This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Hampson Kinsey Derbyshire Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/VUh.2ACIB/129.1.1.1.1 Message Board Post: Hi again, Ian, thank you very much for the information on Joseph's descendents. The latest information I have on Joseph Hampson is his marriage which occurred in 1898. I have a copy of their marriage entry on 24/08/1898 at St Matthew's Stretford. The witnesses were James Derbyshire and Beatrice Hancock, who themselves later married at that same Church in 1918 and James is also Mary (Derbyshire) Hampson's younger brother who resided with James & Mary Hampson at the time of the 1901 Census. I also have Joseph's birth certificate. He was born at Holts Place, King Street Stretford on 22/03/1874 and mother's maiden name was Kinsey. Back to William & Mary Hampson, parents of James (1863 - c. 1944) and Joseph (b. 1874). William Hampson married Mary Kinsey at Manchester on 30 July 1854. First marriage for both parties and William was 21 yrs and Mary 20 yrs. Fathers are Jonathan Hampson, gardener and William Kinsey, sawyer. William resided at Moore St., Stretford and Mary at Moss Lane Hulme. Both signed with their mark and witnesses were Benjamin Johnson and Ellen Wood. Their daughter Hannah was born 23/09/1854 at Chester Rd., Stretford but died 5 days later at the same address on 28/09/1854. The IGI has baptisms of children of William & Mary Hampson at Manchester Cathedral but I do not know whether they refer to our couple. They are - Joseph 7/2/1858 Elizabeth Mary 3/6/1860. At the time of the 1861 Census they are living at Pool End Lane Stretford, ref : RG9/2865 f19 pg. 31 sch. 183, but there are no children listed in the household. I suspect that William & Mary had other children besides Hannah who also died very young but I have not located them as yet. Later, I have found the birth of James Hampson at Holt Place Stretford on 17 July 1863. He marries Mary Derbyshire in 1888, their daughter Minnie is my grandmother. Jonathan Hampson born 13/06/1865 at Holts Place Stretford but Jonathan dies a year later on 15/06/1866 at King St., Stretford. On 24 March 1867 Ellen is born at King Street Stretford. Mary Eliza was born Holt Place, King Street, Stretford on 25 October 1869. Ann was born 18 June 1872 at 3 Holt Place, King Street, Stretford but died 9 April 1874 at Holts Place, Stretford. Catherine Hampson of Diamond Court Stretford present at her death. Catherine is William Hampson's mother. Then in 1874, along came your Joseph. At the time of the 1891 Census William, Mary and son Joseph were living at 13 Pinnington Lane, Stretford (ref: RG12/3159 f54 pg 17 sch.99). One of your messages mentioned Diamond Court, Stretford. You're right , the name Diamond Court no longer exists but I don't know what replaced it. Diamond Court also appears a few times in relation to Jonathan & Catherine Hampson, their son Jonathan (William's brother) and their grandson James, who married Mary Derbyshire. Judging by the addresses found in their children's birth certificates, I think James & Mary Hampson moved out of Diamond Court about 1890. They eventually ended up in Pinnington Lane, Stretford. I have a copy of a booklet, Stretford People & Places 1918 - 1945 written by the Stretford Local History Society around 1985. Diamond Court gets a special mention , "Leslie Street was off Chester Road where Macdonalds now stands. Originally it was called Moore Street, after Henry Moore, whose large house at the end was Stretford's Post Office from 1870. On the left hand side Diamond Court was a misleading name for slums equal to the worst in Manchester. The back to back houses had cellar dwellings below with several families sharing the privvies. Water came from a pump. Even in Victorian times the unhealthy conditions were recognised and the area was demolished. Perhaps because of the street's reputation its name was changed in 1896. Sounds like they were really doing it tough. King Street , which I have heard was previously known as Toad Lane, together with its Courts/Lanes, disappeared in the 1960s and the area was redeveloped and replaced by a shopping centre, possibly the Kingsway. Mary Hampson died 6 December 1893 at 13 Tryford Place, Kings Street Stretford. Mary was 59 yrs and husband William present at her death. William died 5 September 1894 aged 60 yrs at 13 Tryford Place, Stretford. Son, James Hampson of 7 Temperance Place Stretford, present at death. Other than they were buried in Stretford, I do not know which cemetery they and their young children were buried at. I'll get back to you about William's parents, Jonathan & Catherine Hampson. If you have any old photographs of Joseph Hampson and his family, and are willing to share, I would be interested in seeing them. I have one of James Hampson, taken well before his death c. 1944. Hope to hear from you again. Maxine