DAVID RALPH ABERCROMBIE 1870 – 1960 ELIZABETH STAINTON STAINTON 1878 – 1965 “A Wild Goose Chase” David Ralph Abercrombie married Elizabeth Stainton Stainton at St Paul`s Church, Pancras, London on 16 June 1907, he was 37 and Elizabeth was of full age. David`s occupation was a “gentleman” he was living at 274 Camden Road, his father was James Abercrombie, also a “gentleman.” Elizabeth`s father Daniel Stainton was another “gentleman” and her address was Bwlchgwyn, North Wales. Unfortunately, there is no occupation for her, so there`s no clue as to why she was there. David Ralph Abercrombie was baptised on 18 November 1877 at St John the Evangelist, Camden, he was then 6 years old. He was the son of James and Isabella and he was born on 23 November 1870, James was a picture and paint restorer and by 1901 had retired. David Ralph was still at home and was a traveller in the tobacco trade. They were living on Broadway Parade. Hornsea. After their marriage David and Elizabeth moved to Barnet, Hertfordshire and in 1910 had a son Hugh David. They were living in Stratton Lodge, a large house with 9 rooms and had a cook and 2 servants for the 3 of them. The next time the couple turn up is in 1939, they are in Leamington Spa. David is a retired commercial traveler. In 1939 their son Hugh David Abercrombie is still single, he is a boiler maker living in East Ham, Essex. In the same house is Ethel Lambert a widow, and in 1942 Hugh David and Ethel Lambert were married. The time between then and 1960 is a blank, but David Ralph Abercrombie died in Wrexham Hospital on 12 May 1960, his residence was Hadley Lodge, 7 Maesydre Road, Wrexham. Elizabeth Stainton Abercrombie died 2 February 1965 at 22 Wroxham Road, Sproston, Norwich, she was brought back to Wrexham and buried with her husband. Her parents and some of her sisters had remained in Wrexham and are also buried in the Cemetery. The Abercrombie line were quite easy to trace, but Elizabeth Stainton Stainton turned out to be rather more difficult. When she married she was living at Bwlchgwyn, but there is no occupation listed and that her father Daniel Stainton was a gentleman wasn`t much help either. From the 1911 census we know she was born in Kinnerton. The search begins with looking for Elizabeth in 1901 and there is an Elizabeth S Stainton aged 22, a governess in Havelock House, a girl’s school in Ruswarp, Yorkshire, also there is a Lily D Stainton 26 a governess, both were born Chester. So – where is their father Daniel Stainton. In 1911 he is with his family at 27 Bersham Road, his wife Elizabeth aged 59 is the head of the household and she was born in Chester. Daniel is an agent who was born in Dunstan, Lincolnshire, Lilly Dewar 34 daughter is an English governess, and her sister Emily 32 is a teacher of music and dancing. Both girls were born in Kinnerton. Back again to 1901 and Daniel Stainton was a lodger at 7 Talbot Road, he was 53, married and a grain merchant from Lincolnshire, but there is no family with him. So far so good, but where is Elizabeth. There is a good candidate in Walton on the Hill, Lillie Stainton aged 50 is a visitor, and she is married but has no family with her. The head of the house is George Jackson 39 from Tattenhall and his wife is Ella 38 from Cheshire. Back now to 1891 and there is Daniel Stainton 46 a grain merchant from Lincolnshire, his wife Lilly / Elizabeth Stainton 40 from Chester who “Conducts a ladies school” Lillie (Dewar) 18, Emily B (Bevin) 17, Emma, / Ella C (Christine) 14, Elsie / Elizabeth 12, Marianne 7. All girls were born in Kinnerton except Marianne who was born in Whitchurch. They are at 3 Kings Buildings, Chester. The three eldest girls are also “conducting the school” It looks like a large establishment as there are 5 ladies apart from the Staintons looking after a lot of young girls. There are either a lot of errors in the census or just that pet names are used for the females, but we can be pretty sure that Elsie aged 12 is our Elizabeth. A search for the youngest child Marianne Stainton finds a birth registered in Jun qtr 1884 Whitchurch, S. Her mother maiden name is Bayne. Now it`s back to 1881, and it should be pretty easy to find the family, there are names, ages, place of birth, all the details to go by, but they aren`t found, even with using soundex. In the end only by using Christian names does a family turn up in Kinnerton, but they are entered with the name of Goose! Daniel Goose retired farmer b Dunstan, wife Lillie, daughters Lillie Dewar, Emily B, Ella C and Lizzie S, all Gooses. To confirm it`s the right family there is Daniels` sister in law Ella D Bayne aged 18 a teacher born Chester. If we look again at the 1901 entry for Lillie / Elizabeth, she is with Ella who had married George Jackson. Now it`s time to start all over again with another surname. Daniel Goose had married Elizabeth Ann Bayne in 1872 Chester. Birth registrations for the little” Goslings” are all in Chester. Jun 1873 Lillie Dewar Goose, Mar 1875, Emily Bevin Goose, Sep 1877 Ella Christine Goose, Sep 1878 Elizabeth Stainton Goose. All with mother’s maiden name as Bayne. So before April 1881, the family went by the name of Goose, but in November 1881 Daniel placed an announcement in the Lincoln Mercury to state he was changing his name by deed poll to Stainton. What led to this change, Elizabeth born 1878 had the middle name of Stainton, but where did that come from? One thought came to mind, it was that in 1891 Emily Ann and some of her daughters are running a girls school in Chester, perhaps they thought that “Mrs” and “Miss” Goose wasn`t a suitable name and might be made fun of. Stainton does sound much more professional, but we`ll never really know why. Researched by Annette Edwards. October 2018. Grave ref: Wrexham Cemetery A-00016A