Smashing brick walls

I seem to have a few brick walls in my family and I love nothing better than smashing them down. I’m not sure if there are more female than male brick walls, I shall have to make a list someday, but I’ll tell you about my latest breakthrough.

Catherine Young was the wife of Mansel Young. For many years I only knew a couple of facts about her that were due to the birth records of her sons and the 1901 census.

These facts are:

Catherine Young, nee Carroll

Born in Macroom, Cork, Ireland around 1857 – need to find a birth certificate

Married between 1891 and 1895 (as she was not married at the time of the 1891 census and her first son was born in 1895) – need to find a wedding certificate

Her first son Alfred Mansel Young was born at 13 Broad Street, Southsea on 31 May 1895

Her second son Henry Harper Young was born at 37 Addison Road, Southsea on the 8 June 1897

At the time of the 1901 census she was living with her family at 2 Woodland Cott, Woodland St, Portsmouth

Her name didn’t appear in the 1911 census so I knew she had died between 1901 and 1911. It has literally taken me years but I’m pleased to say I finally found her death mentioned as she was listed on freebmd and I ordered the certificate online for £9.25.

She died on 24th February 1909 at the Royal Portsmouth Hospital. The cause of death was strangulated femoral hernia and exhaustion.