William Mason & family
IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF
WILLIAM MASON
OF BECKSIDE, KIRKBY
WHO DIED ON THE 1ST DAY OF APRIL 1870
AGED 35 YEARS
The Lord’s will be done”
ALSO OF ANN, WIDOW OF THE ABOVE
WHO DIED AT GREENLANE, ULVERSTON
SEPT. 21ST 1884, AGED 54 YEARS.
ALSO OF JOHN, THEIR SON,
WHO DIED AT LINDAL, JUNE 5TH 1891
AGED 26 YEARS
ALSO OF EVE, DAUGHTER OF
THE ABOVE, WHO DIED AT BRIGHTON,
MARCH 29TH 1899, AGED 32 YEARS
“AT REST”
I was interested to see if I could find out why daughter Eve was in Brighton, a long way from her geographical origins.
Ancestry provides the following information:
1871 Census
In the 1871 Census the Mason family is living at Beckside, Kirkby Ireleth, where the household contains Ann Mason (41) Widow, Innkeeper, born Kirkby Ireleth (as were all the residents); Hannah Mason (15) Unmarried, no occupation recorded; John Mason (6) Son, no occupation recorded; Eve Mason (3) Daughter, no occupation recorded; and William Whinfield (43) Boarder, Unmarried, Labourer.
1881 Census
By the time of the 1881 Census, the family have moved to the Star Inn, Main Street, Millom. Mother Ann Postlethwaite (51 – though it looks like 57) must have re-married and been widowed again, Innkeeper; Hannah Dodgson (25) Daughter, unreadable marital status, no occupation recorded; John Mason (16) Son, no occupation recorded; Eve Mason (13) Daughter, Scholar; all born in Kirkby Ireleth.
1891 Census
In the 1891 Census Eve has moved down to Brighton, where she is living at 58 Regency Square, which from the photos on Google Earth looks mighty prosperous. Her household is headed by Mary Dodson (sic – may be Dodgson) (48) Single, Lodging House (keeper), born Kirkby in Furness (mis-transcribed as Birkly in Turness by Ancestry); Eve Mason (22) Relative, no occupation recorded, born Kirkby in Furness (with the same mis-transcription); plus 2 Boarders, 3 Lodgers and a Maid, all but one being female between the ages of 10 (the male, son of one of the Boarders) and 40.
The National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1899 has:
MASON Eve of 58 Regency-square Brighton spinster died 26 March 1899 Probate London 24 April to Hannah Hillies (wife of William Hillies) Effects £115.
The speed with which Probate was granted suggests that Eve had written a Will and knew she was dying, having had time to put her affairs in order. Hannah Hillies was her sister (see below). Was she living on the south coast because she had TB (Consumption in the language of the day)?
Having found as much as possible about Eve Mason, I then looked at the rest of the family:
1851 Census
In the 1851 Census living at Bell Hall, Kirkby Ireleth, were John Mason (47) Head, Farmer of 20 acres, born Kirkby Ireleth; Joseph Mason (43) Brother, Farmer of 20 acres (Joint), born Kirkby Ireleth; William Mason (15) Nephew, Farm Servant, born Broughton, and Jane Holmes (33) Housekeeper, born Millom, Cumberland.
1861 Census
In the 1861 Census living at Friars Ground, Kirkby Ireleth were the Dodgsons, all born in Kirkby Ireleth:
Ann Dodgson (66) Head, Widow, Farmer of 5 acres; George Dodgson (47) Son, Unmarried, Slate Quarrier; Seatle (sic) Dodgson (35) Son, Unmarried, Slate Quarrier; James Dodgson (24) Son, Unmarried, Slate Quarrier; George Dodgson (11) Grandson, Unmarried, Scholar; Alice Mary Dodgson (3) Granddaughter; William Mason (26) Son-in-Law, Married, Slate Quarrier; Ann Mason (31) Daughter, Married; Hannah Mason (5) Granddaughter, Scholar.
William Hillies married Hannah Dodgson (sic) on 13 May 1885 at Dalton in Furness. William was an iron miner from Borgue, Kirkcudbright, Scotland, who was living with his aunt and uncle in Millom in the 1881 Census. His name is sometimes spelt ‘Hillis’ or ‘Hilles’ on Ancestry.
1891 Census
In the 1891 Census Hannah Mason/Dodgson/Hillies (35) is living at 5 Empland (sic) Cottages, Lindal. She is married, but no husband is recorded on the Census. They have three children; Herbert (5); Mary (3) & Annie (2). John Mason (26) Boarder, Iron Miner, is likely to be her brother. According to the gravestone, he died in Lindal a couple of months after the Census was taken.
1901 Census
By the 1901 Census Hannah Hillies is a Boarding House Proprietor (own account) at Thornfield Terrace, Grange, where she is living with 3 children, Herbert (15), Mary (13) and Annie (12), one Boarder, six Visitors and a Servant. Her husband was not present on the night of the Census, though she is recorded as married not widowed.
National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1906
Perhaps William’s absence is explained by an entry in the National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1906 which reads: HILLIES William of Kimberley Cape Colony South Africa died 2 March 1906 Probate London 30 June to Hannah Hillies widow John Russell miner and Robert William Ashburner solicitor Effects £1350 8s 2d.
1911 Census
Hannah Hillies (55) Widow, is still a Lodging House Keeper of 1 Thornfield Terrace, Grange over Sands in the 1911 Census, along with her assistant, daughter Annie (22), Single, born Lindal. The only family staying with her on Census day were the Hinchliffe’s from Headingley, Leeds, who completed a separate form.
Hannah Hillies died in Huddersfield on 18 June 1935, leaving effects to the value of £9 7s 2d, and was buried in Grange Fell Cemetery, Grange over Sands.
1851 Census
Filling in further gaps: In the 1851 Census Ann Dodgson (21) is a House Servant in the home of William Butler, Solicitor and attorney, in Dalton.
William Mason married Ann Dodgson in York 23 November 1859.
Ann Mason (William’s widow) married Thomas Postlethwaite in Ulverston in the second quarter of 1875.
Ann Postlethwaite’s death was registered in Ulverston in the third quarter of 1884.
See also this interesting family history.
