Person:Selina Ralston (1)

Selina Ralston was born in 1884 in the southern suburbs of Manchester, daughter of a grocer named Joseph Alexander Ralston and his wife Eliza Ann Hicks. Her mother Eliza died in 1900, when Selina was about 16. After this, Selina appears to have become the surrogate mother of the family, being described as working at home but without a specified occupation in 1901 and working as a housekeeper at home in 1911. The 1911 census also gives her name in the shortened form of Lina, which is probably therefore how she was known to her family.

In 1912, she married Frank Allen. They had two daughters in Salford in 1913 and 1915.

Selina died in 1920, aged just 36. Unusually for the time she obviously had assets independently of her husband, as he had to get a grant of administration to access her assets, which were valued at nearly £950.

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

   b. Selina Christine RALSTON, March Quarter 1884, Chorlton Registration District, Vol. 8c, page 755

2. ↑ 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.)
   RG12/3184/146/53, 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

3. ↑ 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.)
   RG13/3710/119/2, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 202 Moss Lane East, Moss Side, Manchester, Lancashire
   5 or more rooms occupied
   Joseph Alexander Ralston, head, widower, male, 46 [1854/5], Grocer, employer, working at home, b. Birkenhead, Cheshire
   Frederick W. Ralston, son, single, male, 18 [1882/3], Grocer, worker, working at home, b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Selina C. Ralston, daughter, single, female, 17 [1883/4], working at home, b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Ellen L. Ralston, daughter, single, female, 14 [1886/7], working at home, b. Manchester, Lancashire
   Dorothy Ralston, daughter, single, female, 7 [1893/4], b. Manchester, Lancashire

4. ↑ 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.))
   RG14PN23920 RG78PN1380B RD464 SD4 ED55 SN192, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 202 Moss Lane East, South Manchester, Manchester, Lancashire
   6 rooms occupied
   J. Alexander Ralston, head, male, 56 [1854/5], widower, 4 children, 4 still living, Grocer, employer, working at home, b. Birkenhead
   Lina Ralston, daughter, female, 27 [1883/4], single, Housekeeper, b. Manchester
   Ellen Ralston, daughter, female, 24 [1886/7], single, Milliner, worker, b. Manchester
   Dorothy Ralston, daughter, female, 17 [1893/4], Student, Teacher M/C Education Com[mitt]ee, b. Manchester

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

   d. Selina C. ALLEN, September Quarter 1920, Salford Registration District, Vol. 8d, page 62, aged 36 [1883/4]

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

   1920
   ALLEN Selina Christine of 300a Lower Broughton-road Salford (wife of Frank Allen) died 19 July 1920 Administration London 4 September to the said Frank Allen commission agent. Effects £949 17s. 10d.