Hello Elaine.

I was wondering if you could tell me what happened to Edward's daughter Willamena after 1851. I found them (the Burdons) at Chapel Hill, Clayton West, West Yorkshire in 1851 but couldn't find anything after. I found the first two, maybe three children:
1. Willamena Mary Jane BURDON 1849
2. Thomas Edward BURDON 1850-1852
3. Anne Maria BURDON 1852 (found her on FreeBMD at same location as Thomas)

I'm guessing that you are descended from Willamena. Do you know anything about her 3 elder sisters? I tracked one of them, Sarah Jane b 1824; she married William BRIDSON 1850 in Braddan, had 11 children in Liverpool and died there 1884. The others (Catharine Eleanor bp 1823 and Isabella bp 1828) I can't find, though I think Isabella must have died because the name was repeated in Edward's second family with Mary BROWN. I also can't find anything more on the second Isabella b 1838. I've resolved the other 4 chidren of Edward G & Mary Brown, but not Isabella.

Mary Brown must have been a good step-mother because Sarah named a daughter after her (Mary Brown Bridson b Liverpool 1856), though her stepmother had been dead 10 years by then. Edward was now on his 3rd wife Eleanor Ann MILBOURNE who he married in 1850. No children named after her as far as I can tell. Incidentally Sarah also named a child after her father: Edward Gelling Bridson b 1854.

Do you know the parents of your ancestor Jane CANNELL, mother of the 4 girls? Based on her burial in 1832, she would be born ca 1799.

Thanks.