Snape family tree
Research by John Hagan b1940 Updated February 2014
- Benjamin Hagan b 1850 married a Mary Snape aged 27 on 17 April 1887, from their marriage certificate. Her father was given as William, a coachdriver.
- Mary b1860
Mary´s early life and parents are proving difficult to find. 1891 Census, as married Mary Hagan, shows Lydiate as her birthplace. In 1881 she worked as a domestic servant at 67 Botanic Road, West Derby, Liverpool. There are 4 Mary Snapes b 1859-61 born Lancashire with 1 living in Aughton, 1 at Lathom and 2 in Halsall. Only the Aughton address gives Mary born Lydiate. If this is correct her father was William b 1836. He was a farmer; however on her wedding certificate she gives her father´s occupation as a coachman. There is a Wiliam also b 1836 at Barton, Halsall. He was married to Elizabeth b1842 at Gateacre. They lived in West Derby in 1881 where William was a coach driver.
- Marriage 17 April 1887
Mary Snape married Benjamin Hagan b abt 1850. Both were living at 46 Spencer Street, Liverpool and married at St Chrisostom´s Church, Everton, Liverpool. This church was built 1852 and demolished 1970. A witness to the wedding was Margaret Snape. There was an elder sister, daughter of Willian the farmer named Margaret Ann! I cannot find another Margaret Snape and the Certificate appears to be signed A Margaret Snape. Her father William Snape was alive and was a Coachman. It is possible that William Snape who was a farm labourer at William Aspinwall's farm when he married Mary Asinwall, took charge of the farm but upon the death of William Aspinwall, he may have lost the farm and became a coachman. (More research is needed).
- Mary´s married life
The 1891 Census shows Mary was born at Lydiate and that she was already a widow. She lived at 27 Minshill St, West Derby, with Benjamin b 24 January 1888 and Mary b 1889. She worked as laundress, possibly at Elm Road Inn Cottage, Litherland, West Derby.
She moved to Blackburn before 1899 and worked there. She was very poor, earning 5 shilligs a week, equivalent to £1430 p.a. if earned in 2012. She could not afford to keep herself and her son Benjamin so she placed him in a Blackburn Orphanage in Lancashire.
The 1901 Census shows she was a widowed domestic servant working at the Whalley Arms, Whalley, Lancashire. It is unclear that Benjamin and his mother met again.
The 1911 Census gives a Mary Hagan, aged 50, a widowed domestic servant living with a family at 32 Oakdale Road, Waterloo, Liverpool. However, her place of birth is given as Everton.
The only match on the BMD register that appears possible is her death in 1924, Liverpool reference 8b page 10. Her age is given as 56 but it would have been 66 years..
- William Snape b1836
The 1861 Census shows only one Mary Snape aged 10 months so I am assuming this William is her father. If so, she lived at Lydiate House, Lydiate with her father William b 1836, her mother Mary b 1830, her grandfather William Aspinwall b 1792, a farmer of 30 acres, head of household and other family members.
1871 Census This shows William as head of household living with the Aspinwall's now at Turnpike Road, Holly House Green, Aughton.
1841 Census There are 2 William Snapes. The most likely one was born 1836 to Robert Snape b1816 and Ellen.
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