, mother’s maiden name Thompson.

We first see Mary Thornton in the 1881 census, aged 70 and living with her son William Thornton aged 30, a General Labourer, at 215 Market Street. From William junior’s birth register entry we can see that William’s wife, Ann J. Thornton, 28, was born Thompson in about 1853, the same year as his sister Anne. Mary is a widow aged 70. William Thornton junior is 1 year old.

In the 1881 census, Patrick and Ann “Wheelan” were also living in Market Street, at number 211. Patrick was 30 and a Riveter (Boilers), estimated birth year 1851, birthplace Ireland. Ann was 28, estimated birth year 1853, birthplace Ireland.

In Q3 1890 the birth of Mary Whelan in Birkenhead was registered.

In the 1891 Census taken on 5 April, Patrick and Annie Whelan were living at 37 Queensbury Street. Patrick, 40, was a Boilermaker, Annie was 38. Mary Whelan was 8 months old. Also living with them were Mary Thornton, 78 (2 years knocked off her age since 1881) , a widow and mother (of Annie), and William Thornton, 11, nephew (of Patrick and Annie, grandson of Mary via her son, Annie’s brother William Thornton).

In Q1 1892 the birth of Thomas Whelan in Birkenhead was registered. He was born on 10 December 1891, confirmed by his service record and the 1939 register. No baptism found. The first I knew of him was finding him buried in a family grave with his mother Ann and brother-in-law Christopher Charles Waller.

On 17 May 1895 Patrick Whelan, Boiler Riveter, died at 3 St. Anne Street aged 44. The cause of death was recorded as Chronic Pneumonia and, on the line below, Dropsy. Anne Whelan reported, and was present at, the death. Death Certificate dated 20 May 1895. Patrick was buried in Birkenhead Cemetery on 21 May 1895 in a public grave, Roman Catholic section 1 grave number 613.

In 1896 Q2 the death of a Mary Thornton “aged 71” in Birkenhead was registered. She was buried at Birkenhead (Flaybrick Hill) Cemetery on 5 May 1896 in a public grave, Roman Catholic section 1 grave number 637.. On the burial register her abode was 16 Bk St. Anne Street and she was the widow of a William Thornton. Her age might not be accurate bearing in mind she was 70 in 1881 and 78 in 1891! I would guess she was 85 or so, not a bad age.

In 1897 Q3, the death of an Ann Jane Thornton aged 41 in Birkenhead was registered, Ann Whelan’s sister-in-law and wife of William. This would put her birth year as 1856 not 1853 though. It may not be her. In any event, by the 1901 census William and Ann J. do not seem to be present as a couple in Cheshire or anywhere else.

In the 1901 Census taken on 31 March, Ann Whelan, 46 (48 going by the 1891 census) and a Laundress, along with Mary Whelan aged 8 (actually 10), are inmates at a workhouse in Tranmere, ecclesiastical parish of St. Catherine’s. This was the Birkenhead Union workhouse at 56 Church Road Tranmere. This became St. Catherine’s Hospital in 1948. Thomas Whelan aged 7 (actually 9), was in the same workhouse, but he is separately listed with the other males.

In the 1911 Census taken on 2 April, Anne Whelan, a widow aged 58, is still a Laundress and Mary Veronica Whelan aged 20 is a Domestic Servant. They are both listed as boarders at 103 Harrowby Road, which is adjacent to the Birkenhead workhouse in Church Road. It sounds like Ann would still have been working there. From the scanned document, Ann states her marriage lasted 37 years. She obviously misunderstood the question on the form; it had been 37 years since her marriage in 1874. She also stated she had given birth to two children who were still living, i.e. Mary and Thomas. “T.” Whelan, aged 19 and born in Birkenhead, was a barman at a golf club in Hoylake.

On 20 October 1915 Thomas joined the Army Service Corps Mechanical Transport at Coventry. His occupations were listed as barman and chauffeur. After passing the Army driving test at Osterley Park in London on 16 December, he arrived at Boulogne on 5 February 1916. His next of kin was his mother Ann Whelan of 65 Claughton Road Birkenhead. His unit was attached to various Siege Battery Parks of the Royal Garrison Artillery in France, and he drove lorries delivering large calibre shells to the guns. These parks were ammunition dumps and centres for the mechanical and horse transport supporting the Siege Batteries.

On 25 March 1918, Mary Veronica Madge Whelan of 65 Claughton Road Birkenhead married Christopher Charles Waller, 30, of 267 Brook Street, Sergeant Royal Field Artillery. Her father Patrick Whelan (deceased), Journeyman Engine Fitter, his father George James Waller (deceased), Crane Driver (his father was actually George James’ son John James who had died in 1917, and John James would have been the crane driver).

Between 1918 and 1932, Christopher and Mary had 6 children, including my mother. He worked at the Woodside Lairage as a cattle drover.

In 1928 Q4, Thomas Whelan married Esther Ann Hall in Birkenhead. Veronica Whelan was born in 1929 Q1, mother’s name Hall.

In 1931 Q2, the death of Ann Whelan aged 75 of 58 Oliver Street was registered in Birkenhead. She was buried in Birkenhead (Flaybrick) Cemetery on 19 June 1931, Section RC6, Grave 249.

In 1932 Q2 Ronald Whelan was born, mother’s name Hall. He was baptised on 1 June 1932 at Birkenhead Holy Trinity, father Thomas Whelan and mother Esther. He died in 1933 Q1.

In the 1939 register, Mary gives her date of birth as 16 July 1895, knocking five years off her true age, 49. She was 8 months old in the 1891 census, so her birth year was definitely 1890. Christopher gives his birth date as 30 June 1888; his birth was registered in Q3 1887 and he was baptised on 12 October 1887, so it was definitely 30 June 1887, and he was 52.

Also in the 1939 register, Thomas is a married Petrol Loco Driver living at 58 Bridge Street Birkenhead. Date of birth is 10 December 1891, the same as on his service record. The document has an asterisk beside his name and “See also No. 274.” There is no 274 Bridge Street, this must refer to the schedule number. A separate transcript also shows an Esther Ann Whelan born 1903, address “58 Birkenhead.” With her is 1 closed record, who I believe to be Veronica. I will look at this scanned document next time I sign up with findmypast.

On 15 December 1943, Thomas Whelan, a Motor Driver aged 51 on the burial record and 53 on the death register, was buried in Birkenhead (Flaybrick) Cemetery in the same grave as his mother Ann. He was 52 years 5 days old.

On 15 September 1951 Christopher Charles Waller of 36 Tollemache Road died aged 64, at 56 Church Road. I was puzzled by this, but I later learned that this was the address of the Birkenhead Union workhouse mentioned above, which was closed in 1930. It had been commonly referred to as 56 Church Road when it was a workhouse, to avoid stigma when recording births and deaths, and the name stuck, apparently. Some of the buildings on the site became the Birkenhead Municipal Hospital, and In 1948 it became St. Catherine’s Hospital (where I was born in 1958). So he died at St. Catherine’s Hospital, the same place where his wife had been in the workhouse in 1901. His occupation was recorded as Cattle Drover (Foreman).

On 30 January 1956 Mary Veronica Madge Waller died at 36 Tollemache Road, age recorded correctly as 65. She was buried at Landican Cemetery Birkenhead, section 7 grave number 538, on 2 February 1956.

In 1952 Q2, a Veronica Whelan married Eric Dawson in Birkenhead.

There are no Dawsons born in Cheshire with mother Whelan, but there are two born in Liverpool South who might be her children. These are Lisa F Dawson born 1959 and Jonathan M Dawson born 1960.

Esther Ann Whelan died in February 1987 in Liverpool, her date of birth recorded as 16 August 1903.