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Hello, I recently found that I have DNA matches to a William Poulton and his wife Elizabeth Sutton of West Bromwich who moved with their family to Rotherham and from there to a village named Swallownest near Rotherham. I am particularly interested to find out if they had any connection to a Down(e)s family who also lived in Swallownest. Any information will be gratefully received.

Dates would be helpful

You could try researching the names and see what comes up

Freebmd is the place to start if you’re looking at AFTER 1837

Poulton/Sutton married 1850, so look for info on freebmd and on censuses from then

You will need to work up trees for the families (these are called dirty trees). Hopefully you will then your answers.

OK, a bit more information. My maternal grandmother Ann Down(e)s is a mystery. According to my late mother she came from Swallownest near Rotherham from a family of Methodist miners. She was born about 1877. There was indeed a Downes family in Swallownest, they had moved from Staffordshire and were miners. The only one of their children to match is their eldest daughter Sarah Ann who disappears after the 1891 census.
The DNA test I took does not match me to any Downes family. However it has matched me to the Poulton family also from Staffordshire and who eventually moved to Rotherham and Swallownest. I can't believe this is a coincidence, so I am looking for a link, from somewhere.

What makes you think that they might have had a connection to the Down(e)s family?
EDIT - I see your later post above

For our info.

1851 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Lyne, West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England

Members that resided in the household at the time of the census.
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
William Poulton Head Married Male 23 1828 Iron Puddler Tipton, Staffordshire, England
Elizabeth Poulton Wife Married Female 19 1832 Nailor Tipton, Staffordshire, England
Joseph Poulton Son - Male 0 1851 - Staffordshire, England



Name: Mother's Maiden Surname:

POULTON, JOSEPH SUTTON
GRO Reference: 1850 S Quarter in WEST BROMWICH Volume 18 Page 609

Thank you, William and Elizabeth had several children. I match DNA wise to people who are descendents of both of them, so I assume that whatever the link is, it must be through one of their offspring.

Presumably, you know the names of the children, so look for info about them using freebmd as a starting point

Also, use the GRO site to find MMN in the years preceding 1911


Name: Samuel Poulton
Age in 1911: 50
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1861
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Birth Place: West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England
Civil Parish: Rotherham
County/Island: Yorkshire-West Riding
Country: England
Street Address: 77 Carlisle St
Marital status: Married
Occupation: Corporation Gasworks Labourer
Registration District: Rotherham
Registration District Number: 511
Sub-registration District: South East Rotherham
ED, institution, or vessel: 18
Piece: 28060
Household Members:
Name Age
Samuel Poulton 50
Ann Elisabeth Poulton 49
Gertrude Poulton 20

THREE children born in marriage - ONE has died.

A kick-start for you

POULTON, GERTRUDE (MMN) SEWTER
GRO Reference: 1890 D Quarter in ROTHERHAM Volume 09C Page 623


Name: Gertrude Oxby
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 30 Aug 1890
Relation to Soldier: Widow
Title: WWI Pension Record Cards and Ledgers
Description: Other Ranks Died Owens W-Paflin W
Next of Kin:
Name Relation to Soldier
Charles Mathew Oxby
Gertrude Oxby Widow
Roy Oxby Child


Name: Gertrude Warden
Birth Date: 1890
Death Date: Oct 1974
Cemetery: Wood Green Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: Wednesbury, Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England
Has Bio?: N
Spouse: John Warden


1939
50 Gt Bridge Road,Bilston, Bilston, Bilston M.B., Staffordshire, England

Roy Oxby 18 Jun 1914 Male Overlooker Warehouse Married 133 1
Lillian Oxby 03 Dec 1912 Female Unpaid Domestic Dut Married 133 2
Michael J C Oxby 12 Jan 1939 Male Under School Age - 133 3


Name: Mr Roy Oxby
Gender: Male
Age: 98
Birth Date: 18 Jun 1914
Last Residence: Bilston, West Midlands, England
Postal Code District: WV14
Death Date: 25 Jan 2012

The reason you don’t match with the Downes family maybe because no one has taken a test. Or a tree has not been added so you can’t check if Joe Bloggs is in fact a Downes descendant.

Then, of course, there is the classic reason ........


If they are Methodists you may need to look for the Methodist Rolls.

NO results on census records for the name Downs/Downes in Swallownest

Ditto BMD's

Of course, any link to the name is not necessarily legitimate

1911 Census For England & Wales
184 Ferham Road Rotherham, Rotherham, Yorkshire & Yorkshire (West Riding), England

Thomas Poulton Head Married Male 44 1867 Iron Worker Hamerman West Bromich Birm
Elizabeth Ann Poulton Wife Married Female 43 1868 - Woodhouse Yorkshire
Henrietta Poulton Daughter Single Female 21 1890 Cookery Mistress Swallonest Aston Parish
Thomas Poulton Son Single Male 20 1891 Labourer Iron Works Swallonest Aston Parish
Florence Evelyn Poulton Daughter Single Female 18 1893 - Swallonest Aston Parish
Arnold Poulton Son Single Male 13 1898 School Swallonest Aston Parish

Swallownest came under Aston cum Aughton apparently. Joseph Downes and his family were in the census in 1901.
His brothers Jacob and Isaac were also in the Rotherham area.