Esther Woolley Stone was the third child of James Stone & Eliza Woolley born at Bilston & christened March 15th, 1829 at St Thomas, Dudley, Worcs.
In 1841 Esther was living with her parents & brothers & sisters at Hall Fields, Bilston, Wolverhampton.
Esther was still living at home in 1851 at Old Meeting St, West Bromwich. Her father had died by this time, but there were 3 brothers & 3 sisters still at home. Esther was a tailoress.
In Oct-December 1853 Esther married Edwin Brettell at West Bromwich. Edwin was christened August 26th, 1826 at Oldbury, Worcs, the son of Elizabeth & Thomas Brettell.
In 1861 Esther & Edwin were living 6 Powys St, Warrington, Lancs & Edwin was a glasshouse pot maker. They had 2 sons – Thomas E (4) & William S (2).
By 1871 the family were living at 1 Wakefield St, Warrington & Edwin was still in the same employment. At home were Thomas, Frederick (10), Martha (7), William H (5) & Walter (1).
By 1872 the family had moved to Sunderland. Esther died on August 10th, 1872 at 1 Spark Terrace, Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland & was buried on August 13th, 1872.
Son Thomas (known as Edwin T) married Eleanor Larmont Burn in April-June 1877 in Sunderland. In the 1881 census Edwin, a glass cutter, & Eleanor were living in Alfred St, Sunderland with a daughter Esther Stone & Edwin’s sister Martha. Sadly Edwin Thomas died in 1884.
At the time of the 1881 census Edwin was living at 3 Houghton St, Sunderland with his sons Frederick & William, both glass cutters & Walter. Edwin was unemployed.
In Jan-March 1886 son Frederick married his brother’s widow, Eleanor Larmont Brettell (nee Burn) in Sunderland & they were to have a son Thomas Frederick the following year.
Edwin died in Oct-December 1886 at 2 South Gilsland St, Sunderland, aged 57.
By 1888 son Frederick & his wife Eleanor & family had emigrated to the US. In December of that year they had a son, John Burn, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After moving to Brownsville, Pennsylvania they had 2 more daughters. By 1925 the family had moved to Rockland, New York where Eleanor died in 1932 & Frederick died in 1935.
In 1891 sons William H, a sheet glass cutter, & Walter, a tailor were lodging at 28 North Hedley St, Bishop Wearmouth, Sunderland & visiting them was sister Martha, a dressmaker.
Son William Henry had married Florence May Hill in 1898 & by 1901 they had moved to London & were living in Lambeth. William was still working as a sheet glass cutter.
Daughter Martha married William Bell in 1900 & by 1901 they were living at Peacock St, Bishop Wearmouth where William was a beer retailer. Living with them was Martha’s brother Walter Joseph, still a tailor.
The children of Esther Woolley Stone & Edwin Brettell were:
st.2.3.1 Charlotte Elizabeth Brettell born Jan-March 1855 at Smethwick; died Jan-March 1855 at Smethwick
st.2.3.2 Thomas Edwin Brettell born Oct-December 1856 at Smethwick, died
Oct-December 1884 at Sunderland, Co Durham
st.2.3.3. William Stone Brettell born Jan-March 1859 at West Bromwich, died
Oct-December 1863 at Warrington
st.2.3.4. Frederick James Brettell born Oct-December 1861 at Warrington, Lancs; died May 7th, 1935 at Nyack, Rockland, New York
st.2.3.5. Martha Ellen Brettell born Jan-March 1864 at Warrington, Lancs; died Jan-March 1942 at Sunderland, Co Durham
st.2.3.6. William Henry Brettell born April 9th, 1866 at Froghall Lane, Warrington, Lancs; died Jan-March 1941 at Leeds, Yorks
st.2.3.7. Walter Joseph Brettell born April-June 1869 at Warrington, Lancs; died July-September 1905 at Sunderland, Co Durham
st.2.3.8 Eliza Miranda Brettell born Jan-March 1872 at Warrington, Lancs; died April-June 1873 in Sunderland, Co Durham