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Brady family

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 Part 3: Margaret Brady (1853 - 1925)

Working life and marriage to William Winward

Margaret Brady was born 04 April 1853 in Bond Street, Prescot, Lancashire. She was the eldest of eight children born to John Brady and Catherine Brewen. The family were Irish Roman Catholics and moved frequently around the Liverpool area and surrounds. Margaret appears not to have had any schooling as she was unable to sign her name at her marriage. It is possible that when she was 18 she was working as a general servant at a pub, possibly the White Horse pub, in Parliament Street, Liverpool. However, by the time of her marriage she was working as a cotton winder in Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire.

Margaret married widowed wheelwright William Winward (1846 - 1903) 02 August 1879 at St Patrick's RC Church. Before their marriage it is most likely William (who was Protestant) converted to Catholicism. Together they had seven children: Mary, Thomas, John, Rose Ann, William, Catherine and Robert (more information about them appears on William Winward's page). After their marriage they lived in Preston at various addresses such as Adelaide Street, Irvin Street and Armstrong Street and it is known that their landlord at the latter address had given them notice to quit. Besides probably being bad tenants, the Winwards seemed to have been bad neighbours, as was reported page 11 of the 'Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser' Saturday 23 September 1895:

A PRESTON SLANDER CASE.

At the Preston Borough Court, yesterday, before the Recorder, Mr H.W. Worsley-Taylor, Q.C., an action for slander was brought by Ann Booth, a married woman, living at Preston, against William Winward, wheelwright, of Preston, and Margaret Winward, his wife. The plaintiff claimed £50 damages. Mr. Forshaw appeared for plaintiff, and defendants did not appear.

Mr. Forshaw said, although the slander was uttered by the wife, the husband was also liable. Defendants did not appear, and seemed to set the court at defiance. His client's object in coming to court was not to make money, but to set herself right before her neighbours and friends, so that she should not be vilified in this disgusting fashion. If he proved the utterance of the words, it was quite sufficient to justify a verdict for the plaintiff. He asked for such damages as would reinstate the woman in the eyes of her neighbours.

Ann Booth, the plaintiff, said she was the wife of Richard Booth, and resided in Armstrong-street. Mrs. Winward had lived in the same street, but the landlord gave her notice to quit, and she had left the locality. On August 31st she came into complainant's house, worse for drink, and was rough and excited. She rolled her sleeves up, and threatened one of the children, who she said had been hitting "her Katey." She challenged the child's legitimacy in foul terms. Afterwards defendant struck one of her daughters, and again made imputations as to the children. Complainant said she would make her prove her words, and Winward said she could do so. Plaintiff sought legal advice, and defendant came and again insulted her in the same fashion. She said plaintiff would make no money out of her, and she would have her life if she watched night and day for 20 years. - Neighbours gave corroborative testimony.

The Recorder, in summing up, said the defendant and his wife had failed to appear and cross-examine the witnesses. Neither had they apologised or expressed sorrow. All the jury had to do, it being unnecessary to prove special damage, was to give such damages as would justify Mrs. Booth in the eyes of the world.

The jury returned a verdict for £5 and costs. - Mr. Forshaw asked for a certificate that there was reasonable ground for action, as otherwise costs could only be recovered for the amount of the verdict. - The Recorder granted the certificate.

After 1901 the family moved to the nearby Chorley area, and William died in 1903. Margaret moved into Chorley itself and died 26 December 1925 of senility and bronchitis, aged 72. [1]

Footnotes

[1]  England and Wales Census 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, parish records, Slater's Directory 1869 (Ancestry.co.uk); England and Wales Census 1841, 1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, Manchester Industrial School Registers 1866-1912, National School Admission Registers and Log-Books 1870-1914), British Newspapers 1710-1953 (findmypast.co.uk); www.familysearch.org; Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks website (www.lan-opc.org.uk); 'Townships: Walton-le-Dale', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6 (1911), pp. 289-300. (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53121); Hall Genealogy Old Occupation Names website (http://rmhh.co.uk/occup); wikipedia