Does anyone know where I could find information about a child that was supposed to have survived the flood but parents didn't. The Name she was known by after the flood was Mary Elizabeth Kirk. The child (the story goes) was brought up by a family named Kirk. I found the marriage of the so called child survivor to a Robert James Marshall in Sheffield in 1863. I followed the trail that on the marriage certificate, the father is called George Kirk, Cutler. I think I have him on the 1871 census, but no child listed as Mary, but other children. Then census of 1881 has Mary as his oldest daughter along with the other children.

I want to find out where Mary Elizabeth came from. Family story was as above..(not my family)
TIA

Hello Sarah Ann

There is an claims archive at

https://www2.shu.ac.uk/sfca/search.cfm

And also an index of deceased at

https://www2.shu.ac.uk/sfca/indexDeceased.cfm

Also a lady called Karen Lightowler who has researched the victims extensively

https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/karenl823


Tony

hello again

I noticed "I found the marriage of the so called child survivor to a Robert James Marshall in Sheffield in 1863"

The flood was on the night of 11th / 12th March 1864

Tony

The marriage was in 1885. 1863 would be the approximate birthdate of the bride, who married as Elizabeth, rather than Mary Elizabeth.

Hugh

George KIRK was a file cutter in (Mary) Elizabeth's marriage entry rather than a cutler

Hugh

Hi Sarah

Theres a full account of the flood on this site, which may or may not help. On the menu over on the left under 'Other Historical Info', Sheffield Stories, Great Flood of Sheffield.

Denise

That 1885 marriage was, as Hugh said, Elizabeth not Mary Elizabeth. The GRO index shows that she was birth registered as Elizabeth, not Mary Elizabeth, in Q4 1864(that is at least 6 months after the flood), Mmn Scotford. Her parents George KIRK AND Clara Scotford married in Q4 1863.
Dave