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Amazing. Many thanks to all who have replied! The Melling/Worden tie up seems to work but I will need to dig a bit deeper to confirm it.

Looks like Alice didn't survive

Lancashire Death indexes for the years: 1844
MELLING Alice -2 -Preston Preston

James and Ellen are on the 1851 census with
William b 1834
Henry b 1836
Martha b 1839
Thomas b1845 and
Susannah b 1848 - Have corrected, was FASANNAH (Ancestry Website)

The children appear to be living on their own in 1841:

1841 England Census
about Marthe Melling
Name: Marthe Melling
Age: 2
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1839
Gender: Female
Where born: Lancashire, England

Civil parish: Preston
Hundred: Amounderness
County/Island: Lancashire
Registration district: Preston
Sub-registration district: Preston
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 499
Book: 2
Folio: 24
Page Number: 42
Household Members: Name Age
William Melling 7
Henry Melling 5
Marthe Melling 2
but checking the image they are living with:

Ellen Milling abt 1806 Lancashire, England Preston, Lancashire
Mary Worden abt 1824 Lancashire, England Preston, Lancashire
William Worden abt 1826 Lancashire, England Preston, Lancashire

No sign of James.

If Henry's marriage cert comes back with father named as James, then these may be his siblings


Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1842
MELLING Alice Preston Preston -WORDEN

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1845
MELLING Thomas Preston Preston- WORDEN

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1848
MELLING Susanna Preston Preston -WORDEN

If you could fing the family in 1851 it may show Henry with the above children

How have you decided these are Henry's parents ????

Marriage: 24 Sep 1832
St John, Preston, Lancashire, England
Joseph Melling - Bachelor of this Parish
Ellen Poulton - (X), Spinster of this Parish
Witness: William Melling; Elizabeth Poulton, (X)

The Melling/Worden marriage:

Marriage: 4 Mar 1833 St John, Preston, Lancashire, England
James Melling - (X), Bachelor of this Parish
Ellen Worden - (X), Spinster of this Parish
Witness: James Worden, (X); Ellen Melling, (X)
Married by Banns by: Roger Carus Wilson. Vicar
Register: Marriages 1829 - 1833, Page 133, Entry 398
Source: LDS Film 94014

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1848
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
MELLING Susanna Preston Preston WORDEN PRES/44/12

That 1881 makes this family a good bet (James is a Fruit dealer and children's names are almost the same as Henry's:

1851 England Census
about Henry Melling
Name: Henry Melling
Age: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836
Relation: Son
Father's Name: James Melling
Mother's Name: Ellen Melling
Gender: M (Male)
Where born: Preston, Lancashire, England

Civil parish: Preston
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
Town: Preston
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View image

Registration district: Preston
Sub-registration district: Preston
ED, institution, or vessel: 2s
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 85
Piece: 2266
Folio: 479
Page Number: 35
Household Members: Name Age
James Melling 45
Ellen Melling 47
William Melling 17
Henry Melling 15
Martha Melling 12
Thomas Melling 6
Fasannah Melling 3


Looking at the big gap between Martha and Thomas, I wonder if there has been a second marriage:

A tree on Ancestry gives Henry's parents as James Melling and Ellen Worden
IGI records a marriage for them 4 March 1833 Preston

The tree owner appears to be descended fron Henry's sister Ellen b 1859 who married a John Kelly

This one I think in 1881, sorry for confusion


Household: 1881

Henry MELLING Head M Male 46 Preston, Lancashire, England Fruit Salesman
Nancy MELLING Wife M Female 44 Preston, Lancashire, England House Keeper
Ellen MELLING Daur U Female 22 Preston, Lancashire, England Cotton Weaver
James MELLING Son U Male 20 Preston, Lancashire, England Fruiterers Assistant
Mary MELLING Daur U Female 17 Preston, Lancashire, England Fruiterers Assistant
William MELLING Son Male 13 Preston, Lancashire, England Scholar
Anna MELLING Daur Female 10 Preston, Lancashire, England Scholar

Dwelling 112 Adelphi St
Census Place Preston, Lancashire, England
-------------------------------------


Anna ??

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1871
MELLING Hannah - Preston Preston- MITCHELL

1881 may be a different Henry as the marriage appears to be 1862 and Henry was still with Nancy in 1871

Lancashire Marriage indexes for the years: 1862
MELLING Henry- CAPSTICK Sarah -Preston, St John Preston

Stephen, have you obtained birth and marriage certs to get back to James or are you just relying on census findings? It is always best to get certs to confirm as it very easy to follow the wrong line.

I think that is a different Henry, Mike. Henry and Nancy are still together in 1891.

I was hoping that lan-opc might have the marriage but although it does have marriages for before and after 1857 it doesn't have that year.

If you buy the marriage cert it will give you Henry and Nancy's fathers' names which will help to confirm any census findings.

Household: 1881

Henry MELLING Head M Male 44 Preston, Lancashire, England Sea Captain (S)
Sarah MELLING Wife M Female 44 Preston, Lancashire, England
Samuel MELLING Son U Male 18 Preston, Lancashire, England Telegraph Clerk (Unemp)
Ann COPSTICK Boarder U Female 29 Preston, Lancashire, England Cotton Weaver

:
Dwelling 1 Tulketh Crescent
Census Place Lea Ashton Ingol & Cottam, Lancashire, England
------------------------------------------------------

Samuel is Sarah's son

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1863
MELLING Samuel Preston Preston -CAPSTICK

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1859
MELLING Ellen Preston Preston- MITCHELL PRES/112/45

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1861
MELLING James Preston Preston- MITCHELL PRES/123/49

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1864
MELLING Mary Preston Preston- MITCHELL

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1868
MELLING William Preston Preston- MITCHELL

Lancashire Marriage indexes for the years: 1857

MELLING Henry -MITCHELL Nancy
Preston, St John Preston

Welcome to the Boards, Stephen.

Reggie, I wonder if the children's ages are the wrong way round on the census form. There is this marriage:

Marriages Jun 1857 (>99%)
McCann Margaret Preston 8e 537
Melling Henry Preston 8e 537
Mitchell Nancy Preston 8e 537

and Lancsbmd has births for an Ellen Melling 1859 with MMN Mitchell and James 1861 with the same MMN:

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1859
MELLING Ellen Preston Preston MITCHELL PRES/112/45

Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1861
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference
MELLING James Preston Preston MITCHELL PRES/123/49

and those births agree with the children's ages on the 1871:

1871 England Census
about Henry Melling
Name: Henry Melling
Age: 34
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1837
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Nancy Melling
Gender: Male
Where born: Preston, Lancashire, England
Civil parish: Preston
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
Town: Preston
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Registration district: Preston
Sub-registration district: Preston
ED, institution, or vessel: 42
Household schedule number: 8
Piece: 4209
Folio: 4
Page Number: 2
Household Members: Name Age
Henry Melling 34
Nancy Melling 32
Ellen Melling 12
James Melling 10
Mary Melling 7
William Melling 4


Hannah Melling 2

The other children are also coming up with the same MMN.

As you are researching Lancashire, Stephen you may find these two sites useful. They are both free:

http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/index.php
has BMD indexes. The marriage index ties up the partners and some of the birth entries have MMN before 1911.

http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/
has transcriptions of parish records which you will need when you get to 1837 when civil registraton started.

For reference............1861


According to this, James was born in 1859 at the latest

Name: Henry Melling
Age: 25
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Nancy Melling
Gender: Male
Where born: Preston, Lancashire, England
Civil parish: Preston
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
Town: Preston
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Registration district: Preston
Sub-registration district: Preston
ED, institution, or vessel: 26
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 157
Piece: 3131
Folio: 51
Page Number: 33
Household Members:
Name Age
Henry Melling 25
Nancy Melling 24
James Melling 2
Ellen Melling 1 Months