L is for Lewis George Blackledge-AtoZ challenge 2016

Lewis George Blackledge was my great grand father and my father's grandfather. He was the eldest son of  George and Ellen Blackledge and was born on December 19 1855 in Lathom, Lancashire England. (1)
In 1871 he is listed as a clerk and by  February1881 as he is married he is listed as a warehouse manager. He had married Eliza Anne Leeson on February 15 in the parish church of St Helens. (2) However in the 1881 census (April 1881) his occupation is given as plate glass polisher and he and Eliza are living at 75 Argyle St St Helens.
In 1886 and 1887 he is on the electoral register at Knowsley View, Dentons Green Lane, St Helens having qualified as a voter by virtue of owning a house.
The family grew with Edith Leeson arriving in 1883, Herbert Leeson in 1885, Samuel L. in 1886, Louis Samuel in 1887and William S. in 1889. Sadly Samuel L. and William S. both died as infants.

By 1891 the family  is living at 6 Dentons Green Lane St Helens and Lewis is recorded as Manager ( glass works).
The family continued to grow with George Ernest arriving in 1894 and Eliza Helen arriving in 1897. In 1891 Lewis is recorded as manager(glass works) and by now Edith is working too as a dressmaker and Herbert is a clerk ( glass works).
Sadly in 1904 this appeared in the The Mercury, Lichfield on Friday November 4 on page 3
 The body of Lewis George Blackledge, of 52 Denton Green's Lane, St Helens, manager of the warehouse of Messrs Pilkington Brothers' plate-glass works at Cowley Hill, was found in Eccleston Mere, near St Helens on Monday.
Probate was granted to Eliza Ann  Blackledge November 15 1904, effects 400 pound. (3)

Back row: William Blackledge, Lewis George Blackledge, Thomas Blackledge  Front row: Possibly Jane Blackledge, Ellen Blackledge(nee Twist) and  possibly Alice Blackledge

(1) Certificate  Birth December 19, 1855 Lathom, Ormskirk, Lancashire registered January 16 1856 by mother Ellen Blackledge ( formerly Twiss-other records give Twist), Father George Blackledge journeyman carpenter.
(2)   www.Ancestry.com ( accessed 17 Sep 2015), Marriage Lewis George Blackledge and Eliza Anne Leeson; Citing parish church register of St Helens from the Lancashire Anglican Parish Registers. Preston, England.
(3) www.findmypast.com.au (accessed 12 April 2016) Probate Calendars of England 1858-1959 Lewis George Blackledge November 15 1904 Liverpool

 

E is for Edith Leeson Armitstead ( born Blackledge)

Here we have Edith Leeson Armitstead ( my grandmother) with her first child Dorothy Florence Armitstead in about 1912.
Edith was the eldest child of Louis George  and Eliza Ann Blackledge and was born in the glass making town of St Helens, Lancashire England on 11th November 1883.  Her father was the manager of the glass works and her  uncle William  and  brother Herbert  also worked there.
She was listed on the 1901 English census as a dressmaker and living at home with the family at 48 Denton's Green Lane St Helens Lancashire.
Her grandfather George Blackledge died in 1893, her father died in 1904 and her grandmother Eliza Leeson died in 1908. Therefore I believe that the family decided to leave England.  Louis Samuel Blackledge, her brother, ventured to Australia in 1908 and was working cutting sugar cane near Mackay and must have reported favourably on life in Australia as all the rest of the family followed in 1910 and ended up in Mackay Queensland.
The passenger list for the SS Medic that left Liverpool on 15th December 1910 had Eliza Blackledge, Edith L. Blackledge, Herbert L. Blackledge, George Blackledge and Elsie Blackledge on one page and then on another page John Armitstead. Now Edith and John had been married on 12th September 1910 so why weren't they listed together?
By the time they got to Albany in Western Australia they were listed as John and Mrs J Armitstead.
Perhaps John coming too was a last minute arrangement as Dorothy was born in Mackay Queensland in March 1911.
They arrived in Sydney on the 5th February 1911.
Can you imagine travelling heavily pregnant to Sydney and then having to go to Mackay on a coastal ship and then being taken off the ship at Mackay in a sling into a smaller boat as there were no port facilities in Mackay at the time?
After sometime on  the Pioneer Estate just outside Mackay they shifted to Toowoomba and lived in Lilley Estate where John worked for Nat Green the Chemist. Nat Green also had a shop in Warwick so the family moved to Warwick for John to manage the shop for Nat Green.
The announcement in the Warwick Examiner and Times on 30 August 1913 read "We are pleased to announce that Mr. N. Green, chemist, has disposed of his Warwick business to Mr. J. Armitstead, chemist and optician, who has successfully managed the business for the last 15 months. This news, we are sure, will be well received by the Warwick public, as Mr. Armitstead, by his business ability and courteous manner, has undoubtedly made himself popular amongst his customers. The optical department, has been considerably enlarged, and prospective customers   in this line, will do well to consult Mr. Armitstead, who was formerly optician to the St. Helens Hospital, England. Additional stock has been   placed in the photographic department, this being necessitated by the growth of this branch of the business. As seen by the advertisement elsewhere in this issue, to inaugurate the change of business, a delightful perfumed packet of Parisian Shampoo Powder will be given away to every customer during next week." (1)
John and Edith went on to have 3 more children, Elsie Kathleen, Rene Helen and John Harley Leeson. Sadly Edith died on 6th November 1920 not even making her 37th birthday.

(1) 1913 'BUSINESS CHANGE.', Warwick Examiner and Times (Qld. : 1867 - 1919), 30 August, p. 5, viewed 6 April, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82176947)