Important Date: 27th May

The entry in the GTB for today reads, 'Ann Thackray died May 27th 1904'. On checking the list of Thackrays, I couldn't find an Ann with a maiden name of Thackray but I did find an Ann Mitchell who married John Thackeray. The dates of death match so this must be the right person.

Ann was my great great grandmother. She was born in either 1818 or 1822 in Leeds, Yorkshire. I have no details of her parentage or whether she had any siblings. Tracing her through the 1851 to 1901 census, she lived in the Leeds area all her life, mainly Headingley (with or cum Burley). She would have been in her eighties when she died.

In the 1891 census, Ann is listed as the head of the household 'living on own means'. She was by that time a widow, having lost her husband in 1872. Living with her were her son in law, Alfred Lockwood and her daughter Eliza. Her grandchildren, Maud (my grandma) and Bertram were also listed. She is still head of the household and living with Alfred, Eliza and Maud (Bertram died in 1891) in 1901 but she was then listed as 'paralized 15 years'.

It would seem that at least two of her children (older than Eliza) were still living in the area so I wonder if they helped Eliza to care for their mother.

It is noticeable that the surname Thackray is spelt differently on documents and census and even family records. Sometimes it becomes Thackeray and other times Thackrah. I wonder if this was down to the Yorkshire accent.

Eliza Thackeray

This is my great grandmother, Eliza. She was born in 1851 in Leeds, Yorkshire, one of six children.

The 1861 and 1871 census have her resident in Headingley, Yorkshire.


I have an old book of birthdays and important dates called The Golden Text Book which bears the following writing on the inside cover,

"Alfred Lockwood, Practical Pianoforte Tuner, &C., 29 Albert Terrace, Burley Leeds."

The next page  reads,

"Miss Thackrah, January 1880".

The next cover reads,

"Miss Thackray, A present from her lover, Alfred. January 1880."

She married Alfred Lockwood in 1884 in Leeds. Her residence remained Headingley throughout the 1891 and 1901 census but in the 1911 census, that changed to Kirkstall. However, it is the same street address so I assume that the district name or boundaries changed.

She died in 1911, age 60 years old.