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Maude Edith Woodhurst was born in 1867 to parents Richard William (1) Woodhurst (RWW) and his second wife Matilda. Her birth certificate [Birth Index: King's Lynn 4b 334, 1867 (Dec)] states that she was born in Providence Street, King's Lynn, Norfolk on November 14th 1867. RWW's occupation was given as "Dyer". The informant was Matilda who gave her address as Providence Street.
Why the family should have been there at that time is a mystery, since they were living in Birmingham for some years both before and afterwards. A search of Providence Street in the 1871 Census has disclosed no clues. The possibility that the family were merely visiting King's Lynn in November 1867 has been eliminated by the existence of a photograph taken there of Maude Edith's brother William (2) in July of that year.
The 1871 Census finds her at age "3" living with her parents at 8, Back [of?] 29, Stoke Street in the St. Thomas ward of Birmingham.
She was christened, together with her sisters Blanche (1) and Annie (1), at St. Thomas, Birmingham on January 21st 1874 [IGI: Batch K041172] when she was nearly seven years old.
The 1881 Census finds her at age "13" living with her parents and siblings at 41, Howbury Road in Camberwell, Surrey.
In 1889 she witnessed the third marriage of her mother Matilda to James Hines in Tottenham.
The 1891 Census finds her at age "23" living at 4, Stonebridge Villas, Townsend Road in South Tottenham, London. This was the home in which Matilda had settled with James. The census record describes Maude Edith as a bonnet maker.
In 1892 she witnessed the marriage of her sister Blanche (1) to William James Smith in Tottenham.
On August 6th 1894 she married William Ward in Hackney Parish Church, the wedding being twinned with that of Annie (1) to Thomas Henry Bone. The marriage certificate [Marriage Index: Hackney 1b 867, 1894 (Sept)] describes her father RWW as simply "Dead" and her place of residence as 67, Blurton Road in Clapton, which was possibly the home of her brother William (2). Her husband, then aged 28, is described as a gas fitter and his own father, Charles Ward, as a labourer. The witnesses were her (by then married) sister Blanche (1) and Walter Garner. The latter was the father of Lilian Emma Garner who would later marry Maude Edith's younger brother Richard (1). Maude Edith's age is cited on the certificate as "27", though she was actually three months short of that.
At the time of the 1891 Census William Ward had been boarding at 9, Olinda Road in Hackney together with William James Smith, and had then been working as a railway porter. He was born in Cold Ashby, Northamptonshire.
The 1901 Census finds Maude Edith and William living at 35, Corinne Road in Islington. He was still working as a gas fitter. They had no children with them despite over six years of marriage. However, also in their household was Richard (1), occupied as a druggist's clerk.
Later in 1901 Maude Edith witnessed Richard (1)'s marriage in Islington to Lilian Emma Garner.
William Ward is believed to have died from some illness during the Great War [descendants' reports]. He is probably the person of that name who died aged 51 in late 1917 [Death Index: Islington 1b 178, 1917 (Dec)].
Maude Edith subsequently remarried to William A. Shaw [Marriage Index: Islington 1b 578, 1918 (Dec)]. She was then aged about 51 and so it is unlikely that she produced any children from this marriage.
She is believed to have died at her home - 15, Warrender Road in Islington - during the Second World War. A letter written in 1943 by Richard (1) stated that she had died two years previously. Her GRO death reference is [Death Index: Islington 1b 258, 1941 (March)] and cites her age correctly as 73.