Person:Eliza Hicks (10)

Eliza Ann Hicks was born and baptised in 1858 at Hadley in Shropshire, the daughter of Thomas Hicks and his wife Selina Elizabeth Jones. Thomas Hicks appears to have worked in a variety of trades. Shortly after Eliza's birth the family left Hadley and moved to nearby Donnington Railway Station in the parish of Lilleshall, where Thomas was the station master by 1861. By 1871, the family had moved a considerable distance to Sheffield, where Thomas was a manager in a steel works and by 1881 the family had moved again to Manchester, where Thomas was a publican.

As a young woman, Eliza worked as a schoolmistress, although she appears to have given this up after she married in 1881. Her husband was a grocer named Joseph Alexander Ralston, originally from Birkenhead in Cheshire. Eliza and Joseph had one son then three daughters, all of whom were born in the Chorlton area of Manchester.

Eliza died on 31st December 1899, aged 41, leaving Joseph to raise their four children, then aged between 17 and 7.

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

   b. Eliza Ann HICKS, March Quarter 1859, Wellington Shropshire Registration District, Vol. 6a, page 741, mother's maiden name Jones

2. ↑ England. Births and Christenings, 1538-1975. (FamilySearch, Ancestry.com, Findmypast).

   ch. 19 Dec 1858, Hadley, Shropshire: Eliza Ann daughter of / Thomas & Selina Elizabeth / HICKS

   Needs to be confirmed at Shropshire Record Office.

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 1903; Folio 6; Page 6, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Railway Station, Donington, Lilleshall, Shropshire
   Thomas Hicks, head, married, male, 32 [1828/9], Station Master, b. Wellington, Salop
   Selina Eliz[abe]th Hicks, wife, married, female, 26 [1834/5], Station Master wife, b. Hadley, Salop
   John William Hicks, son, male, 10 [1850/1], Scholar, b. Wellington, Salop
   Selina Eliz[abe]th Hicks, daughter, female, 5 [1855/6], Scholar, b. Hadley, Salop
   Sarah Louisa Hicks, daughter, female, 4 [1856/7], Scholar, b. Hadley, Salop
   Eliza Ann Hicks, daughter, female, 2 [1858/9], Scholar, b. Hadley, Salop
   Martha Salome Hicks, daughter, female, 3mos [1860/1], b. Donington, Salop

4. ↑ 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 4698; Folio 107; Page 12, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 14 Berkley Street, Attercliffe, Sheffield, Yorkshire
   Thomas Hicks, head, married, male, 42 [1828/9], Manager in Steel Works, b. Willington, Salop
   Selina E. Hicks, wife, married, female, 33 [1837/8], b. Willington, Salop
   John W. Hicks, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1851/2], Railway Clerk, b. Willington, Salop
   Selina E. Hicks, daughter, unmarried, female, 16 [1854/5], b. Willington, Salop
   Eliza A. Hicks, daughter, female, 12 [1858/9], b. Willington, Salop
   Martha S. Hicks, daughter, female, 10 [1860/1], b. Newport, Salop
   Emma A. Hicks, daughter, female, 8 [1862/3], b. Newport, Salop
   Thomas R. Hicks, son, male, 5 [1865/6], b. Sheffield, Yorkshire
   Francis F. Hicks, daughter, female, 3 [1867/8], b. Sheffield, Yorkshire
   Harry W. Hicks, son, male, 3mo [1870/1], b. Sheffield, Yorkshire

5. ↑ 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 3898; Folio 61; Page 8, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 74 Union Street, Ardwick, Manchester, Lancashire
   Thomas Hicks, head, married, male, 52 [1828/9], Publican, b. Shropshire
   Selina E. Hicks, wife, married, female, 46 [1834/5], b. Shropshire
   Eliza Ann Hicks, daughter, unmarried, female, 22 [1858/9], Schoolmistress, b. Shropshire
   Martha Salone Hicks, daughter, unmarried, female, 20 [1860/1], Schoolmistress, b. Shropshire
   Tho[ma]s Ric[har]d Hicks, son, unmarried, male, 15 [1865/6], Clerk, b. Sheffield, Yorkshire
   Francis Fanny Hicks, daughter, unmarried, female, 13 [1867/8], Scholar, b. Sheffield, Yorkshire
   Mary Jane Hicks, daughter, unmarried, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Manchester, Lancashire

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 3184; Folio 146; Page 53, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 28 Egerton Terrace, Chorlton upon Medlock, Manchester, Lancashire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Joseph A. Ralston, head, married, male, 36 [1854/5], Grocer, employer, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Eliza A. Ralston, wife, married, female, 30 [1860/1], b. Hadley, Shropshire
   Fred W. Ralston, son, single, male, 8 [1882/3], Scholar, b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Selina C. Ralston, daughter, single, female, 7 [1883/4], b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Kate McNulty, servant, single, female, 16 [1874/5], Gen serv dom, b. Ireland
   Ellen L. Ralston, daughter, single, female, 4 [1886/7], b. Manchester, Lancashire

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

   d. Eliza Ann RALSTON, March Quarter 1900, Chorlton Registration District, Vol. 8c, page 694, aged 41 [1858/9]

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

   1900
   RALSTON Eliza Ann of 202 Moss-lane-east Moss Side Manchester (wife of Joseph Alexander Ralston) died 31 December 1899 Administration Manchester 17 February to the said Joseph Alexander Ralston grocer and provision-dealer Effects £137 9s. 8d.