He was born in Wells, Somerset in 1821/2 and baptised on 11th January at St Mary, West Harptree.

It looks as though William & Esther had a son just before they married in 1848.

William Southway was born in 1847 and baptised at St Andrew’s in Clifton on the same day as two of his cousins; Eliza Ann (daughter of James & Elizabeth Southway) and William Charles Davis (son of Charles and Ann Davis).

It looks as though William died in 1848.

William Southway married Hester (Esther) Jane Williams on 11th June 1848 at The Parish Church in Bedminster.

It was witnessed by James Southway and Benjamin John Room(?).

Likely the Parish Church of Bedminster was St John’s Parish Church. It was blitzed during the was and demolished in 1967.

Photo from Pinterest by BrizzleBornandBred

William Jacob Southway was born early in 1849 in Black Horse Lane, Clifton. He was baptised on 19th May 1849 at St Andrew, Clifton.

On 16 Jan 1869, he married Catherine Morisey at St Andrew, a ceremony witnessed by Esther Southway (X) and J M Clay.

They had three children together:

• Isabella Southway (1870 – 1927)
• Louisa Southway (1871 – )
• Baby Southway (1873 – 1897)

Ann Maria Southway was the oldest daughter of William and Esther Southway. She was born on 25th February 1852 in Clifton.

Certificate from Ancestry

She married John Hoare Satterley on 12th September 1869 at St Andrew – a ceremony witnessed by sister, Mary Ann Satterley, and William Andrews (X).

Charlotte Southway was born 1855 and baptised at St Andrew, Clifton on 14 January 1855.

She married Charles Barron on 3rd August 1891 and they had 10 children together.

• Charles Edward Barron (1889 – )
• Louisa Barron (1892 – )
• Charles Edward Barron (1893 – )
• Albert Edward Barron (1896 – 1896)
• Elizabeth Ellen Barron (1896 – 1896)
• David Barron (1898 – 1899)
• Elizabeth Ellen Barron (1898 – 1899)
• Gladys Barron (1905 – )
• two more who died in infancy

Louisa Southway was born on 20 October 1857 at Bennett’s Court in Clifton.

Louisa was baptised at St Andrew, Clifton on 29th November 1859 along side three of her cousins.

St Andrews, Clifton – looks as though the church was hit in World War 2 and later demolished.

Louisa met her future husband in Clifton, when the Jackson family moved close by for a short while whilst working on the railways. When the Jackson family moved up to Barrow-in-Furness, she moved with them.

She married John Jackson on 22nd June 1874 at St George, Barrow in Furness. Witnesses were John’s sister, Sarah Ann Jackson, and John Satterley (who married Louisa’s older sister, Anna Maria).

John and Louisa had seven children:

• Jane Louisa Jackson (1875 – )
• John George Jackson (1879 – 1915)
• Sarah Ann Jackson (1881 – 1887)
• Susannah Jackson (1881 – 1882)
• James William Jackson (1887 – 1948)
• Bertha Jackson (1891 – 1956)
• Ada (Louisa) Jackson (1894 – 1953)

Agnes Melinda Southway was born in 1860. She married Thomas Picket Hayes in 1877 in Hennlys, Monmouthshire.

It was reported in the papers that they had 11 children together.

• Thomas William Hayes (1878 – )
• John Pincket Hayes (1880 – )
• Elizabeth Jane Hayes (1883 – )
• Bertha Hayes (1885 – 1885)
• Susana Hayes (1886 – )
• Albert Edward Hayes (1887 – )
• Agnes Melinda Hayes (1890 – )
• Susan Hayes (1891 – )
• George Henry Hayes (1896 – )
• Henry Hayes (1899 – 1899)
• plus one more child who died as a baby

In 1899, Agnes was charged, but found not guilty of manslaughter of her baby son, Henry. During his short life, various agencies inspected the home and raised concerns that Henry was being neglected. On one visit, he was found so emaciated, they took him into the workhouse to look after him. He eventually fell into a coma and died which is when Agnes was charged with his manslaughter.

You do feel for the children when reading these articles.

ARTICLE TO LEFT: Cardiff Times 
– Saturday 16 September 1899

On 2nd September 1911, she was up in court with a Thomas Walsh on charges of stealing a gold watch and chain worth £20. She was charged with receiving stolen goods and to two months in jail. Previous convictions were on record for child neglect in 1903, for unlawful wounding in 1907 and various charges for drunkenness and damage between 1895-1911.

Emma Jemima Southway was born in Clifton in 1864. She was baptised alongside her younger sister, Mary Jane, on 10th October 1866 at St Andrews in Clifton.

Emma Jemima married Albert William May on 23rd August 1886 at St Augustine, Clifton, witnesses by Thomas and Ann Brown.

They had at least 9 children together, although it looks as though several died as babies

• William Henry May (1887 – 1887)
• Bertha Lily May (1888 – 1967)
• Alice Edith May (1889 – 1889)
• Jessie Ruth May (1890 – )
• Frank Reginald May (1895 – 1900)
• Florence Adelaide May (1897 – 1897)
• Arthur May (1900 – 1900)
• Albert Edward May (1904 – )
• Arthur Wilfrid May (1905 – )

Emma registered the death of both her parents – as their deaths were recorded at her address, it looks as though she was caring for them at the time.

Emma died on 2nd December 1918.

Mary Jane Southway was born in 1866 at Bennett’s Court in Clifton. She was baptised alongside her older sister, Emma Jemima, on 10th October 1866 at St Andrews in Clifton.

She married Edwin Gray at St Augustine’s on 24th August 1884 – a ceremony witnessed by her sister, Emma Jemima, and her future husband, Albert W May. Edwin and Mary had two children together:

• Walter Edwin Gray (1885 – )
• Jessie Elizabeth Gray (1886 – )

Mary died in the late 1880s – Edwin was a widower at the time of the 1891 Census. He went on to marry Elizabeth Maria Cox on 23rd May 1899 and they went on to have 10 children together.

Bertha Southway was the youngest daughter of William and Esther Southway. She was born on 17th May 1869 in Clifton.

She married Henry Edward Melksham on 27th October 1891 at St Andrew in Clifton, witnessed by William James Clark & Alice Mary Gray. They had two sons:

• Henry Edward Melksham (1892 – 1947)
• Mervyn Alec Melksham (1896 – 1946)

After Henry’s (husbands) death, she married Hugh Leonard in 1928.

Bertha died on 1st June 1945 at The Snowden Building in Bristol. Just prior to her death, she was living at the Gloucester Hotel, 300 Hotwells Road, Bristol with her youngest son, Mervyn Alec. He was a Licensed Victualler so may have ran the bar at the hotel.

Albert Edward Southway was the youngest of all ten children of William and Esther Southway. He was born in 1872 and baptised at St Andrew in Clifton on 15th March 1872.

He married Edith Williams on 10th November 1895 at St Augustines and they had two children together:

• Alma May Southway (1896 – 1985)
• Albert William Southway (1898 – 1972)

Albert died in Clifton in 1954.

James Southway lived to the grand old age of 88. He died on 1st October 1880 at 2 Joy Hill, Clifton. His death was registered by Ann Pickford. Whether this was his daughter or other relative, is unknown at this stage.

Cause of death is registered as Old Age.

Esther Jane Southway died on 6th February 1901 aged 68 at 2 Cumberland Place, Granby Hill in Clifton. Her daughter, Emma Jemima May, registered her death.

The cause was entered as senile decay and chronic Bronchitis.

William Southway died on 3rd May 1905 aged 74 at 1 Caroline Row, Hotwells in Clifton. His daughter, Emma Jemima May, registered his death.

The cause was entered as senility (6 months) and syncope (12 months).