Maude and Thomas Pennington Critchley family

Elsa, Kathleen, and Micky the dog

Kathleen

Elsie

House built by Thomas Critchley on 21st south State Street.

It still stands

Tom at Lagoon pool

Olive and Maude

1927

Maude, Olive, Tom

Kathleen, Tommy, Elsa

Tommy 1927

Critchley Family

Thomas Abel Critchley and Mary Pennington

married on 5 June 1876

Their children are the following:

1-Annie Elizabeth Critchley born c.1877 in Bold, Lancashire.

She married John William Rowbotham on 6th June. They had 3 girls

2-Charles Critchley born 22 Sept 1878 in Thatto Heath, Lancashire; d.25 March 1925 Holy Cross Hospital, Salt Lake City Utah. Buried Mt Calvary Cemetery, SLC

Married Sarah Sephton in June 1904

3-Lilian Mary Critchley born 15th August 1880 in Thatto Heath, Lancashire

married George Richardson on 2nd September 1905 at Portico Chapel Eccleston, Lancashire

4-Thomas Pennington Critchley born 16th October 1881 in Rainhill, Lancashire

Married Maude Webster on 15th August 1912 in Salt Lake City

5-Alice Critchley born 1883 in Rainhill, Lancashire

Married John Stanton Sherlock in 1903

6-Mary Margett Critchley born 1887 in Rainhill, Lancashire

7-Agnes Hilda Critchley born 1890 in Rainhill, Lancashire

8-William Reginald Critchley born 17 june 1893; d.29 Aug 1967 in Santa Clara,CA

Married Doris Upson who he eventually divorced

Charles Critchley and Mary Sephton's Children are:

1-Charles Critchley (28 Jan 1905- 7 Feb 1980)

2-Esther Mary Critchley (30 Jan 1909- 4 feb 1936)

3-Alice Louise Critchley (23 Sept 1911- 10 Oct 1955)

4-Freda Margaret Critchley (9 march 1916- 13 Jan 1984)

5-Frances Critchley (9 March 1916- 21 sept 1994)

William Reginald Critchley b. 17 Jun 1893

Youngest child of Thomas Critchley and Mary Pennington Critchley. He emigrated to the USA via Canada. He sailed on the SS Megantic on 17 Aug 1912 arriving in Canada on 24th August 1912. He paid for the passage and his final destination was to his brother Thomas Critchley, Salt Lake City, Utah. He returned to England on 4th October 1957 on the SS Sylvania as a tourist from Montreal, Canada, to spend 3 months there. He stayed in the Stork Hotel in Liverpool.

He married Doris Upson and in 1920 they were living with Thomas and Maude Critchley in Salt Lake City, Utah with their son Lawrence. He eventually divorced and moved to San Francisco California, as worked as a clerk at a warehouse. He was naturalized on 6th November 1939 by the US District Court at San Francisco, California, Petition No. 44695. he was 47 years old and lived at 2910 Anza St, San Francisco. He died on 29th August 1967 in Santa Clara, California.

Bill Critchley's wife, Doris

Doris and daughter Virginia

"Bill, Ernest, Jack

Maude, Rachel, Mary

abt 1910"

William Reginald Critchley, Ernest(aka:Ernie) Webster, Jack?

Maude Webster, Rachel(Ernest's wife), Mary (Possibly Tom Critchley's sister)

This photo must have been taken in England as Maude did not leave for the United States until 1912. Thomas Critchley immigrated in 1909. If the date of 1910 is correct, he would not have been around when this photo was taken.

Thomas Pennington Critchley

Born 16th October 1881/died 31st January 1974

He was the second son of Thomas Abel Critchley and Mary Pennington

Immigrated to the United States in 1909. Arrived here on 8th March 1909 on the SS Celtic from Liverpool to be with his brother Charles.

The ship's manifest shows:

Thomas Pennington Critchley, Age 26, He had a ticket for his final destination. He had 50 dollars in his possession. The relative he was going to was his brother Charles Critchley at West South Temple St, Salt Lake City Utah. His health was good. He had no deformities.

Height 5'8" (this is to be disputed!! Those who knew him claim he never hit 5'4"!)

Complexion medium, hair medium, colour of eyes grey. No marks of identification. He came from Rainhill, Lancashire. He was single and age 26 years. In England his last address was with M.E. Critchley, Roby's Cottage, Rainhill, Lancashire and she was his next of kin. (This is either his mother or his sister Mary). His destination was Salt Lake City, Utah.

Thomas married Maude Webster ont he 15th of September 1912 in Salt Lake City. She was born on 29th of June 1886 in St Helen's, Lancashire and immigrated to be with Thomas.

She died on 9th Feb 1935 at the age of 48 after battling a long illness.

4 years later, Tom sent for Maude's sister, Alexandra May Critchley to come to the US to marry him and help raise his children. They wed on the 1st of January 1939 in Salt Lake City. My mom remembers going to her grandparents house every year to celebrate the new year and their wedding anniversary. May was born on 17th June 1902 and died in October of 1989.

Thomas Pennington Critchley

Thomas Pennington Critchley was drafted for WWI on September 12th 1918. His occupation is given as Station Engineer, unemployed. Address 78 Russet Avenue, Salt Lake City. Age 37.

Medium height, build and hair. Gray eyes. Nearest relative, Charles Critchley of South 11th East, SLC.

Tom and Maude Critchley 1931

Maude Webster and Thomas Pennington Critchley knew each other in England. Tom left for the US in 1909 and Maude followed him to America in 1912. They were apart for 3 years. On her way to her "intended husband" she called in on her brother Ernest Webster who left England for Canada in 1909.

Tom and Maude Critchley

Maude Webster Critchley 1931

Annie Elizabeth Critchley, Thomas Pennington Critchley's oldest sister, and her family

Annie was born about 1877 in Bold, Lancashire.

She married John William Rowbotham on 6th June at Christ Church, Eccleston, Lancashire

They had 3 daughters:

Harriet Hilda Rowbotham born in 1902 in Somerset.

She was named after John's mother

Lilian Mary Rowbotham born in1904 in Macclesfield.

She was named after Annie sister

Dorothy Vivian Rowbotham born in 1910

The 1911 census shows Annie's sister Agnes Hilda Critchley living with them. She was 21.

John William Rowbotham's Probate details are on Ancestry.com. He died 11th July 1932 in Clayton, Manchester. Probate was granted on 8th August 1932 to Annie Elizabeth widow and Ellen Rowson [wife of Walter Rowson] to the effect of £1,389.41s.9d. Ellen was John William's sister and was a Silk Weaver, born in Macclesfield, Cheshire - she married Walter Rowson in 1906. She must have been in straitened circumstances for him to leave something to her. He must have been a very good, kind man

Tom and Maude's kids, Tommy and Olive; Billie Critchley (Bill and Doris' son?)

Thomas Critchley family

Olive (oldest child), Elsie (aka Elsa: youngest child), Tommy, Maude, Thomas, and Kathleen

Maude was very sick at the time of these photos. She would pass away just a couple of years later

Kathleen Marjorie Critchley

with Alexander May Webster Critchley (Gramsie)

Kathleen Marjorie Critchley Peirce

Webster Family

Peter Webster born 2nd June 1860; died 21st may 1941 in Prescot, Lancashire

Rachel and Ernest Webster

Jack and Gwen

Ernest Webster married Rachel Cunliffe in York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada on 8th July 1909. the Canadian marriage certificate gives Ernest as 23 and a carpenter, Church of England. Parents Peter Webster and Sarah Smith. Rachel is also 23 and her parents are Thomas Cunliffe and Jane Kilshaw. Witnesses to the marriage were Fred and Henry Brooks of Toronto.

Gwendoline Webster's birth appears on the Ontario Birth Records but they just stop at 1911! She was born on 27th January 1911 at 411 Church Street in the county of York, Division of Toronto and it gives her father as Ernest Webster Carpenter and Rachel Cunliffe as her mother [married on 8th July 1909]. The physician attending was C.J. Wagner and E Webster certified the birth on 24th February 1911. These records from Ontario are very good.

Where is this family's whereabouts in 1911? - they don't seem to be in Canada!

Charlie Webster

Fred Webster son of Peter Webster and Sarah Smith. Born 4 May 1888.

Frederick Webster's Army Service Records in WW1 shows he was in the Royal Engineers who used Dispatch Riders to send messages when telephones etc., were out of action. He married in 1914 to Margaret Jane Saggerson and she is given as his next of kin in his records.

On Fred's shoulder are the initials RFA which is the Royal Field Artillery: the little pockets [5 on his chest and 4 on his back are a bandolier for ammunition: His badge and cap badge are correct for the WW1 Uniform; the stick that he is carrying is a riding crop; he wears gloves and would also have worn boots and puttees. Therefore, he was part of the Army who rode the horses which pulled the enormous guns which they fired at the German soldiers - he would have been riding one of about 6 horses which pulled the huge guns. There are many photo's of RFA Drivers or Riders which are exactly the same. Not sure about the sleeve insignia but think that it may have been that of a Signaller. I can understand that Thomas or Maude would have thought that he was a Dispatch Rider

Three Generations of women!

Sarah Smith Webster, Maude Webster Critchley and Kathleen Marjorie Critchley

Taken in England in 1922 when the Critchley family were visiting from American as well as looking for work.

Clara, Grace and Charlie Webster

Originally thought to have been taken in 1912 on Maude's visit to Canada on her way to America, however Grace was not born until 1918.

Maude Webster

This photo is marked with the photographer's signature and place as St Helen's so it must have been taken sometime before Maude left for America in 1912

My sister now owns the locket that is around Maude's neck.

Maude Webster Critchley 1931

Peter Webster and Sarah Smith Webster

Boat to Isle of Man, England

"Our" Nellie (? not sure who she is) and Sarah Smith Webster

1933 or 34
Early 1930's: Unknown, Sarah Smith Webster, Alexandra May Webster

Bill Crichley, Ernest Webster, Jack??

Maude Webster, Rachel (Ernest's wife), Mary (Critchley Maybe?-Bill and Tom's sister)

Alexandra May Webster Critchley on the left

Not yet sure who she is with.

Sister's Maude and May Webster 1902

Maude married Thomas Critchley and had 4 children. She died young in 1934 of Renal failure (kidney's shut down) possibly a result of the heart medication she was taking. This left Thomas to raise the children. 5 years later, he sent for Maude's sister May from England.

He married her and lived the rest of his life with her.

Maude and May's brother Peter Webster (named after his father)



Letter from Maude and May's sister Esther Webster (aka: Tessie)

136 Korte Boomer Street   
                                Schoten
                                9-10-34
Dear Maude & Tom,
    Thank you much for letters received O.K. one I got while I was home John sent it on, & the other came home after I was gone so May sent it over here to me, you’ll think it’s taking me a long time to answer but really I’ve tried many a time but had to give it up, it was just like opening a wound that was justll healing!  ???? with it as I’m sure you are anxious to know how things went on, well, the best way to explain everything is to give a relas of my holidays (sorrowful ones in deed) you see I’ve felt this coming on long enough as soon as she give over writing herself I had my suspictions, therefore then John spoke about holidays, & where were we going, I said ‘You can please yourself where you go but I’m going home, & then with constantly speaking of it, he also felt a desire to see all the old friends and relations again as he said when once the home is broke up we won’t feel like going so often & it might be the last time, so ever since last Xmas we had made arrangements to go in Aug. now when it had got near to Aug. we found the date for Aug. 10th & John would go with me for one week & then return for work, I should stay 3 weeks well the week before Aug. Monday I got a letter from May to say that May’s legs were so bad that she was staying in bed a couple of days to rest herself thoughly for when we came, & then a few days after that another letter to say they had called in doctor & got her examined as it seemed to be something different to rhumatics & that she’d got an abcess on her seat that was giving her terrible pains & as soon as the Dr had examined her, he said that it was sugar diabetes & that to give her the best attention it would be better to take her to Whisbon but Ma didn’t like the idea of it & said if you take me away they’ll bring me back a dead woman so they put it off a bit, but a couple of days after that when the Dr came, a while still downstairs he asked how she was they said she was much better as she slept most of the time, but he said, why that’s just what she must not do, as for that sickness if they sleep a lot it’s a sign that the sickness is getting a better grip on them & he flew upstairs & as soon as he saw her, he said goodness she’s going in a sleeping coma & if we don’t mind she’ll never come out, she must go at once to the hospital so as to be injected in & the abcess must be dressed regular, so they took her on Friday night Aug. 3rd & on Saturday they sent a telegram to me to come at once as she was not expected to last long, well I think I live a long way from home but it doesn’t seem like it as they wired from Widnes at 2 o’clock & I got it at 3 o’clock (sharp work eh) but of course the passport office was shut owing to it being Saturday afternoon & wouldn’t be open till  Monday morning so I had to wait till then, but you can guess I sat on hot coals all the time, & on Monday after getting all papers in order, I sailed away from Antwerp at 8 o’clock at night (arrived in England 6 o’clock in the morning & then a express train ride to Widnes & got in at 2 o’clock May met me at the station as all the rest had gone to Whiston as it was visiting day & it closed at ??? so they couldn’t wait for me so they didn’t know whether I’d be on it or not, but they brought a special permit for me, to allow me to go & see her that same evening & so I went with our Peter, & when I got to her she was asleep & goodness I got a shock, she was as pale as death & so old looking, & when I woke her she said, “Oh leave me alone & let me sleep I’m done up, & you know it’s the end of me I’ll never get better, I’m a goner.” but when I said, Here don’t you know me I’m Tessie from Belgium, goodness you should have seen her wake up, & she said, “My word how the time flies & me lazing about like this, I’ll get up & get you something, but I said never you mind tell me all news & leave the food getting ready to the others & after she’s been talking a bit she was quite her old self again I stayed quite an hour with her, as after that I would have to wait till Sunday the foll. visiting day, well the following Saturday John came & of course he went with us to Whiston on the Sunday, & Ma was still her old self & she knew John quite well, & it was quite like old times us all sitting round her, there were 11 of us, Flossie Wilson was among us telling us all about her illness for you know she has the same sickness & last Xmas, she was so bad that the Dr told her husband that it was impossible for her to get through the night, & well she got over it alright & when she came to see Ma she was as well as any of us but of course she has to be careful & twice a day she injects herself with insiline & she’s also on diet, & so with her getting over it alright we all thought my mom would get over it too & all our hearts were as light as a feather, Oh & ma said to me, Our Maude hasn’t come yet, but she will do, you see she has to come much farther than you, but I said, Yes she might turn up yet but don’t be disappointed if she doesn’t come, as she has had a lot of expense this year, but she said, Oh but you forgot she has two houses & one of them will be going flop one of these days & then she’ll be coming to say goodbye to me, it’s quite a long time since I seen her, but should she come too late tell her I was thinking about her & also tell her while I’m been here I’ve seen her good friend (La hem) Sister Perrin”, well we all went home then with a promise to come on the following Tues but what shock awaited us when we got there the nurse said don’t be upset but your mother has gone in a coma but we are doing our best to get her out,& as she isn’t as well as she should be, I’ll sign a paper to allow any of you to come at any time, so that in itself was a bad sign & when we got to her we found her fast asleep and nothing would wake her we stayed 2 hrs with her & tried to get a word out of her, but she did nothing but sleep & sometimes when she came half conscious she seemed to be pointing to something & muttering to herself, it was just as if she could see something that we couldn’t it did make me feel awful because that was a sure sign that it was the last, well we went to see her everyday but she was just the same till Friday & as soon as I saw her I said to May, I can see a difference in her to-day, her eyes are shut much tighter to-day than they were yesterday but there was another sister on duty than the usual one & I didn’t like asking her what she thought & that same evening she passes away without waking up, the nurse seen it coming on as soon as she was back on duty, & went to look at all her patients & she said the death struggle only lasted for a quarter of an hour or she would have sent for us, so you see Maude although I was so near to her, I wasn’t with her at her last moment, but the nurse explained all when we saw her again at Auntie Bessie for you see she is courting Willie Webster, Bessie’s boy, & she said she passed quite peacefully no one could wish for a better death.  Well Sat morning Papa & our Fred went & arranged everything & she would have been buried on the following Tuesday only Fred’s workmate was on his holiday so he had double work, & he asked the Dr if she would keep till Wed. & he said, yes a week if you like as there was practically no food in her to go bad as she’s been on diet.  Do you know Maude what I found funny about that coma, that she could hear what we were saying but couldn’t open her eyes and answer us, because one day she put her tongue out & it was as dry as a bone & I looked around for water but a woman that was minding the ward said she wasn’t allowed to drink water so I dipped my hankie in the water & washed her tongue with it & it seemed to do her good & so before I went home I said, “Ma pull your tongue out” & right away her tongue came out isn’t that surprising. Well they brought her home on Tuesday morn & she was lovely just her own self her face was just as if it was carved out in marble & her fingers didn’t stiffen at all, that’s a sign they say of ‘one to follow’ so I wonder who it is (I guess Papa as he felt it, I found him crying many a time & when he saw me he said ‘Oh Tessie don’t mind me I can’t help it, I miss my sweetheart now”) & do you know I wasn’t a bit easy as I thought she was in a trance but on Wed morning I was put at rest by seeing a trickle of blood running out of her ears & when the undertaker came to screw her down he said when he saw the blood its high time she was shut up.
On the Monday Auntie Esther & cousin May came to visit us, they thought to be able to see her but they didn’t like to go to Whiston, so they said they will remember her like we saw her last & she left money to May for wreath she ordered, I was expected to find on old woman when they told me Auntie Esther was in the parlour, but her daughter looked older than she did,  because she hasn’t altered at all.  Well the funeral  went off splendid, the brothers & sisters of mother didn’t come on account of being ill themselves, but the children came in their place, but we sent a weekly news to you so you will have read who came & we got so many wreathes from friends & neighbors that Pa wouldn’t let me buy a wreath he said we’ll buy one altogether a family wreath & then those that are away can think theres one in their name too, we spared no expense, as it was the last we could give her, her coffin was the most loviest I’ve ever seen, the  handles on the side were worked in purple silk & the shroud in white satin, embroidered in silk she looked lovely, we went to church in ??? coaches & just as she was put in the grave it started to rain & you know they say they’ve gone to heaven if it rains on the coffin. 
When we got back we sat down to tea with 26 of us, & they all wished to be remembered to you all & that’s all that there is to tell only that your money came a few days after & because they couldn’t give her any of it, I said perhaps Maude would like flowers put on her, with it, so May & I arranged like this, I drew a plan of the grave & shown her how she must plant the bulbs, & we choose daffodils tulips, crocus, white lily & narcissen, all those bulbs can stay in the ground from year to year then there’s flowers on the grave almost always how does this suit you.  Well I mean’t to tell you all about my holidays where I’d been & who I’d seen but I’m afraid I’ll have to wait till next letter as I think my letter will be heavy enough as it is.  This last 2 months Georgie has been ill with Rhumatic Fever that the 1st time the Dr had had to come in out house & & I hope it’s the last (the dear boggers) much love to all xxx Tessie