Elizabeth was the daughter of John EDWARDS, engineer of Constitution Hill and his wife Elizabeth (as shown on her baptismal record). Her mother died when she was 4 years old.
There's no obvious 1841 census record for Elizabeth. It's quite possible that the head of the household didn't know her age - or even her name - or she may have been sent to a more distant relative. For instance, there was an Elizabeth EDWARDS, aged 17, living as a a female servant, with an inn keeper called Elizabeth GOUGH in Atcham, Shropshire.
Elizabeth married Nathaniel TWIGG on 27 April 1851 and they had a son Arthur. The wedding record names John EDWARDS, engineer, as her father. If this John EDWARDS was deceased it is not mentioned. The wedding was witnessed by Ann EDWARDS, but this cannot be Sarah Ann as she was then RAWLINS. If Ann was a bride's maid, then an unmarried female relative would have been appropriate. At the time of the marriage Elizabeth was living in Duddeston, yet a month earlier, at the time of the 1851 census, she was living on Clarendon Street, Aston with her sister. Had her sister Elizabeth moved, or was she staying with Ann EDWARDS?
Possible Ann EDWARDSs in the 1851 census:
- Wife, 25, of Alfred John EDWARDS, in Villa Street, Aston (not Duddeston)
- General servant, 25, from Cradley, at John CLEMENTS, victualler, and Louisa PACE, on John Street (not Duddeston)
- House servant from Rowley, Worcs, to William GREEN on High Street
- Wife of Thomas EDWARDS, aged 21 from Sheldon, Worcs, on Steelhouse Lane
- General Servant, 20 from Kings Swinford, at Edward JUSTON, builder, of Warston Road
- Daughter-in-law to John EDWARDS, boot and shoe maker and his wife Sarah, of 7 Coach Yard, parish of St Peters, Birmingham. Ann was aged 20, born Darlaston, Staffs with no profession. Likely that her mother was Sarah EDWARDS who was from Aldridge, Staffs.
- Bar maid,20, born Edgbaston, to father Job EDWARDS of 28 Sun Street
- Gold chain maker, 18, daughter of Robert and Julia EDWARDS
By 1861, Arthur and Elizabeth had had no surviving children, but in 1871, a son, Arthur, aged 8 was living with them at 10 Mount St, Birmingham .
