Mary TILL is identified as the mother of Alice Miles on her birth certificate. She was born about 1812-4, probably in Swinfen, 2.5 miles SE from Whittington, Staffordshire. There is no village called Swinfen, but there is a Swinfen Hall and a Swinfen Farm. Swinfen Hall and Packington Hall appear to have been used to name the Swinfen and Packington district. There was a barracks adjacent to Packington Hall.
PARENTS
The 1841 and 1851 censuses suggest that Mary was born 1813-1814. Also confusingly, the 1841 census says that she was not born in Staffordshire, but the 1851 gives the birthplace as Whittington, Staffordshire. The 1861 census gives Swinfen, Staffordshire. There are no obvious baptismal records.
According to an IGI record, a Mary TILL was christened in Harlaston in Jan 1812 by Thomas TILL and Sarah BOOTH. Harlaston lies between Clifton Campville and Whittington. Swinfen is a few miles west of Whittington. But there are problems with this baptism transcription: the record contains both father's and mother's surnames (unique in Harlaston at that time), there was no record of a marriage between a TILL and a BOOTH, and while there were no further baptisms by Thomas and Sarah TILL, Thomas and Sarah BOOTH later baptized 3 further children in Harlaston. It looks like a transcription error. One theory is that there were two records - perhaps Mary daughter of Thomas TILL, and a son/daughter of Thomas and Sarah BOOTH - that were merged when entered into the IGI form or subsequent computer records. The most likely wife of Thomas TILL was Martha, a washerwoman, with whom he is living in 1851 and with whom he christened other children in nearby Edingale before settling in Elford. This couple also had a daughter, Sarah, who was born in 1812, so either Mary was a twin of Sarah, was born earlier. These problems taken with the lack of any connection to Whittington or Swinfen suggest that this is not the right set of parents.
A more obscure but compelling possibility is that she was baptised in Whittington on 18 Sep 1814 by labourer Christopher TAYLOR of Whittington and his wife Allice. While this seems unlikely, it is a great coincidence that on 31 Dec 1817, in Whittington, a Christopher and Alice TILL of Swinfen, labourer, baptised a daughter Elizabeth. This couple also baptised Charles on 5 Nov 1820 in Harlaston (i.e. where Mary's first child was born, and nearer to Clifton Campville were Mary was married) and George on 30 Sep 1827, also in Harlaston. While the name TAYLOR was used for the September 1814 christening, a Christopher TILL married Alice CHEADLE on 5 Dec 1813 in Whittington suggesting that the TAYLOR surname was either misrecorded or was an alias.
Could TAYLOR have been an alias to TILL? While this seems unlikely, another candidate set of parents - the Thomas and Martha TILL mentioned above - appear to have have had a marriage certificate/bond in which Thomas TAYLOR wished to marry Martha BROWN of Lullington in May 1812, but by 1814 were baptising a child using the name TILL. Where these families closely related? Christopher TILL's father was also named Christopher, so perhaps Thomas and Martha's son Christopher was named for the elder Christopher. Or is this a great coincidence?
On balance, while unusual, this appears to be the right family.
MARRIAGE
Mary married Edward MILES in 1836 at his home village of Clifton Campville, Staffordshire, although he is recorded on that record as being from Caldcote while Mary was 'of this parish'. Caldecote is 13 miles away, but closer to the MILES' ancestral heartland. Edward was a labourer, an omnibus driver and later a servant. The IGI record gives her name as SILL however this was a transcription error. They had eight children between 1837 and 1859.
Mary's first child, Mary Ann, was christened in Clifton Campville, but Harlaston was given a place of birth in the 1851 census, which might suggest that Mary's family were from near Harlaston.
At the time of the birth of their daughter Alice in 1849 they were living at Gungate, Tamworth.
By 1851 they were living in King Street, Tamworth and Mary was working as a washerwoman.
According to the 1851 census she was born in Whittington, Staffordshire in about 1813/4.
In 1861 she was 48, but was recorded as being born in 'Swinfin' which I believe should be Swinfen. The 1871 census has her aged 58 and born in Tamworth, although this would have been the default place of birth as she was living in Halls Row, Tamworth with her youngest son 'John E' MILES, presumably Edward John MILES. Halls Row is where her granddaughter Rose Ann was born later in 1871. Her husband was with their daughter in Burton working in a brewery.
Mary died on 30 December 1878 of chronic bronchitis aged 64. She died at 4 College Lane, Tamworth, a residential house.
The age of 64 implies a birth year of 1814.
Other information:
Swinfen Hall coordinates:
Brit Nat Grid Ref: SK 13486 05926
BNG Eastings, Northings: 413486, 305926
Latitude, Longitude: 52.650901,-1.802087
