George Alfred Price (1875 – 1964)

George was born on 17th December 1874 in Oakengates, Wombridge, Shropshire, England. His birth has been confirmed by his birth certificate which states he was born to Susannah Price (m.s. Rushton) and John Price. At the time of his birth his father, John, could not write as the birth certificate is signed “The mark of John Price, Father, Oakengates, Wombridge” and is signed with a cross.

1881 – Census England

The 1881 Census of England and Wales shows George, now age 5, living with his parents and siblings, John Thomas age 13, Ann Elizabeth age 10, Agnes age 7 and Louisa age 2. They are living on Vicar Street, Wombridge.

1891 – Census Scotland

By the time 1891 census was taken, George had moved with his family to Lanarkshire, Scotland. The 1891 Census of Scotland shows the family as living at 33 Sheildmuir Street, Wishaw living in a house where there were three rooms with one or more windows. There had been some change in the family over the previous 10 years and it now consisted of;

• John Price, Head of Household, Married, age 48, Occupation- Iron Puddler
• Susannah Price, Wife, Married, age 49
• Florence Price, Daughter, age 10, Scholar,
• Louisa Price, Daughter, age 12, Scholar
• John Price, Son, Unmarried, age 23, Iron Puddler
• George Price, Son, Unmarried, age 15, Iron Worker
• Susannah Price, Daughter, age 4.

All the family with the exception of the youngest child, Susannah, are recorded as having been born in England. Susannah is recorded as having been born in Dalziel, Lanarkshire. One thing to note here is that George by this time 15, was working in the steel works as an Iron Worker.

1901 – Census Scotland

From the 1891 census it can be noted that most of the families living as neighbours, were also born in England and most appear to be working in the iron industries.

In the 1901 Census of Scotland we can see that the family have moved to a new home. The address is given as McConnell’s Buildings, Wishaw which was the next location the census taker visited after Overjohnston Drive. Overjohnston Drive is just across the road from where the family lived when the 1891 census was taken and it may be that they still lived in the same location but gave the address as McConnell’s Buildings. The family recorded were:

• John Price, Head, Married, 57. Steel-worker Puddler
• Susan Price, Wife, 57
• John Price, Son, Single, 33, Steel-worker Pubddler
• George Price, Son, Single, 24, Steel-worker Labourer
• Louisa Price, Daughter, Single, 22
• Florence Price, Daughter, Single,19
• John Jones, Boarder, Single, 65, Steel-worker Labourer, born Wales
• George Smith, Boarder, Single, Steel-worker Labourer, born England.

The census also records that they were living in a house where there were three rooms with one or more windows.

1906 – Marriage

On the 13th July, 1906, George Alfred Price married Marion Hamilton Rodger in Church of Scotland, Craigneuk Manse, in the Parish of Dalziel. He is recorded as being an Ironworker and a bachelor aged 24, living in Craigneuk. He was able to sign his marriage certificate which indicated that he was able to read and write.

Marion was aged 21, a spinster living at 73 Brandon Street, Motherwell. Here father and mother are both recorded on the marriage certificate. William Rodger, Steel worker and Elizabeth Rodger, maiden surname Baillie.

It is difficult to read who the witnesses were on the extract but it appears to be signed by Louisa Price and one other.

The marriage certificate is available on Scotland’s People website: 1906 PRICE, GEORGE ALFRED (Statutory registers Marriages 639/ 177) | ScotlandsPeople

1907 – Elizabeth Baillie Price

George and Susannah had their first child, Elizabeth Baillie Price, born 6th April 1907. Elizabeth was born at 7pm in the house at 67 Carfin Road, Craigneuk. George is recorded as being an Ironworker. Marion’s maiden surname name is recorded as Rodger and the date of marriage as 15th July 1906 in Dalziel. The informant was as George Alfred Price, Father, and registered at Dalziel on 121th April 1907.

1909 – Marion Hamilton Price

The second daughter is born, Marion Hamilton Price was born at 11:40am on 4th June 1909 at an address on Carfin Road, Craigneuk, Wishaw. Her parents are recorded as George Price an Ironworker along with her mother Marion Hamilton Price. The birth was regsitered by her George on 9th June 1909 at Dalziel.

1911 – Census Scotland

By 1991 the family had moved again. This time the were recorded as living at 109 Meadowhead Road, Wishaw which for location sake is around where the entrance to the old Ravenscraig Steel Works would have been. The census shows that there are now four people living in the home:

• John Price, Head, 66, married, General labourer in Ironworks,
• Susana Price, Wife, 66, married
• John Price, Son, 43, Single, Puddler in Ironworks
• Thomas Hoarsbury, Boarder, 29, single, Blacksmith striker in Steel works, born Dalziel, Lanarkshire.

The census also gives us some additional information for the first time.

• For women, ‘Duration of marriage; 46 years
• The number of ‘Children born alive’, 11
• The number of ‘Children still living’, 6

From this we can see that George has moved out of the family home. Further research, which was difficult as the family surname in recorded on the 1911 census as Pryce, now finds him recorded as living with his wife’s family at 108D Windmillhill Street, Motherwell where 7 people live. The home includes:

• William Rodger, Head, 49, Married, Steel plate shearer in Steel and Iron works, born Douglas Lanarkshire
• Elizabeth Rodger, Wife, 56, Married 28 years, born Carluke, Lanarkshire
• William Rodger, Son, 22, Single, Railway Signal setter with C. R. Railway, born Motherwell, Lanarkshire
• Marion Pryce, Daughter, 26, Married 4 years,
• Elizabeth Pryce, Granddaughter, 3,
• Marion Pryce, Granddaughter, 1
• Janet Goodfellow, Servant, 17, Single, General Servant- Domestic, Crawford, Lanarkshire

George is not listed as being here on the day the census was taken. We can also see that another person is recorded at the address of William Rodger. She is recorded as being a servant, Janet Goodfellow, who was born in Crawford.

George can be found alone at 71A Carfin Road, Motherwell. Census reads:

• George Price, Head, 35, Married, Heater in Iron Works

When the census is taken it records all the people in the house when the census taker visited. This might indicate that Marion and the children were visiting her parents at that time and it meant that they were recorded there rather than at their own home with George.

1912 – George Alfred Price

1912 and the family continues to grow. Their only son, George Alfred Price, named after his father, is born on 27th July 1912 at 4:30pm at 108 Windmillhill Street, Motherwell. His parents are listed as George Alfred Price, Ironworker and Marion Hamilton Price (m.s. Rodger). The birth was registered by George on 2nd August 1912 at Motherwell.

1921 – Census Scotland

At the time of writing the 1921 Census of Scotland has still to be made public.

1940 – Breaking the Law

Still to be confirmed, but it looks like George may have been a law breaker. The article below is from the Motherwell Times, Friday 3rd May 1940. George is listed as ‘unemployed ironworker, 13 Campbell Street, Wishaw’ was fined 10/- (50p in todays money) for “black-out” contraventions. At least he didn’t blame the cat like the first person in the article.

1956 – Golden Wedding Celebration

On 13th July 1956 George and Marion celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary. The local newspaper, the Wishaw Press, published the picture and article below on 20th July 1956.

1959 – Death of Marion

George’s wife, Marion, passed away on 11th March 1959 at the age of 74. The address is given as 32 Lyne Street, Wishaw. On teh death regsitration George is recorded as being an ironworker (retired). The death was registered at Wishaw by her son, George whose address at the time was given as 2 Branchalmuir Crescent, Newmains.

1962 – Four Generations of George Price

Left to right in the picture are my grandfather George Alfred Price (b.1912 – d.1989), my great grandfather George Alfred Price (b.1875 – d.1964) and my father George Rodger Price. The picture was taken in early 1962 when I was only months old.

At that time it wasn’t unusual for a family to have four generations alive but as we were all named George Price, the picture and the story was printed in the Wishaw Press on Friday 9th March 1962.

1964 – Death of George Alfred Price

George Alfred Price passed away on 17th February 1964 in Law Hospital, Carluke. He was 88 years old. His death was announced in the newspaper and family members entered notices in the intimations for some time after.