I agree with Dathai that the 1911 census does look more like 2 years than 8 years for no. of years married for William
As this seems to be the
birth record of John Benson Jnr in 1896 I looked for Bensons rather than Bakers or Stanfords in 1901
This looks like it is
Elizabeth BENSON (formerly STANFORD & BAKER) on the 1901 censuswith her son John BENSON at the home of her brother Simon STANFORD.
It also links to some of the information that Dathai suggested as
also present was Emma KELSALL aged 21 and possibly the sister-in-law or other relative
of Simon’s through the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth in 1898
LINKEliza STANFORD m John BENSON in 1894There are four male and four female names shown so no indication that Elizabeth was ever named BAKER,
however the actual marriage certificate would tell you if she was described as single or a widow.
This means that the STANFORD family originated in Wexford
and following on from that to gain more information on Elizabeth consider:
Simon STANFORD married Margaret ROCHE in 1869 and his father is shown as Laurence
which ties in with his son’s name; his address was given as Clonegal, Co. Wexford;
Margaret’s father’s address was Martinstown, Suncroft, Co. Kildare
If you search for Laurence STANFORD in Wexford,
there are
two marriages in 1870 and 1873 that are interesting;
the father in both cases is Laurence STANFORD of Susannah and Catharina.
Also noting that the sponsor at the baptism of the young Laurence in 1873 was named Joannes CARROLL;
the same as Catharina’s groom in 1870.
If proven to be correct it would give Elizabeth’s parents as Laurence STANFORD and Sara STYLES
On rootsireland.ie if you search for births to a Laurence STANFORD, mother S* you will get 4 hits;
1838 Mary; 1841 Simon; 1844 Alice; and 1855 Eliza –
this makes all the family older than declared on the census returns but that was not unusual.
They were baptised in Clonegal RC Parish, Co. Wicklow on the Co. Wexford border.
Also an Alice turns up as a sponsor/witness on some records.
Laurence STANFORD m Sally STYLES in 1835 in Clonegal,
there are possibly other children that are not recorded during the twenty years following their marriage
that included the famine period.
Having just 4 children in 20 years in those days was uncommon.
Also remember the fact that in 1911 Elizabeth said she was 46,
she had aged 12 years since the 1901 census!
and William said he was 30 which although not impossible would have made her only 16 when he was born
and make the year 1881. So there are already discrepancies in their details.
I can only presume that the date of Apr 28 1885 came from some other official document, possibly the army as your previous posting in 2010 states 1884Just located William's Army record; he attested in 1899 stating he was 18 years and 2 months
which ties back to the census and implying that was 1880/1881;
he was posted to South Africa and India from 1899 through to 1907
which implies that he married abroad if 8 years in the 1911 census was correct,
however his army record would then show this fact;
it seems more likely he married, if he did marry between 1907 and 1911.
He also interestly showed his aunt Margaret STANFORD of Mercer St as his next of kin
Could this be
William’s birth as STANFORD rather than BAKER
