Nat Gould

Mary Ellen Middleton 1848-1926

At 11 Midland Terrace

Mary Ellen Middleton was born in 1848 at Tideswell in Derbyshire, the daughter of John Middleton of Tideswell and his wife née Elizabeth Collis. She was the daughter of Peter and Ann Collis and was baptised on 18 March 1818 at Sheffield parish church, now Sheffield Cathedral

On 20 April 1869 she was married at Tideswell church to James Adams 1843-1886.

They had the following children:

Charles Adams 1869-1942. He was born at Alstonefield in 1869, and married Ellen Bennington Gould 1878-1936 in 1904. He died on 1 October 1942 at Ashbourne.

James Edwin Adams 1873-1937. He was born in 1873 at New Mills, and married Maud Howell in 1892 at Warrington. He died in 1937 at Liverpool.

Martha Elizabeth Adams 1875-1967. She was born in 1875 at New Mills, and was married to Joseph Sellers.

Herbert Adams 1878-1946. He was born in 1878 at New Mills. He married Harriet Ann Lamb in 1910 at Fairfield, Buxton, Derbyshire.

John William Adams 1880-1909. He was born in 1880 at New Mills, the twin of Edith Mary Adams.

Edith Mary Adams 1880-1952. She was born in 1880 at New Mills, the twin of John William Adams. She married Gavin Watson McArthur 1878-1917.

They lived at Stockport Road, Newtown in New Mills. Her husband was killed in an accident in New Mills in 1886. He left a young widow and six children, the eldest of whom, Charles Adams, had to become the head of the household and chief breadwinner. As a schoolboy at Newtown school in New Mills, he worked part-time in a local rope factory. The youngest children, twins John William Adams and Edith Mary Adams went with their mother to live in Fairfield. The other children were dispersed, the sons away to work and Martha Elizabeth Adams first to an uncle's farm in Alstonefield and later to another uncle in Burton-on-Trent.

Mary Ellen Adams was married to Charles Gould at Stockport in 1887. He was born in 1853 at Reaps Moor near Longnor in Staffordshire, and was a widower, his first wife having died in 1883.

In 1891 she was living with her two youngest children at 9 New High Street, Fairfield, Buxton in Derbyshire. By 1901 she and her second husband Charles Gould were living at 4 Midland Terrace, Fairfield Road in Buxton. With them was her son John William Adams who was then a stone mason, following the trade of his stepfather. The house was later renumbered 11 Midland Terrace, Fairfield Road, Buxton.

1911 Census Signature

Charles Gould died in 1910 aged 57 years. The marriage had not been a happy one (1).

As a widow, Mary Ellen Gould was living alone at 11 Midland Terrace in Fairfield when the Census was taken in 1911. She was then recorded as being a lodging house keeper.

Mary Ellen Gould died in 1926 and was buried in St. Peter's churchyard in Fairfield.

(1) Charles Gould was fined for assaulting her in 1890: Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 26 November 1890. He had a history of violent behaviour, including assaulting his first wife: Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 2 July 1870 and Sheffield Independent 2 January 1871.