Gorman, Stephen

Stephen Gorman was registered as Michael Gorman at the Wigan, Lancashire Register in honor of his father. Later he took his grandfather’s name, Stephen. Thus, the Irish naming pattern was reinstated.

Here is his birth registration:
England & Wales births 1837-2006 Transcription:

First name(s)
MICHAEL
Last name
GORMAN
Birth year
1878
Birth quarter
2
Registration month
-
Mother's last name
-
District
WIGAN
County
Lancashire
Country
England
Volume
8C
Page
74


Stephen Gorman appears on the 1881 England Census, living with his widowed mother in the household of his grandfather, Michael Doran:

Name:
Stephen Gorman
Age: 2
Estimated birth year: ABT 1879
Relation: Grandson
Mother's name: Margaret
Gender: Male
Where born: Wigan, Lancashire, England
Civil parish: Wigan
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 12 Farriminch Row
Registration district: Wigan
Sub-registration district: Wigan

Household Members:
Alice Doran 25
Catherine Doran 22
John Doran 19
Mary Doran 57
Mary Doran 16
Michael Doran 56
Margaret Gorman 25
Stephen Gorman 2




Stephen Gorman and Annie Pomfret were married in December 1899 at the church of St. Thomas & St. James, Poolstock, Lancashire, England:

Surname   Gorman
Given Name Stephen  
District  Wigan 
Volume   8c
Page 130

Stephen Gorman appears on the 1901 UK Census. He lived at 19 Hey Street, Wigan. His father-in-law, WIlliam Pomfret lived next door at 21 Hey Street, Wigan.

Stephen Gorman
Age: 23
Estimated birth year: about 1878
Relation:Head
Spouse's name: Annie
Gender: Male
Where born: Wigan, Lancashire, England
Civil parish: Wigan
Ecclesiastical parish: Wigan All Saints
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Street address: 19 Hey Street, Wigan
Occupation: Cellar Man: Wine and Spirits Merchants (”Golden Lion Pub”)
Condition as to marriage:
Education:
Employment status:
Registration district: Wigan
Sub-registration district: Wigan
ED, institution, or vessel: 33
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 227
Household Members:
Annie Gorman 24
Stephen Gorman 23
Stephen Gorman 11 months


Stephen Gorman was a cellar man at the Golden Lion Pub in Wigan. The Golden Lion was located at 2 Market Street, in Wallgate, Wigan. Stephen, Harold, and William Gorman, the children of Stephen Gorman and Annie Pomfret, were born in the flat above this bar.

I received this email from Miles Ellis regarding the Golden Lion:

“Hello Bill,

I don't know of a picture of the Golden Lion, but a book called "Wigan - Through Wickham's Window" by Alastair Gillies, published by Phillimore & Co on behalf of Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council in 1988 contains a photograph of the Big Lamp Hotel ca1880 which, it says, "was for a time between two other hostelries. On the left was the Raven ..... The Big Lamp was soon to be taken over by the Golden Lion on the other side, an 18th century inn which closed in 1969." There seems to be slight difference in the dates but this would seem to be the pub you refer to, so the Big Lamp Hotel shown in the photo might have been part of the Golden Lion by the time your grandfather
was born there.”

Miles Ellis


Wallgate is one of the main streets in Wigan. It runs West to East into the town centre, it starts at the River Douglas were it would split into Ormskirk Road and Robin Park Road going West. It continues under a bridge which is known as 'Wallgate Bridge' then up to the 'top of Wigan' where it turns into Market Place where the Town Hall used to be hundreds of years ago.

The Golden Lion no longer exists. The exact location of the Golden Lion at that time would have been:

2 Market  Street
WIGAN
WN1 1JN

http://uk.multimap.com/clients/gif.cgi?addr1=4&db=ap&client=consig&pc=WN1%201JN&width=497&height=365&scale=10000

Today, 2 Market Street is a bank. There is a lot of redevelopment going on.

I received this email from Alice Pearson concerning the GoldenLion:

Re: The Golden Lion. This symbol is from the White Lion Hotel, 1824-1958. Although called Hotel it was a pub. The pub was located at 2 Market St. Wigan. It was bought by Mr. Lowe in 1957 and razed in 1958 to extend his store. The White Lion symbol was imbedded in the back wall of the new building. Later, when the building was changed, the symbol was moved to the front of the building on the site where the old pub stood. It is there now in one of the peaks facing Standishgate. My father lived in the pub from about 1910 to 1923 when his parents ran it.

Alice (Haselden) Pearson, Rochester Hills, Michigan, USA

The 1901 UK Census states that Thomas Critchley was the publican-owner of the Golden Lion at 2 Market Street, WIgan. He was 46. He lived there with his wife, Mary, 46. They employed four domestics.
 
Kelly's Directory for Lancashire 1905 states that the publican (owner) was John Southern. Although this directory is dated 1905, the data would have been collected the year before, i.e. Sept/Oct 1904. It was located on Miry Lane off the bottom end of Wallgate, north of the railway, near the pier.

On the 1901 UK Census John Southern lived at 7 Wallgate (Big Lamp) next to the Raven Hotel. He was a licensed Victualler. He was 30, his wife Mary E. was 35. They had three children: John A. 7, Florence M., 5 and Doris A., 1. He also employed two domestics: Rose H. Ward, 20 and Agnes Banks, 14. They were all born in Wigan, except Rose who was born in Brynn.

Immediately prior to WWI, the Golden Lion Hotel in Wallgate was tenanted by J Wilcock Unsworth. It was owned by the Oldfield Brewery and they also owned the Ashton Golden Lion.

Here is an interesting story about the Golden Lion Pub in 1839:

John Melling
William Cox was the landlord of the Golden Lion pub in Wallgate, Wigan in 1839. At 11 o'clock at night on the 3rd April, he was working in his cellar when John Melling came in, grabbed a bottle of brandy, and ran off. Cox gave chase up Bay Horse Yard, and was joined by two or three policemen. Melling dropped the brandy and was cornered and apprehended.
Date Tried: 29th April 1839, Wigan Quarter Sessions
Sentence: To be transported for seven years

Just for the record: today there is no Golden Lion in Wigan itself but there are two “Golden Lion” Pubs in the areas around Wigan.

There is a pub called The Golden Lion in Hindley Green, a district of Wigan. This Pub has accomodations above it.

“The Golden Lion Inn”
(AKA Taveren on the Green)
805 Atherton Road
Hindley, Wigan, WN2 4SA.

There is also a “Golden Lion” in Ashton, a small district just outside Wigan.

"The Golden Lion Hotel"
40 Gerard Street,
Ashton-In-Makerfield,
Wigan
Tel: 01942 727438

Stephen Gorman attempted to board the ship Cymric from Liverpool on 29 September 1905 . He was suppose to arrive at Boston on 8 October 1905 and proceed to Rhode Island. He was 27. His stated his occupation was a barman in Wigan, Lancashire. He had 7 Pounds Sterling in his possession. He did not have a ticket to his final destination: Providence. He said his passgae from Liverpool was paid for by his sister. But he did not have a sister. He was to meet his friend, Daniel Bulpit of 50 Regent Avenue, Mount Pleasant, Providence, Rhode Island.

He never boarded that ship, probably because he didn’t have the money in hand. He was still waiting for the money. So he waited for the next ship:

Stephen Gorman immigrated to the United States on the S.S. Baltic from Liverpool on 4 October 1905 and arrived in New York on 12 October 1905. He was 27, Male, Married, a Barman, English Nationality, English Race. His last residence was Wigan, Lancashire, England and his final destination was Boston, Massachusetts. He had a ticket to his final destination. He paid for it himself. He had £6. This was his first time in the US. He was to meet his friend, Daniel Bullpit of Regent Avenue, Mount Pleasant, Providence, Rhode Island.

Stephen Gorman worked for the Brown and Sharpe Company all his adult life. At the start of the First World War in 1914 he returned to Wigan to work in ammunitions factory owned by the Brown and Sharpe Company. In 1918, after the War, he returned to Rhode Island.

I received the following e-mail concerning the Brown & Sharpe Company:

Hi, Bill. Saw your posting at LANCSGEN re: Brown & Sharpe. We do, indeed still have an office here in Rhode Island, North Kingstown, to be exact. It was a munitions manufacturer during WWII (my father was employed there after WWII and was therefore exempt from draft during the Korean War, as they manufactured arms for the wars). Up until the 60's (don't quote me but if my memory serves me right this is when they moved their facility) they were located in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown & Sharpe were (and still are) tool-makers. They have a website at http://www.brownandsharpe.com/main/

I tried to locate a bit of history at the site, but found very little, although I do find locations in England - 1 at Telford, Shropshire; 1 at Swindon, Wiltshire (a very quaint and lovely little town, by the way, with lots of traditional English pubs); and 1 at Glasgow, Scotland. You may want to try e-mailing them via the website - they can most likely steer you in the direction of a bit more extensive history and let you know if there was a facility at Wigan.

Cheers and Good Luck to you.
Elizabeth
Warwick, Rhode Island

After WWI, Stephen returned to the USA. He first boarded the S.S. TOLOA at Cardiff, Wales on 28 February 1919 and was suppose to arrive at New York on 3 March 1919. However, for whatever reason he was delayed. He left from Barry Docks, Wales and arrived in New York on 15 March 1919. His name was mis-spelled on the manifest as Stephen Garman. He gave the following information:

40 Years, 8 Months
Male
Married
Steel Hardner
Reads and Writes
British Nationality
English
Last Permanent Residence: USA
Providence, Rhode Island
Name/address of nearest relative or friend in country whence alien came:
Mrs. Margaret Doyle - mother
Clayton Street
West Wigan, Lancashire
Final Destination: Providence, Rhode Island
Has a ticket to final destination
Passsage paid for by the British Government
When and Where last in the US: 1905-1918, Rhode Island
Person joining: Mrs. Anne Gorman - wife
69 Aurora Street, Providence, Rhode Island
Height: 5’3”
Complextion: Fair
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Grey
Marks: None
Place of Birth: Wigan, Lancashire, England

Stephen's wife, Annie Pomfret, often complained that she was better off in England than in America.

Stephen appears on the 1910 US Census (enumerated 21 April 1910) residing at 92 Andem Street, 10th Ward, Providence, Rhode Island. He was the Head of the house, Male, White, 31, First Marriage, married 5 years (he gave wrong information: he was married for 11 years), English, born of English parents, immigrated 1905, Petitioning Alien, speaks English, Laborer, Machine Shop, Working on Own Account, Not out of work on April 15, 1910, out of work for two week in 1909, Reads, Writes, Rents House. Living with him were:
Annie, wife, female white, 32, First Marriage, Mother of 4 Living children, English of English parents, immigrated 1905, speaks English, Reads, Writes.
Stephen, son, male, white, 9, single, English, born of English parents, immigrated 1905, Reads, Wries, In School.
Harold, son, male, white, 8, single, English, born of English parents, immigrated 1905, Reads, Writes, In School.
Gladys, daughter, female, white, 2, single, born in Rhode Island, English parents.
Beatrice, daughter, female, white, 8 months, single, Rhode Island, English parents.
Beatrice Pomfret, boarder (niece), female, white, 15, single, English, born of English parents, speaks English, Cotton Mill Spinner, wage earner, not out of work on April 15, 1910, out of work for two weeks in 1909, Reads, Writes, Attended school in 1909.

Stephen appears in the 1920 US Census of Rhode Island, enumerated on 12-13 January 1920: T625_1680, Page 10A, Enumeration District 314, Image 1125. He lived at 104 Valley Street, Providence, Rhode Island. He was 41, married, immigrated in 1905, Petitioning Alien, English, parents born in England (father actually born in Ireland), Hardener in a Machine Shop.
Living with him were:
wife, Annie, 42, married, immigrated 1905, Alien, English, parents born in England.
son, Stephen, Jr., 19, single, immigrated 1905, Alien, English, Lunchman at Wagon Lunch.
son, Harold, 18, single, immigratd 1905, Alien, English, parents born in England, Hardener, Machine Shop.
daughter, Gladys, 12, single, immigrated 1905, born in Rhode Island, English parents.
daughter, Beatrice, 10, single, immigrated 1905, born in Rhode Island, English parents.
sister-in-law, Beatrice Pomfret, 25, single immigrated 1907, English, parents born in England, no job.

I find it interesting that there is a Thomas Doyle family living as neighbor to the Gorman family. This Doyle family arrived 1883 from Ireland. Doyle is the name of the second husband of Stephen’s mother.

Stephen Gorman appears on the 1930 US Census of Rhode Island, 10th Ward, living at 214 Rill Street, Providence. He rents, $21, has a radio, male, white, 51, married at age 20, Reads and Writes, born in Englnad, Father born in Irish Free State, Mother born in England, immigrated 1905, Naturalized, Clerk, Machine Shop, Veteran of WWI. Listed with him is his wife, Ann(i)e, age 52, married aat 21, immigrated 1905, Naturalized.
 
Burial:
North Burial Ground
Providence
Providence County
Rhode Island, USA
Plot: Annie Gorman Lot #6099 Section 2

Note: Originally buried in Single Grave #1965, Althea Avenue. Moved to above grave on Nov. 23 1945