Person:Susannah Linney (1)

Susannah Linney was born on 19th November 1844 at Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, daughter of a plaiter called Eliza Linney, formerly Hickinbottom, and her husband John Linney, an agricultural labourer. Susannah had a twin sister called Martha. The 1851 census finds the family living at Linslade, the neighbouring town to Leighton Buzzard on the opposite bank of the River Ouzel in Buckinghamshire. By 1861 the family had returned to Leighton Buzzard, and Susannah appears in both the 1861 and 1871 censuses living at Parrotts Piece in the town and working as a plaiter.

Susannah had two daughters: Sarah Jane in 1867 and Ada in 1871, both born in Leighton Buzzard. Susannah's father died later in 1871.

By 1881 Susannah had moved to Luton, a few miles to the east of Leighton Buzzard. The 1881 census finds her living with her twin Martha, who also had two daughters. Susannah, Martha and their four girls were living at 49 Albert Road, with both Susannah and Martha working as straw hat sewers. Susannah's mother later also moved to Luton, dying there in 1890.

Susannah was still in Luton at the time of the 1891 census, living at 47 Chase Street with a lodger called Joseph Bliss. He described himself as married, but his wife was not at that address. It seems reasonable to assume that he was separated from his wife and in a relationship with Susannah, because they were still living together ten years later, and had moved twenty miles from Luton to Bedford together, which seems unlikely to have happened if they were merely landlady and lodger.

Susannah died on 30th April 1905 at the Oxford Infirmary, aged 60. It is unclear why she was in Oxford, but her death was reported in the local newspaper in Luton. It has yet to be established what happened to Joseph Bliss after 1901.

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

   b. Susanna LINNEY, December Quarter 1844, Leighton Buzzard Registration District, Volume 6, page 85, mother's maiden name Hickinbottom

   Exact date of birth taken from her twin sister Martha's birth certificate.

2. ↑ Church of England. Leighton Buzzard Parish Register Transcripts, 1562-1885. (Bedford: Bedfordshire Record Office).

   ch. 5 Jan 1845, All Saints, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire: Martha Susannah / John & Eliza / LINNEY / labourer

   Although the transcript assumes that this is one person, it is clear from the birth registrations and the censuses that Martha and Susannah were twins - quite possibly an "&" has been overlooked in transcribing the baptism register.

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 1756; Folio 235; Page 15, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Linslade Road, Linslade, Buckinghamshire
   John Linney, head, married, male, 37 [1813/4], Farm Labourer, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Linney, wife, married, female, 35 [1815/6], b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   George Linney, son, male, 12 [1838/9], Farm Boy, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Rachel Linney, daughter, female, 9 [1841/2], Plaitter, b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Martha Linney, daughter, female, 5 [1845/6], b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Susan Linney, daughter, female, 5 [1845/6], b. Leighton, Bedfordshire
   Samuel Linney, son, male, 8 months [1850], b. Bossington Lane, Linslade, Buckinghamshire

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 1005; Folio 83; Page 2, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Parrotts Piece, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   John Linney, head, married, male, 47 [1813/4], Ag Lab, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Linney, wife, married, female, 45 [1815/6], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   George Linney, son, unmarried, male, 22 [1838/9], Rail[wa]y Lab, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Martha Linney, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1844/5], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Susan Linney, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1844/5], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Samuel Linney, son, male, 10 [1850/1], Ag Lab, b. Linslade, Buckinghamshire
   Jane Linney, daughter, female, 5 [1855/6], b. Linslade, Buckinghamshire
   William Linney, son, male, 2 [1858/9], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

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 1561; Folio 60; Page 2, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Parrotts Piece, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   John Linney, head, married, male, 59 [1811/12], Agricultural Labourer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Linney, wife, married, female, 55 [1815/6], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Susan Linney, daughter, unmarried, female, 26 [1844/5], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Martha Linney, daughter, unmarried, female, 26 [1844/5], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Samuel Linney, son, unmarried, male, 20 [1850/1], Agricultural Labourer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Jane Linney, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1854/5], Plaiter, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   William Linney, son, unmarried, male, 12 [1858/9], Agricultural Labourer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Jane Linney, granddaughter, female, 3 [1867/8], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Ada Linney, granddaughter, female, 3mo [1870/1], b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

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 1651; Folio 71; Page 6, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 49 Albert Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Martha Linney, head, unmarried, female, 36 [1844/5], Straw Hat Sewer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Susan Linney, sister, unmarried, female, 36 [1844/5], Straw Hat Sewer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Jane Linney, niece, female, 13 [1867/8], Straw Hat Sewer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Ada Linney, niece, female, 10 [1870/1], Scholar, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Florence G. Linney, daughter, female, 6 [1874/5], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Eliza Ann Linney, daughter, female, 3 [1877/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

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 1273; Folio 98; Page 34, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 47 Chase Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Two rooms occupied
   Susan Linney, head, single, female, 46 [1844/5], General Shop Keeper, employer, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
   Joseph Bliss, boarder, married, male, 50 [1840/1], General Labourer, employed, b. Bedford, Bedfordshire

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 1492; Folio 149; Page 22, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 19 All Hallows Lane, Bedford (St Paul), Bedfordshire
   Four rooms occupied
   Joseph Bliss, head, married, male, 73 [1827/8], Sugar Sweet Boiler, own a/c, working at home, b. Banbury, Oxfordshire
   Susan Linney, boarder, single, female, 56 [1844/5], Straw Plaiter, own a/c, working at home, b. Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire

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

   d. Susan LINNEY, June Quarter 1905, Headington Registration District, Volume 3a, page 488, aged 60 [1844/5]

   Not the Susannah Linney who died at Leighton Buzzard in 1929 aged 86 - she was widow of George Linney, innkeeper. Whilst the 1905 death in Oxford is some way from the Bedfordshire area where she had lived most of her life, the fact the death was reported in the Luton Times shows a connection to Bedfordshire.

10. ↑ Luton Times and Advertiser
    5 May 1905.

    DEATHS
    April 30, at Oxford Infirmary, Susan Linney, aged 60 years.