Mary Jane Asbery gave her date of birth as 16 May 1880 in the 1939 register, (birth registered, as Mary Jane Asberry, June quarter 1880, at Rotherham, 9c 683), a daughter of John Asbery and Hannah Elizabeth formerly Vollans.
In the 1881 census of 20 Kimberworth Road, Mary was living with her family, aged 10 months and born in Masbrough.
In the 1891 census of 38 Kimberworth Road, Masbrough, Rotherham, Mary J. was living with her family, aged 10 and born at Kimberworth.
On 31 October 1898 she was a witness at the marriage at St Thomas Kimberworth of Matthew Robson Hetherington, a shunter, who was of 36 Kimberworth Road, so was a lodger with the Asberys.
In the 1901 census of 36, Kimberworth Road, Mary J. was living with her family, aged 20, and born at Rotherham.
She was known as ‘Ginnie’ because she had ginger hair. She married George Elliot Nelson (who was a boarder with the family in 1901) on 29 July 1908, at St Thomas, Kimberworth. Mary was aged 28, a spinster of Kimberworth Road. Her father was John Asbery deceased, grocer. George was aged 34, a bachelor and fireman of 61 Canklow Road, Brinsworth, Rotherham. His father was Thomas Nelson deceased, gardener. The witnesses were Joseph Vollans Asbery, Frances Mary Nelson and Elsie Elizabeth Asbery.
In 1911, in 4 rooms at 36 Canklow Road, Canklow, Rotherham, Mary Jane was aged 30 and born in Rotherham and George Elliot Nelson was aged 37, a railway engine stoker and born at Wharton, near carnforth, Lancs. They had been married for two years and had had no children.
In 1939 (register) at 395 Canklow Road, Rotherham, Mary J had a date of birth of 16 May 1880 and was PWC 606/51871. George E Nelson was a retired railway engine driver with a date of birth of 24 March 1874.
George Elliot Nelson died 20 March 1944 (registered in the Rotherham district in the March quarter 1944, aged 69). Probate was granted at Llandudno 10 June 1944 to Mary Jane nelson, widow, and Harold Montague Wilson, retired locksmith. His effects were £1,462.0s.9d and he was of 395 Canklow Road, Canklow, Rotherham.
She was remembered as a very ‘Victorian’ lady, with her hair in a bun and a fox fur around her shoulders. She was involved in a road accident after George had died. She fell off a bus and had her leg run over, with tyre marks visible! She recovered well.
Mary died 26 May 1965 at Oakwood Hall Hospital, Rotherham. She lived at 395, Canklow Road, Rotherham (rented, a miner's cottage, opposite the mine in Canklow). In her will she left her estate to be divided equally between her sisters Florence, Elsie, her niece Alice Warner (formerly Clarke) and her nephew Herbert Pilley. Her estate was valued at £1,154.0s.10d (£940.9s.5d available for distribution). She is buried with her husband. She had no children.
Posted October 2016