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Matilda Woodhurst was born in 1851 to parents Alfred (1) Woodhurst and his wife Matilda Bathurst (MB). The birth certificate [Birth Index: Stepney II 520, 1851 (June)] states that she was born at her parents' residence 17, Rural Place in Stepney on April 8th 1851. The informant was MB, citing Alfred (1)'s occupation as dyer.
Matilda's future husband was Walter Wiseman, born in Manchester [Birth Index: Chorlton 20 240, 1839 (March)]. The 1841 Census finds him at age "2" living with his parents William (a joiner born in Norwich, Norfolk) and Ann (born in Whitechurch, Shropshire) in Ormond Street, Chorlton on Medlock (today a suburb of South Manchester). Neither Walter nor his parents have been found in the 1851 Census. The 1861 Census finds him unmarried and lodging in Brick Croft, Spotland in Lancashire, aged "22" and occupied as a musician. His parents and some siblings were meanwhile living at 33, Welbeck Street in Chorlton on Medlock.
Matilda married Walter in 1867. Their Banns were read at the Christ Church in Hunter Street, Liverpool on March 27th, March 31st and April 7th [Christ Church Register of Banns 1865-1906, Page 9, Entry 41]. The marriage certificate [Marriage Index: Liverpool 8b 19, 1867 (June)] states that they married there on April 8th 1867 (her 16th birthday). Walter is described as a bachelor and musician aged 28, and his father William as a joiner. Matilda is described as a spinster but her age is given incorrectly as 17. The certificate's field for her father's name contains only a straight line, but the field for his occupation correctly states 'Hatter'. Both parties gave their place of residence as 15, Christian Street in Liverpool. The witnesses were Alfred (1)'s brother Richard William (1) Woodhurst (RWW) and a Mary Ann Harding whose connection is unknown.
Matilda was christened - as "Matilda Woodhurst" - at Liverpool on the same day as she married [IGI: Batch C019847], perhaps at the same church and probably prior to the wedding. The baptism record names her father incorrectly as "William Woodhurst" and does not name her mother at all. RWW probably influenced the manner in which these baptism and wedding records were drawn up such as to obfuscate his illicit relationship to MB, whom he had bigamously married five years previously when MB and Alfred (1) had separated.
It is not known why Matilda and Walter were in Liverpool at the time they married. Perhaps Walter had moved there, and perhaps Matilda had gone there from London to work in service. Or, Walter may have made a visit to London and met Matilda there. RWW and MB may have travelled to the wedding from King's Lynn in Norfolk, where they were certainly living in July 1867. Or, if they had not yet moved to Norfolk then they would probably have travelled to Liverpool from Birmingham, their previous abode.
It is probable that the first child of Matilda and Walter was a son named Walter William Wiseman, who was born around early 1868 [Birth Index: W. Derby 8b 374, 1868 (March)] and died in infancy [Death Index: W. Derby 8b 311, 1868 (March)]. This has not yet been confirmed.
Eighteen months after marrying Walter, Matilda died. Her death certificate [Death Index: W. Derby 8b 283, 1868 (Dec)] states that she died aged 17 on October 1st 1868 at her home 17, William Henry Street in Everton, Liverpool. She is described as the wife of a musician Walter Wiseman. The cause of death was certified as puerperal fever and the informant was Walter, present at the death.
Puerperal fever is the result of uterine infection following soon after childbirth, and in those days could take anything from two days up to two weeks to kill. It seems certain, then, that Matilda bore a child just before she died. This child was probably stillborn - the GRO Death Index contains no record of any infant Wiseman death in either the last quarter of 1868 or the whole of 1869.
The 1871 Census finds Walter aged "32", still occupied as a musician, lodging with a Benn household at 74, New Lane off Victoria Road in Leeds, Yorkshire. The oldest son Samuel in the Benn family, aged "29", was also a musician.
On January 27th 1873 Walter remarried to a widow Frances (nee Williamson) Richards [Marriage Index: Manchester 8d 483, 1873 (March)]. Frances was born around 1842 and her birth reference is probably [Birth Index: Manchester 20 559, 1842 (June)]. It is suspected that she had first married Ebenezer Richards [Marriage Index: Manchester 8d 174, 1864 (Dec)] on October 9th 1864 at Manchester Cathedral [IGI: Batch M097895]. He appears to have died aged "27" in 1868 [Death Index: Chorlton 8c 461, 1868 (Dec)]. The 1871 Census finds Frances widowed at age "29" and living with four young children at 3, Maria Place in Hulme, Manchester and occupied as a housekeeper.
The 1881 Census finds Walter aged "40", still occupied as a musician, living at 11, Chatsworth Street in Chorlton on Medlock with Frances and five children. All seven persons are cited as having been born in Manchester. The only child then present from Frances' first marriage was Sarah Ellen, aged "14".
The 1891 Census finds Walter aged "52" - and still occupied as a musician - living with Frances and their children at 16, Chatsworth Street in Chorlton on Medlock, together with his widowed mother Ann aged "87".
The 1901 Census finds Walter aged "62" - and still occupied as a musician - living with Frances and their children at 10, Duke Street in South Manchester, together with his widowed sister-in-law Betty Bradbury aged 69 and born in Clifton, Lancashire. Also present was a 1-year-old child entered as a "son" who was actually Walter's grandson Charles Henry Frank Archer Wiseman, born illegitimately in 1899 to his daughter Amy [Birth Index: Chorlton 8c 754, 1899 (Dec)].
Frances probably died in 1910 aged "68" [Death Index: Chorlton 8c 393, 1910 (Sept)] and Walter probably died in 1916 aged "78" [Death Index: Prestwich 8d 397, 1916 (Dec)].
A descendant reports that Walter was described as a violinist on the death certificate of one of his children, and that the family Bible of Walter and Frances contains the following entries for the births of their children:
Elizabeth Ann Wiseman born Monday 25th August 1873 at 7.20pm. Frank Wiseman born Thursday 17th December 1874 at 6.30am. Amy Wiseman born Saturday 12th August 1876 at 4.50am. Edith Wiseman born Thursday 1st November 1877 at 7am. William Ernest Wiseman born Saturday 27th December 1879 at 4.40am. Henry Wiseman born 12th January 1881 at 3.40am. Emily Wiseman born Monday 14th August 1882 at 6.45am.
Edith died on September 26th 1879, William Ernest on September 30th 1880 and Emily (probably) in the 2nd quarter of 1885.
Alice Ann died in 1875 aged "9" [Death Index: Chorlton 8c 464, 1875 (June) - indexed as "Wiseman"].
Thomas Ebenezer died in 1871 aged "2" [Death Index: Chorlton 8c 495, 1871 (Sept)].
Edward, whose father has not yet been identified, may have died later in 1871 aged "0" [Death Index: Chorlton 8c 506, 1871 (Sept)].