Person:Selina Wright (1)

Selina Wright was baptised on 23rd December 1849 at Boston in Lincolnshire, daughter of Mary Wright, formerly Charity, and her husband George Wright, a shoemaker. Selina appears in the 1851 and 1861 censuses living with her parents and siblings on Colley Street in Boston. By 1871 the family had moved to Wormgate, and Selina was working as a cigar maker.

On 29th April 1877, aged 27, Selina married a boot maker called Bonser Singleton at the Wesleyan Methodist Chapel in Boston. They had a son, Frederick Robert, born at Boston the following year. He was followed early in 1879 by a daughter called Ada. The family then left the Boston area and moved fifty miles west to Nottingham. Their daughter Ada died in Nottingham later in 1879. Another son, Herbert George, followed in 1880, but he too died as a baby.

The 1881 census finds Selina and Bonser living at 7 Trent Street in Nottingham. Selina was still working as a cigar maker. Bonser's brother Frederick was living with them at the time. Selina and Bonser's son Frederick was not with them. He was living back in Boston with Selina's sister Mary and her husband, who appear to have brought him up, as he was still living with them in the 1891 census.

Selina and Bonser went on to have six more children in Nottingham: Florence Mary in 1881, George Henry in 1883, Bertha in 1885, William in 1886 (who died as a baby), Gertrude in 1889 (who also died as a baby), and Rose in 1890.

The family had financial difficulties in 1886, with Bonser's boot and shoe business being declared insolvent. Bonser said that illness in the family at the time had been one reason the business had been in trouble.

By 1901 the family was living in Nottingham at 41 Broad Marsh, where Selina and Bonser would live for the rest of their lives. In the 1911 census Selina reported that she had had ten children, of whom five were still living, suggesting there was another child who had died beyond those noted above.

Selina died at home at 41 Broad Marsh on 4th October 1928, aged 78. Bonser survived her by six years.

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

   b. Selina WRIGHT, December Quarter 1849, Boston Registration District, Volume 14, page 251, mother's maiden name Charity

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. St. Botolph's Church (Boston, Lincolnshire). Parish registers, 1557-1983. (Lincoln: Lincolnshire Archives Office, 1988).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Boston in the County of Lincoln in the Year 1849
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   420	Dec[embe]r 23rd	Selina D[aughte]r of	George & Mary	Wright	Boston	Shoe maker	J.H. Oldrid

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 2099; Folio 232; Page 19, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Colley Street, Boston, Lincolnshire
   George Wright, head, married, male, 29 [1831/2], Cord Wainer, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Mary Wright, wife, married, female, 26 [1834/5], b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   John Wright, son, male, 5 [1845/6], b. London
   Charles Wright, son, male, 3 [1847/8], b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Selina Wright, daughter, female, 1 [1849/50], b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Robert Judd, lodger, married, male, 32 [1828/9], Cord Wainer, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Emma K. Judd, lodger, married, female, 31 [1829/30], b. London
   Sarah Judd, lodger, female, 10 [1840/1], b. London

4. ↑ 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 2335; Folio 114; Page 17, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Colley Street, Boston, Lincolnshire
   George Wright, head, married, male, 40 [1820/1], Cordwainer, b. Skirbeck, Lincolnshire
   Mary Wright, wife, married, female, 37 [1833/4], b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   John Wright, son, unmarried, male, 15 [1845/6], Cordwainer, b. London, Middlesex
   Charles Wright, son, unmarried, male, 13 [1847/8], Scholar, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Selina Wright, daughter, unmarried, female, 11 [1849/50], Scholar, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Mary A. Wright, daughter, unmarried, female, 9 [1851/2], b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Robert Wright, son, unmarried, male, 6 [1854/5], Scholar, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Emma Wright, daughter, unmarried, female, 3mo [1860/1], b. Boston, Lincolnshire

5. ↑ 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 3341; Folio 10; Page 14, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 33 Wormgate, Boston, Lincolnshire
   George Wright, head, married, male, 50 [1820/1], Shoemaker, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Mary Wright, wife, married, female, 46 [1824/5], Green Grocer, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Selina Wright, daughter, unmarried, female, 21 [1849/50], Cigar Maker, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Mary A. Wright, daughter, unmarried, female, 19 [1851/2], Cigar Maker, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Rob[er]t Wright, son, unmarried, male, 16 [1854/5], Book Binder, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Ada A. Wright, daughter, single, 5 [1865/6], Scholar, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Charles Cole, servant, unmarried, male, 14 [1856/7], Domestic Errand Boy, b. Wainfleet, Lincolnshire

6. ↑ 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 3362; Folio 4; Page 1, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 7 Trent Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
   Bonser Singleton, head, married, male, 26 [1854/5], Boot Maker, b. West Allington, Lincolnshire
   Selina Singleton, wife, married, female, 30 [1850/1], Cigar Maker, b. Bolton
   Frederick Singleton, brother, unmarried, male, 15 [1865/6], Boot Maker, b. West Allington, Lincolnshire

7. ↑ 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 2701; Folio 103; Page 17, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 7 Trent Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Bonser Singleton, head, married, male, 35 [1855/6], Boot Maker, Employer, b. Allington, Lincolnshire
   Selina Singleton, wife, married, female, 39 [1851/2], b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Florence M. Singleton, daughter, female, 9 [1881/2], Scholar, b. Nottingham
   George Singleton, son, male, 8 [1882/3], b. Nottingham
   Martha Singleton, daughter, female, 6 [1884/5], b. Nottingham
   Rose Singleton, daughter, female, 9mo [1890], b. Nottingham

8. ↑ 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 3166; Folio 92; Page 4, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 41 Broad Marsh, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Bonser Singleton, head, married, male, 46 [1854/5], Boot Maker, own account, working at home, b. Allington, Lincolnshire
   Selina Singleton, wife, married, female, 51 [1849/50], b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Florence Singleton, daughter, single, female, 19 [1881/2], Machinist Shirt, worker, b. Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
   Bertha Singleton, daughter, single, female, 16 [1884/5], Machinist Shirt, worker, b. Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
   Rose Singleton, daughter, single, female, 11 [1889/90], b. Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
   George Singleton, son, single, male, 18 [1882/3], Cabinet Maker, worker, b. Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

9. ↑ 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 20508; Schedule 171, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 41 Broad Marsh, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
   5 rooms occupied
   Bonser Singleton, head, male, 56 [1854/5], married, Boot Maker, own account, working at home, b. Allington, Lincolnshire
   Selina Singleton, wife, female, 61 [1849/50], married 34 years, 10 children born alive, 5 children still living, b. Boston, Lincolnshire
   Rose Singleton, daughter, female, 20 [1890/1], single, Machinist Ladies Neck Wear - Blouse Manuf[actu]r[e], b. Nottingham

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

    d. Selina SINGLETON, December Quarter 1928, Nottingham Registration District, Vol. 7b, page 237, aged 78 [1849/50]

11. ↑ Nottingham Evening Post, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 3, 6 Oct 1928.

    DEATHS.
    SINGLETON.-On the 4th inst., at 41 Broad Marsh, Selina, beloved wife of B. Singleton, aged 78 years.
    SINGLETON.-On October 4th, Selina, beloved mother of Florrie and Dave, after much suffering, patiently borne.
    SINGLETON.-On the 4th inst., Selena, devoted and loving mother of Rosey, and dear beloved friend of Frances. With Christ, which is far better.