hidden-metaphor

Manx Genealogy Archive 1

Collister

My Great grandmother, Rose Hobbs appears on the 1881 Census at 5, Frederick Street, Douglas. She is described as a visitor to a household whose head is Ellen Collister, a widow aged 81. Also resident are William Collister, Ellen's son, unemployed tailor, 46 and Margaret Collister, 18, Ellen's Gd daughter, servant out of employment. Rose is also described as a servant out of employment. Rose came from a small village called Conkwell on the Wiltshire/Somerset border and at the time of the Census she was 7 months pregnant and was unmarried. The child's birth was subsequently registered in Liverpool in June 1881 and Rose's residence was, at that time, 4 Clevedon St, toxteth Park, Liverpool, which may have been a boarding house. The child's name was Willaim Rose Hobbs. Rose was resident in Wiltshire in 1861 and back there in 1888. I can think of no reason for her going to Liverpool and as far as I am aware there are no family connections with the city at that time. I would be grateful to hear from anyone with an interest in the Collister name who might be able to shed some light on Rose's presence on the IOM at Census time. Perhaps she worked with Margaret Collister in Liverpool. Are there any known connections between the Collister family and Wiltshire/Somerset or any association with the surnames Hobbs, Doel or Rose.