1867-1938

 siblings

 none known

 ? William ?

1868 is thought to be around the time that John Edward Christian was born. No birth for him has been traced with certainty. He may be the 1868 birth at 88 Grieg Street, Toxteth, to John Christian Joiner and Catharine Quilliam ( spelling of Catharine as in record).  That same JEC was baptised at St Cleopas on July 13th of the same year and both parents gave their addresses as Ramsey , Isle of Man. The father, John, is a joiner. There seems to be no other John Edward Christian christenings within a few years either side of 1868 and no John Christians which match either.  There are no further baptisms of anyone called Christian at this church to 1888, there are none on the Isle of Man either.  It is postulated that either JEC was born out of wedlock and tried to hide this, or he was the 1868 Grieg Street birth and that he was then taken or farmed to Peel in IOM. There is no marriage recorded for John and Catherine until 1871, three years after his birth.  This marriage was in Liverpool and,perhaps significantly, John (a joiner) gives his address as Arthur Street (see marriage of JEC 1891), where he is also found in the 1871 census 19 Arthur Street, John Christian, Lodger, unmarried, joiner, aged 26, b. Isle of Man). Catharine gives her address as Dove Street, still in Toxteth but off Lodge Lane and a distance away from Arthur Street.

1871 is the first time that a feasible John Christian appears on record. This is at 9 Duke Street, Peel, Isle of Man assuming that this is in fact my relative.  There are good reasons in later life to assume that this is the case. He is living, with Ann Skelly, his Grandmother (Mariner's Widow, aged 52) and her daughter Elizabeth Skelly (unmarried, aged 26 and a net weaver. With them is Elizabeth Gick, like John she is aged 4 and also a grandchild to Elizabeth. Elizabeth Gick is in fact an illegitimate daughter of Jane Skelly, another daughter of Ann and a sister to Elizabeth.

1881 John appears twice in the Isle of Man census, enumerated in Peel, both on land and on a boat, “The Matchless” ( the herring boats were featured in the census, on a different day to properties on land).  On land John Christian, is aged 13 is a fisherman living at 10 Orry Lane with Anne Skelley and Elizabeth Skelley. These ladies fit with the 1871 census and are again shown as mother and daughter.  John is again given as "grandson" to Ann, a widow, the head of house.  This John fits on age, occupation and family situation.
The same John is enumerated on a fishing boat called "The Matchless"  (as Jno Christian, also aged 13) here he is with one Cornelius Skelly.  Cornelius is Ann's son and would thus be an uncle to JEC he can be linked directly back to Ann, Elizabeth and other Skellys. The Cornelius Skelly on “The Matchless” is the same person (same age, occupation and there is no one else with this unusual first name on the IOM) found onshore at No 8 Glenfaba Road, Peel.  Cornelius is married to Eleanor (a name later given by JEC to one of his daughters). Also at 8 Glenfaba Road is William Skelly - married to Elizabeth Jane Skelly.  (There are some Christians at No 16).  The James Watterson on "The Matchless" is likely to be the one on land at 9 Orry Lane, next door to the Skellys and JEC at No 10. (Elizabeth Gick meanwhile is working as a servant at Gordon House).

note also that in 1881 there is a Catherine Quilliam aged 13 living in Peel. What makes this significant is that she is living at 1 Lake Lane, which is Cornelius Skelly's old house. This seems to push co-incidence.

From 1881 onwards no trace of John is found,

1891 In January, at the age of 23, John marries Elizabeth Whelan in Liverpool at St Michael in the Hamlet, Toxteth. This is not a Roman Catholic church although Elizabeth was staunchly Roman Catholic. The marriage was by banns.  John is thought not to have been Catholic. The couple both give their address as 31 Arthur Street but they are not at this address in the 1891 census three months later. They may have been lodgers there in the January, but in fact they are not found at all in the 1891 census, either in England or on the Isle of Man.  It is not known why they are missing, but it may be noted that John's uncle, Cornelius Skelly (see 1881) is also missing for this census. Cornelius was on ships between Liverpool and Man at this time and it is possible that they may have been with him or elsewhere.

Census data provides a link from the Liverpool John who is my proven relative, back to the John in Peel who is almost certainly the same person. In the 1901 census John and Elizabeth, plus family, are recorded with a visitor,  William Christian.  William is single, aged 29, a boot and shoemaker, born Peel.
Looking back 10 years in Liverpool in 1891 a William Christian, aged 23, is living at 158 Wellington Road, Toxteth, Liverpool 8, very close to the area where John lived.  (This William is the only contender for the 1901 person, either in Liverpool or Man).  The 1891 William is a boot and shoe maker born in Peel and is living as a lodger in the household of J. T. Martin, aged 28, also a shoemaker also born Peel, IOM.  With them is Paul Collister aged 36, another shoemaker,lodger, born IOM). In 1894, in Kelly's directory of Liverpool, 158 Wellington Road shows Thomas Martin, bootmaker in residence. This is assumed to be the same person as J.T. Martin of three years earlier.   In the same directory, Thomas Martin, bootmaker appears also at 14 Harlow Street and this is the address which JEC gives in the same year, 1894, for the birth of his daughter Monica. It thus links John Christian both to William Christian and Thomas Martin, all, originally from Peel. It seems probable that JEC and Elizabeth were lodging with Thomas Martin and were in contact with both him and William Christian.  The connection can then be traced back to 1881  where both William and Thomas can be found living in Jib Lane in Peel. Thomas Martin,18, single, shoemaker is found with his parents at number 4.  At number 6 is a large “Christian” family including William, aged 15, an apprentice shoemaker (and a different John aged 28, a fisherman).  JEC has been found living both in Jib lane and close to it,in fact he is never far away.  The Skelleys are always there and these people are surely candidates for relations of JEC and they certainly remain connected for 20 years at least. (Further along Jib/Gib lane are a Mrs C Skelly (Mrs Cornelius Skelly?) and a Qualyle family.  Skelleys are clearly connected intimately with JEC whilst Cornelius Skelly, in his second marriage, was to marry Elizabeth Quayle from this exact branch of the family).

NB John Thomas Martin is also found in the 1901 census in Liverpool,  aged 38 (precise match) born Peel, childrens' names also match, he is in a lock up shop at 67 Park Road, Toxteth a boot and shoe maker. John is now a widower.  It appears that his marriage would have been in 1885, to Jane Irving at St Michael in the City, Liverpool ref. 2054LP/10/76.

1938 John's death, aged 71, was notified by Gerard Christian, son, of 29 Isaac Street, present at the death.  John died on 31 January 1938, which would give a year of birth of about 1867/8.

NB A birth for Christian, John Edward, Liverpool, 8b 42, Sep 1860 - is not checked

year

 Address

stated age

source

proof

calc birth

1871

9 Duke Street, Peel, Isle of Man

4

census

1867

1881

10 Orry Lane, Peel, Isle of Man

13

census

1868

1891

31 Arthur Street, Toxteth, Liverpool (marriage)

23

marriage cert

1868

1892

4 High Park Street, Toxteth, Liverpool

 -

birth Edward

-

1894

14 Harlow Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, 28th March,

-

birth of Monica

-

-

1896

33 Lockhart Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, 14 July 1896

-

birth of John

-

1898

-

birth of Kathleen

-

-

1899

33 Lockhart Street, 29 July 1899, Liverpool  8b 173 Jul-Sept 1899

-

death of John

-

1900

41 Beloe Street, Liverpool, 16 August 1900

-

birth of Daniel

-

 -

1901

41 Beloe Street, Liverpool, 31st March 1901

35

census

 1866

1902

41 Beloe Street, Liverpool, 19 May 1902

-

birth of Elizabeth

-

-

1903

41 Beloe Street, Liverpool, 31 December 1903

-

birth of Eleanor

-

-

1906

41 Beloe Street, Liverpool, 18 March 1906

-

birth of Mary Cecilia

-

-

1907

20 April 1907

-

death of Mary Cecilia

-

-

1908

23 February 1908

-

birth of James

-

-

1910

41 Beloe Street, Toxteth, Liverpool, 08 December 1910

 -

death of Kathleen

 -

 -

1913

08 December 1913

-

birth of Gerard

-

1918

41 Beloe Street, Liverpool.  05 January 1918

-

death of Eliz. (dau)

-

 -

1918

29 December 1918

-

birth of Vincent

-

-

1932

The last time that the family appear at 41 Beloe Street on records

electoral register

1933

and 1934 no records exist and the family cannot be traced.

electoral register

1935

They are neither at Beloe Street nor Isaac Street

electoral register

1936

29 Isaac Street

electoral register

1938

31 January, 29 Isaac Street

-

death

1867