Jonathan Crowther, the son of Jonathan Crowther, the Methodist
Preacher, was a newspaper writer for the London Times. One of his children was
George William Crowther, who was born in 1845 in Birmingham England,
and died on March 14, 1914 in Bangor Caernarvon, N. Wales.
The husband of one of his descendants sent me the following information about
this gentleman and his family.
George's surname on his marriage certificate is Wilkinson, but on each of his sons' birth certificates it is Crowther Wilkinson.
One of the stories about the origin of the name was that George had joined the army, which the Crowther family did not consider a respectable occupation, so they prevailed upon him to change his name.
His army Service Record has been searched but offers no clues.
It is not known why the name 'Wilkinson' was selected. Perhaps it was the name of an employer with whom he might have lodged while learning Carriage Building; perhaps there was some family connection. It is interesting that shortly after
a Jonathan Wilkinson married Martha Crowther 17 Dec 1780 in Bradford Yorkshire, John Wilkinson
married Sara Crowther on 26 Sep. in the same parish and year. Other known juxtapositions
of 'Crowther' and 'Wilkinson', not necessarily connected with this family, include:-
* A Mary Wilkinson was born at Crowder House, Ecclesfield, Yorkshire in
1694, being the 4th generation from Robert Wilkinson in that place.
It is conceivable that this family may have been been known as the
'Crowder' Wilkinson's.
* Crowther Wilkinson, son of John Wilkinson and Mary Walbank was christened 18 May 1834 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church, Wilsden,
Yorkshire.
* Crowther W Wilkinson (same person as above?) married Harriett Berry
2 Jul 1865 at Second Presbyterian Church, Albany, New York.
Wills for Crowther Wilkinson d. 1834, Crowther Wilkinson d. 1901,
his wife Margaret Berry 1847-1924, and Crowther Wilkinson d 1930
are recorded at German Flatts, NY.
* Lot 007 of Old Chester Cemetery, Delaware County, Pennsylvania,
USA has 8 graves in which 9 people are buried, all surnamed
Crowther (5) or Wilkinson(4). 3 more Crowther's are in Lot 49,
but neither name occurs again in over 200 listed lots.
A Royal Marine Artillery Description Book shows him as a coach-maker born in Yardley, Birmingham and aged 19 and six months on attestation 1 Nov 1860 when he enlisted at Wolverhampton. (The Attestation Paper itself has not survived) He re-engaged 11 Feb 1873 (not 2 Apr 1866, which belongs to the entry above). This would put his birth about May 1841, but he could have falsified his age to get recruited. The 1851 census shows him as 6 years old, which is consistent with his christening record. If the RMA record has not been misread or
mis-transcribed, he may have deliberately added 4 years to his age - perhaps because the 15-year-old was especially keen to leave home.
This leads us to speculate as to whether he incurred disapproval from his family
by joining the Marines, or whether he joined because he had already been
censured by them.
He was a sergeant in 1881. The census entry is reproduced here:-
4 Park Hill Terrace Census Place: Bangor, Caernarvon, Wales
Source: FHL Film 1342339 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 5575 Folio 82 Page 39
Age Marr Sex Birthplace
Occupation
George W. Wilkinson 38
M M Birmingham, Warwick Head
Sgt RMA Drill Instructor
Maria Wilkinson
30
wife F Reading, Berkshire Wife
George H.C. Wilkinson 2
Months
M Bangor, Caernarvon, Wales
When his son Frank was born in 1877, his rank was Sergeant-Major.
This was his final rank and in 1891 he is a "Master Innkeeper".
Spouse: Maria Frederica Quelch Pullen
Birth: 1851, Reading, Berks37
Death: 28 Mar 1887, West End, Bangor, Caernarvon, Wales
Death Memo: Giving birth to Frank: "Natural labour exhaustion and syncope" (faints leading to high blood pressure).
Christened: 21 Jan 1851, Church Croft, Hungerford, Berkshire
Father: John PULLEN, (1819-)
Mother: Charlotte Quelch, (1815-)
Was a portrait painter
Marriage not in IGI.
Beware another Maria Pullen of similar age in the vicinity, christened 21 Jan 1851 at Warfield, Berkshire
(10 mi East of Reading and 5 miles north of Bracknell).
Married: 6 Oct 1877, Portsea, Hants at St James' Church
Civil register shows marriage as 6th Oct 1877. Church register looks like 11th, but as the second stroke of "11" is shorter, it may indeed be a 6 with the lower loop indistinct.
Children: George Harry, (1879-1930)
Herbert, (1884-1918)
Ernest, (>1885-~1916)
Frank Pullen, (1887-1973)
George apparently had another wife after his first wife passed away and her name
was Mary Jones.
The
photo shows George William Crowther and his family about 1905. The
youngest person in the photo was born in 1896 and looks to be at least nine
years of age. Clicking on the photo will enlarge it.
George Harry Crowther-Wilkinson
He was George's son, on the left in the photo, also
had a long and distinguished military career as well. He was born on Feb 19,1879
at Bangor, Caernarvon, N. Wales. His death was on May 19,1930 at Portland,
Dorset.
At the time of his marriage in 1909, he was a bombardier in the Royal Garrison
Artillery stationed at the Verne Citadel, Portland. He had served in India, Egypt and Turkey. In a brief civilian interval, he was Chief Clerk for the Wolsely Motor Company from 1910 to 1913, living at Green Lane, Bordesly. When he first returned to the army [was he obliged to?], the company continued to pay his salary, presumably expecting his absence to be short. This continued into the Great War when it was finally accepted that he would not be returning to Wolsely. Having added another 10 years to his earlier service, he retired as a Regimental Sergeant-Major in 1923.
He had pensions for long service and disability after suffering deafness from a shell at Gallipoli.
There is a two year discrepancy of his age on the death certificate, which
said he was 51 years old. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Herbert Crowther Wilkinson
Gunner Wilkinson (No.30282), No. 17 Company RGA qualified as a signaling
specialist 27th Nov 1909 at Alderney, Channels Islands. In WW1, he was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre which he never saw as he was killed in action shortly
afterwards. His medals, including the Croix de Guerre and Long Service and Good Conduct Medal are held by
Mr. William Crowther-Wilkinson in Australia. Herbert was killed four days before WWI ended on November 11, 1918.
Herbert is in the photo with his father and brothers.
Frank Pullen Crowther-Wilkinson
He was a sergeant in the Royal Garrison Artillery when he married at aged 30 in 1918.
He emigrated. to Australia on the SS Balranald, from Tilbury, London on the 9th
of July 1925. They arrived at Port Adelaide, SA, 19 Aug 1925.
Frank is in the foregoing photo with his brothers and father.
Frank and his wife had six children and their descendents live in Australia.
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