Person:Christiana Ralston (1)

Christiana Ralston was born on 30th January 1853 at Birkenhead in Cheshire, the fifth of six children of a Scottish stone mason named William Ralston and his Irish wife Ellen Coghlan. When Christiana was only eighteen months old her father William died in New York. Less than four years later, when Christiana was five years old, her mother Ellen died, leaving the six Ralston children orphans. Their elderly grandmother (also called Ellen Coghlan) looked after them for some of the time, but had to resort to placing some of the children in the Liverpool Orphan Asylum for some of the time. The boys' register is lost, but the girls register shows that both Christiana and her sister Ellen spent time in the orphanage.

Aside from her birth and the orphanage records, Christiana appears to have generally been known as Christina, which spelling she used throughout her adult life.

As a young adult, Christina returned to the orphanage for work, appearing there as the cook in the 1871 census. There appear to have been ten adults to run the orphanage, which had 172 orphans present on census night.

Christina then moved to Manchester, where her brother Joseph Alexander was running his own grocery business. She married a man from Manchester called Ernest Henry Wilson (known as Henry) and they had three children. The family appear together in the 1891 census, but Ernest Henry subsequently has not been traced, although Christina described herself as married in both the 1901 census, when she was living in Liverpool, and again in the 1911 census, when she was living in Wallasey.

In 1920, aged 67, Christina sailed from Liverpool on the 'El Paraguayo' bound for Buenos Aires. She appears to have stayed in Argentina for just under three years. On 7th May 1923 she arrived back at Liverpool on the 'Desna', this time accompanied by her son Henry and a Nora Wilson, who may have been Henry's wife.

Christina died just two weeks after her return from Argentina, on 21 May 1923, aged 70. She left an estate of £1178, which was administered by her son Henry.

1. ↑ Liverpool, Lancashire, England. Liverpool Orphanage Registers. (Liverpool Record Office, Liverpool, Lancashire, England)
   362SAL, 23 Aug 1858.

   No 47 Ellen Ralston Born 6 Octo 1849 B.head Baptised
   Father William, mason
   Mother (RC) Ellen Coughland sp
   married 25 Nov 1845 at St Wereburgh’s Chapel B.head
   Father died 25 Aug 1854 at New York (Sun Stroke)
   Mother died 19 July 58 Birkenhead
   6 children
   Catherine 12 years old
   -
   Ellen born 6 Octo 1849*
   John born 25 Jan 1851*
   Christiana born 30 Jan 1853*
   Joseph Alex. born 28 Sep 1854*
   *By Bible record now in care of Grandmother Mrs Coughland of 5 St Ann Street Birkenhead
   Rev. C.J. Hamilton interested and very kind to the family. Children attend his school.
   Recommended by Miss Barnes admitted 23 August 1858

2. ↑ Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. Christiana RALSTON, March Quarter 1853, Wirral Registration District, Vol. 8a, page 402, mother's maiden name Coghlan

3. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 2642; Folio 73; Book 64, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: 5 St Ann Street, Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Ellen Coglan, widow, married [sic], female, 84 [1776/7], Midwife, b. Ireland
   Catherine Ralston, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1844/5], Midwife daughter, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   William Ralston, son, unmarried, male, 14 [1846/7], Midwife son, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Ellen Ralston, daughter, unmarried, female, 12 [1848/9], Midwife daughter, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   John Ralston, son, unmarried, male, 10 [1850/1], Midwife son, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Constance Ralston, daughter, unmarried, female, 8 [1852/3], Midwife daughter, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Joseph Ralston, son, unmarried, male, 6 [1854/5], Midwife son, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Michael Mooran, lodger, single, male, 24 [1836/7], Labourer, b. Ireland
   Philip McMalan, lodger, single, male, 28 [1832/3], Labourer, b. Ireland

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 3783; Folio 28; Page 52, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Girls Orphan Asylym, Myrtle Street, Liverpool, Lancashire
   Annie Brown, head, unmarried, female, 34 [1836/7], Matron, b. St Chatt, Salop
   Elizabeth Redman, teacher, unmarried, female, 25 [1845/6], Head Schoolmistress, b. Salisbury, Wiltshire
   Maria Grimmage, Asst teacher, unmarried, female, 20 [1850/1], Schoolmistress, b. Denbighshire, Wales
   Catherine Parkinson, servant, unmarried, female, 22 [1848/9], Sempstress, b. Tranmere, Cheshire
   Sarah A. Wainright, asst, unmarried, female, 15 [1855/6], Pupil Teacher, b. Knotty Ash, Liverpool
   Christina Holden, servant, widow, female, 28 [1842/3], Laundress, b. Prescot, Lancashire
   Harriet Litchfield, servant, widow, female, 56 [1814/5], Nurse, b. Upper Mitton, Worcestershire
   Christina Ralston, servant, unmarried, female, 18 [1852/3], Cook, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Margaret Gass, servant, unmarried, female, 18 [1852/3], Housemaid, b. Liverpool
   Amie Hughes, servant, unmarried, female, 17 [1853/4], Kitchen Maid, b. Liverpool
   ...plus 172 inmate girls, all aged from 8 to 16.

5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 3896; Folio 63; Page 3, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 385 Hyde Road, Ardwick, Manchester, Lancashire
   Joseph A. Ralston, head, unmarried, male, 26 [1854/5], Grocer (Managing Partner employing 1 man 1 boy), b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Christina Ralston, sister, unmarried, female, 28 [1852/3], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Peter Rowlinson, assistant, unmarried, male, 17 [1863/4], Grocer's Assistant, b. Thelwall, Cheshire
   John Woollam, assistant, unmarried, male, 16 [1864/5], Grocer's Assistant, b. Wem, Shropshire

6. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 3203; Folio 5; Page 3, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 35 Broad Street, Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Henry Wilson, head, married, male, 34 [1856/7], Furniture dealer, b. Longsight, Lancashire
   Cristina Wilson, wife, married, female, 37 [1853/4], b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Winifred Eleanor Wilson, daughter, single, female, 5 [1885/6], b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Dora Mary Wilson, daughter, single, female, 2 [1888/9], b. Manchester, Lancashire

7. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 3485; Folio 129; Page 31, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 10 Fowler Street, Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Christina Wilson, mother, married, female, 48 [1852/3], Keeps boarding house, working at home, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Winifred Wilson, daughter, single, female, 15 [1885/6], Cashier Drapers shop, worker, b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Dora Wilson, daughter, female, 12 [1888/9], b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Henry Wilson, son, male, 8 [1892/3], b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Robert Nesbitt, boarder, widower, male, 70 [1830/1], Horse keeper, worker, b. Ireland

8. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 22107; Schedule 55, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 15 Beechwood Avenue, Wallasey, Cheshire [10 Robarts Road crossed out]
   6 rooms occupied
   Christina Wilson, mother, female, 58 [1852/3], married 27 years, 3 children, all still living, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Dora M. Wilson, daughter, female, 22 [1888/9], Book keeper - dressmaking [?], worker, b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Henry A. Wilson, son, male, 18 [1892/3], [?] Clerk, worker, b. Manchester, Lancashire

9. ↑ National Archives. Passenger Lists Leaving UK, 1890-1960. (London: Findmypast.co.uk)
   25 Jun 1920.

   Ship's name: El Paraguayo
   Date of departure: 25 Jun 1920
   British passengers embarked at Liverpool [including]:
   Wilson, Christina, bound for Buenos Aires, aged 67, country of last permanent residence England, country of intended future residence Argentina

10. ↑ United Kingdom. Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960. (Provo, Utah, United States: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008).

    Ship's name: Desna
    Date of arrival at Liverpool: 7 May 1923
    British passengers embarked at Buenos Aires [including]:
    Wilson, Christina, aged 70, country of last permanent residence England, intended future residence England
    Wilson, Henry A., Accountant, aged 30, country of last permanent residence Argentine, intended future residence foreign parts
    Wilson, Nora, aged 27, country of last permanent residence Argentine, intended future residence foreign parts
    All three having as 'Proposed address in the United Kingom': Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool

11. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

    d. Christina WILSON, June Quarter 1923, Liverpool Registration District, Vol. 8b, page 244, aged 71 [1851/2]

12. ↑ England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

    1923
    WILSON Christina of 15 Aigburth-road Liverpool widow died 21 May 1923 Probate Liverpool 30 May to Henry Alexander Wilson bank accountant. Effects £1178 7s. 11d.