Page 75 - Just another English family (Sep 2019)

in 1885, but nothing more is known about Martha.
Finally, there is Walter (1864-1918). Walter married Mary Agnes [SURNAME?] (1865-1901) in Dewsbury in 1885. They seemed to have stayed in Dewsbury all their lives, for they both died there. They had four children – Fred (1894-1971), Harry Oates (b.1897), Mary (b.1888), and Lilian (b.1886). Neither of their sons, Fred and Harry Oates, are known to have married or had issue. Similarly, there is no evidence that Mary got married or had children. However, Lilian got married in Dewsbury in 1908 and so one cannot expect her to appear in the 1911 census as a Soothill.
So now to focus on possible changes in occupational interests and location over the fifty years, the head of the household, John, was in the woollen industry as a wool dyer, while his 11-year-old son, Thomas, featured in the 1861 census as an errand boy. This was clearly a family all born in Shelf, Yorkshire, but now based in Dewsbury.
John and his family will feature in subsequent chapters, for they clearly emigrate to the U.S.A. at some stage and there is evidence that John is in the States in 1910 but is back in England for the 1911 census! In fact, John Soothill (born about 1822) seems unlikely to be Thomas and Elizabeth (Mitchell)’s child, for they were married in 1824. The possibility, remains, of course, that John arrived out of wedlock, but perhaps more likely to be someone else’s offspring.
The next set of households that feature in the 1861 census is rather different. Of course, no one would have known in 1861 the future outcomes, but we have the benefit of hindsight. In short, there are no identifiable descendants appearing in the 1911 census which emanate from these households. There are at least three possibilities. Firstly, there is the obvious one that these families do,
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