Mary Elizabeth Williams

My great great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Williams, was born on 17 October 1845, according to her birth certificate.  She was born in Great Mongeham, a village just outside Deal in Kent.

Mary was baptised in the parish church of Great Mongeham, called St Martin, on 16th November 1845.

1845 Baptism of Mary Elizabeth Williams (Courtesy of Find My Past)

Mary's parents were Thomas Williams (1810 - 1901) and Elizabeth Betts (1814 - 1900).  As far as I have discovered Mary was one of 8 children.

Mary's siblings were:

John 1840 - 1841
Martha Ann Betts 1841 - 1929
George Spain 1843 - 1927
Sarah Ann Betts 1848 - 1926
Julia Eleanor Betts 1851 - 1858
Thomas Betts 1853 - 1942
John William Betts 1856 - 1926

On the 1851 census Mary, her parents and 4 of her siblings are living in Chalkpit House in Great Mongeham.  Her father is an agricultural labourer.

1851 census (Courtesy of The National Archives and Ancestry)

On the 1861 census Mary is a house servant in the household of William and Christine Hayman.  The couple are living in Forresters Bell House.  On the census it looks like the house is number 185 and a half Beach Street in Deal.  At the time, Mary was living very close to where her future husband, Dennis James Nicholass, was also living.

1861 census (Courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

Beach Street, Deal, Kent (Possibly the house painted white - Courtesy of Google Maps)

On 13th December 1868 Mary married Dennis James Nicholass in St Martin's church in Great Mongeham.

1868 Marriage Banns at St Martin's church, Great Mongeham (Courtesy of Find My Past)

Mary's husband, Dennis, was a shipwright.  On the 1871 census the couple had moved to Ramsgate and had a young son, George, who was one year old.

1871 census (Courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

In 1871 the couple were living in a cottage in Albert Street, Ramsgate.  A lot of the houses on Albert Street in modern times look fairly recently built so their house must have been demolished.

By 1881 Mary and Dennis had moved to Townley Street, also in Ramsgate.  Dennis is still a shipwright and the couple now have 5 children.

1881 census (Courtesy of The National Archives and Ancestry)

On the 1891 census Mary and Dennis were still living in Townley Street in Ramsgate.  The couple have been very busy and now have 8 children.

1891 census (Courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

In 1901 Mary and Dennis were living in Church Street, still in Ramsgate.  The road backs onto St George's church.  Only 4 of their children are living with the couple on this census.

1901 census (Courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

On the 1911 census Mary and Dennis are living in a different house in Church Road.  The couple have 3 of their children living with them, one is a widowed son, and there is also an elderly boarder, named Mary Bush, living with the family.

1911 census (Courtesy of The National Archives and Find My Past)

Mary died, at the age of 65, in 1912.