My name is Helen and I live in Australia. I have spent the last 9 months of COVID lockdown researching my Lawson Family. William Webster Lawson was born in Sheffield on 13 March 1817, he married Elizabeth Hallett on 12 June 1844, they had 6 children Ann Elizabeth 1845, William 1847, Fanny 1849, John 1855 (my Great Grandfather)Amelia 1858 and Carolyn Mary 1862. I am also wanting to find out any information on my Great Grandfather John born 1855, who immigrated to Australia around 1895 after studying in Paris. I know he also worked for Harleston Iron Works Sheffield for many years as a Drafsman. I have quite a bit of information (which I don't seem to be able to attach in this forum). I have researched on My Heritage, Find My Past, Family Search and I have just joined Ancestry. Does anyone have any suggestions for some other more local avenues in the Sheffield area. Thank you

Hi Helen, If you haven't already checked, there are quite a few entries on the Directories on here for John Lawson. Maybe one of these could be him ?
Best of luck,

Thank you John, I have gone through parts of this database but haven't found anything yet. I would have thought they would be buried in Sheffield but I haven't found a location. I have census information for both William Webster and John from 1851 until William's death in 1883 and John up until 1891. I know that William & Elizabeth lived in Upper Hanover Street until their deaths and John lived in various locations. I will have a look in the Directories and see what I can find. Thanks again, Helen

William Webster and Elizabeth are buried in the General Cemetery. I would guess the Halletts are Elizabeth's parents.

Sheffield General Cemetery, Sharrow
Consecrated Section
Grave P121

30 Apr 1852 4 May 1852 James Hallett 60y Dentist 2 Eyre Street (In grave but not on MI)

2 Jul 1854 5 Jul 1854 James Vincent Lawson 11m Son of William Webster and Elizabeth Lawson 14 Sycamore Street (In grave but not on MI )

11 Sep 1854 14 Sep 1854 William Lawson 7y 6m Son of William Webster and Elizabeth Lawson 14 Sycamore Street (In grave but not on MI )

6 Nov 1863 11 Nov 1863 Mary Hallett 79y Widow Hanover St (In grave but not on MI)

30 Jul 1881 3 Aug 1881 Elizabeth Lawson 63y Wife of William Webster Lawson, clerk 116 Hanover Street (MI - in grave)

28 Nov 1883 3 Dec 1883 William Webster Lawson 66y Manager 116 Hanover Street (MI - in grave)

(dates are dates of death and burial)

Hugh

You can find a plan of the General Cemetery on this site through the 'links' link. Looking at that I *think* this is a section which will have survived the clearance of part of the consecrated area. What state the gravestone might be in is another matter. There should in any case be a transcription of the gravestone.

This is their website: https://www.gencem.org

Hugh

Hugh, James Hallett Dentist and Mary Hallett Widow are Elizabeth Lawson's brother and his wife Mary. Her parents came from Portsea where her father was a Doctor. From my research so far James & Mary didn't have any children, so their nieces/nephew John (my Great Grandfather) became their children. Mary left everything she had to John & his sisters. Helen

Hello again Hugh, I have been into the website you sent me and I cannot get the information you have sent me, or see the gravestones etc. without purchasing a CD for 3.50 (stirling) I don't mind paying the money but the conversion will cost me more than the disc. I have tried several other websites but cannot find the information either. I might send an email to the Sheffield Family History Group and see what they have.
Thank you again for all your help. Helen

Hi Helen,

The transcription was done by S&DFHS for the NBI.

"Lawson, William Webster (Manager, died on 28 Nov 1883, at the age of 66).
Resided at 116 Hanover Street and buried on 3 Dec 1883 in ? ground;
Grave Number 12433, Section P 121 of General Cemetery, Sharrow.
Notes: MI - in grave. Place of Birth: ?. Parent(s): ."

You can contact the General Cemetery directly. Hugh gave you the email addy.

OR purchase the transcription by S&DFHS.

Genfair is the company they use.
https://genfair.co.uk/supplier/

Look for Sheffield & District Family History Society.
Prior to 1849 Very few Churches or cemeteries/church graveyards in Sheffield.

History of General Cemetery Company.
The GCC was formed in 1836 financed by a group of Nonconformist and opened that year.By 1850 part of the cemetery had been consecrated for Anglican use.Operated until 1978 when closed by an Act of Parliament.

I live in Canada and have used the service of Genfair many many times.
Rate of exchange is just what the bank charges.BUT its what ever your credit card charges on the day you purchase the CD.NOT over the top.

Elaine in Ottawa.

NOTE...... Section P121 if I remember correctly was very badly overgrown. Check out the map you will find by going to the BURIAL RECORDS over to the left.
At the top of the first page you will see where it lists MI's and the next one is Maps & Photo's Look for "General".

Instant Messenger: Skype

Hi Helen,
I am having a little problem getting my head around your reply to Hugh's, General cemetery burial findings, specifically, that James Hallett (1792-1852 age60) was the brother of Elizabeth Lawson (nee Hallett B:1818-1881 age 63) and Mary Hallett (1784-1863 age 79), was her sister-in-law. wife of James).

On the 1861 census when William & Elizabeth were living at Upper Hanover St. with four of their children, there was also recorded a Mary Hallett (mother-in-law to Head) age est. 74 born Middlesex. NB: Hugh's Mary died at Hanover St.
Ref: Family Search and UK census online.

Given the data on the above 1861 census,(if correct) I think but am no way certain, that the recording in 1841(ref:Fam.Search) for James, Mary & Elizabeth who were living at Eyre Street relates to your Elizabeth Lawson:
James Hallett age est.46 (Surgeon) no birthplace given
Mary Ann Hallett 48 (female) ditto
Elizabeth Hallett 24 (female) ditto
Selina Dawson 25 (female) Yorkshire
Timothy Boodrick 15 (male) Ireland

THOUGHTS: Admittedly, Mary was Mary Ann in 1841 and James could have been Elizabeth's brother and the mother in law recorded in 1861 could have been transcribed incorrectly and maybe should have read sister in law.
The question is, do you have the name of Elizabeth's parents?

HAPPY HUNTING:sleuth_or_spy:

Elaine in Otowa, thank you so much for that information. Despite having used computers since they came out, I always seem to get confused with some of these webpages, databases etc. I did look in every tab, but obviously not at the right headings etc. I will give that a go. I have a lot of info on William Webster but never where he was buried so this is exciting. Regards Helen from Victoria Australia

Hi Wendy in Guelph, I know it is confusing and I have been confused on and off for the past 9 months that I have been doing this research nearly every day. I am only now trying to put all the pieces together in relation to the Hallett's and Lawsons.
William Webster Lawson married Elizabeth Hallett 12 June 1844 in Sheffield, Elizabeth's parents were James & Elizabeth Hallett, he was a surgeon in Portsea. I have Elizabeth's birth certificate.
Elizabeth had a brother called James who was a Doctor/surgeon who married Mary Ann (these are the ones you refer to in Sheffield); she also had a brother John (dentist or chemist) who married Carolina, and a sister Ann.
I believe that Elizabeth went to stay with her James & Mary Ann in Sheffield and that is how she met William Webster Lawson because Portsea is a long way from Sheffield and the brother is the connection. I have a hand written letter from James Hallett (Father) dated 22 December 1826 Portsea, to son Dr James Hallett at 21 Eyres Street Sheffield.
I also believe that Mary Ann Hallett went to live with William Webster Lawson when her husband James died because they had no children. I have paperwork relating to both James & Mary Ann's deaths and wills - she left everything to William Webster Lawson's children.
Therefore I believe they assumed that Mary Ann Hallett (widow) was the Mother in Law when they did the 1841 census.
I have been lucky that my Great Grandfather John (son of William Webster) had family documents that were passed down to my Mother, so I had a base to start with. Very confusing when everyone has the same names!!!
Thank you for your response, sending greetings from sunny Victoria Australia to you in Canada

Hi Helen et al,
Thank you for the sun in Australia, Helen, would you like a snowball from Canada..??
Given your comments, I guess there probably was an error on the 1861 census either by the recorder/transcriber or whoever provided the information.
Thank you for the extra, parental info. I wonder why the burial record that Hugh found for Mary Hallett, was not Mary Ann Hallett, probably a genuine mistake by whoever arranged the funeral or that there was no birth record available and they just always called her Aunt Mary...!!

HAPPY HUNTING:sleuth_or_spy:

Hello again Wendy, no thank I don't want any snow as we are only just starting to get some nice warm spring weather. We live near the sea so we have a very temperate climate most of the time. Thank you for your interest and thoughts, hopefully when I delve deeper into some of the documents I have from the "Hallett" family I might get further information. I have tried Ancestry but there doesn't seem to be much information on there. I will also try My Heritage, Find My Past and Family Search & see how I go. Stay warm and dry, Helen

Hello Wendy, I thought you might be interested to know that I have solved some of the mystery of my Great Great Grandmother Elizabeth Hallett.
I was able to get a copy of Mary Ann Hallett's Will, she was the wife of James Hallett, it seems that Mary Ann is Elizabeth Lawson's step mother, that is why she is listed in the 1861 Census as Mary Hallett Age 74 Mother in Law Widow, and would explain why she and her late husband James are buried in the same area of the Sheffield General Cemetery with William & Elizabeth Lawson. To date I have not been able to ascertain the identity of Elizabeth's mother.
I hear you have lots of snow over in Canada still, I am sending you some sunshine from sunny Victoria Australia
Regards Helen

Hello Hugh, I thought you might like to know that James Hallett was indeed Elizabeth Lawson nee Hallett's father and Mary Ann Hallett (his wife) was Elizabeth's step mother (I obtained a copy of Mary Ann Hallett's will). I still have not been able to confirm that the Baptism Certificate I have for Elizabeth is actually my Elizabeth, but I am still looking. Thank you for you help a few months ago, it set the ball rolling. Regards Helen

Hi Helen et al,
Thanks again for the "Aussie" sun, just finished shoveling through six foot snowdrifts with the help of a few friendly snowblowers plowing through the rest.

Glad to hear you are making progress. I am surprised at Mary Ann, the sister in law turning out to be the stepmother of Elizabeth Lawson (nee Hallett)but age-wise it is a good fit.
That leaves you with researching her birth mother, Elizabeth...??

On Family Search there is a burial record for an Elizabeth Hallett on 9th/Feb/1823 at St.Mary's Portsea, Hampshire. I wonder if this is your Elizabeth..??

Another record on F.S. (a stab in the dark) is a marriage on Aug/1/1825 of a Mary Ann Pushifs..?? to James Hallett at Fareham Hampshire.

and another stab in the dark on F.S. An Elizabeth Sweet M: 13/Oct/1785 to James Hallett in Exeter, Devon (the area does not quite fit).

The burial in 1823 might be worth your while to research a little more..??
HAPPY HUNTING:sleuth_or_spy:

Hi Helen et al,
(EDIT)
Ooops, sorry I misread your latest update stating that James Hallett and Mary Ann(Mary) Hallett are actually Elizabeth Lawson's (nee Hallett) father and step mother. Definitely makes more sense now and I was thinking along the same lines but the sister in law bit was a stumbling block.
The rest of my previous comments, I think are still relavent.

HAPPY HUNTING:sleuth_or_spy: