Edward Maynard (My Grandfather)

Edward was born in 1865 in Stratford on Avon and in the 1881 census (aged 16) was living with his family at 1 Queens Head Yard, Stratford on Avon and was working as a bakers boy. In the 1891 census Edward (now 26 and a qualified baker) was living as a lodger with the Goldy family in Stratford . The Goldy family had a daughter Sarah Anne. At the 1881 census the census record shows her birth year as 1867 this was actually 1866. The discrepancy is due to the fact that birth year for the census was arrived at by taking the current age from the census year. As the 1881 census was done in March and Sarah was christened on 3rd June 1866 she was obviously born some time during April/May of that year.She didn’t appear at the family address in the 1891 census as she was working as a domestic servant. Edward married Sarah Anne Goldy on 3rd. August 1891 at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford on Avon  Sarah’s age at her marriage was shown as 25 which would be correct as her birthday was April/May. The photograph is of Edward & Sarah and I would guess it was taken around the outbreak of the 1st. World War when Edward would have been around 50 years old and Sarah 2 years younger. Their children were:- Alfred  Edward            Born September 1892 Ernest Henry               Born September 1893 John Clement               Born March 1896 Arthur Gordon            Born December 1898 Laura Maud                Born June 1901 Gertrude Rose             Born September 1902 Robert Frederick         Born October 1908  (My father) The 1911 census shows 8 children born and 1 died. I believe this was Charles William born Sept. 1905 but died Dec. 1905

 Alfred & Ernest were both born in Stratford, John and Arthur born in Worcester and then Laura, Gertrude and Robert in Wednesbury. This is how we can deduce that they moved to Wednesbury in 1899/1900 but must have lived in Worcester for a time between 1895 and 1898. 

In the 1901 census Edward is listed as a Baker Shopkeeper living at 133 Holyhead Road, Wednesbury and working from home on his own account. His wife Sarah and children Alfred, Ernest, John, Arthur and Laura all appear on the 1901 census plus a 4 year old girl

 Edith Amy Selwyn  shown as adopted, she was born June 1897 in Worcester.  

Also shown on the 1901 census was a Sarah Bolter  aged 64 listed as an aunt – I would guess she was visiting. The return also shows a servant (Kathleen Burke) so the family must have been reasonably prosperous at that time.

 My fathers birth certificate  shows that in 1908 they had moved house and now lived at 128 Holyhead Road, Wednesbury.  

Edward died in Dec. 1917. One story I heard was that following the death of son John (Jack) in the first World War, Edward had a breakdown of some sort and was admitted to St Mathews Hospital at Burntwood near Lichfield where he died. Sarah died Dec1919 age 53.

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