Waites/Whaites/Thwaites

[betty smith]

My great grandmother, Mary Ann Waites,born 1842ish in Dalton, Lancs.  is listed (I think!) in 1851 as stepdaughter to John Crayston, mother Jane Crayston.    I discovered that Jane Thwaites married John Crayston in 1850, with daughter  Mary Ann Thwates 9 and son Thomas Thwates 3.    I've searched every which way for info on Jane's first husband - both marriage and death - and for Thomas after 1851.   They lived in Subberthwaite 1851.  Any ideas on how I can get to find Mary Ann's father - is visiting the RO the only chance do you think?     It's taken me ages to work this out - Mary Ann married my great grandfather Samuel Satterthwaite and signed her son's birth certificate with a X.     I am hopeful that one of you clever people out there will come up with a clue!!

[sillgen]

Yes, she is listed as stepdaughter to John age 20 and Jane age 29.     Has it occurred to you that Jane may not have been married before?   Have you looked for baptisms or birth certificates for the two children?     Have you got the marriage certificate for Jane which should show whether or not she had been married before?   Proof of that sort is always useful.   Mary is still with them in 1861.
Andrea

[betty smith]

Thanks for that.    I am waiting for marriage cert for Mary, thinking it may give her father's name.    I didn't think Jane and John Crayston's marriage cert. would give info on whether she was a widow or unmarried  -  I knew someone would give me a clue.  I'll send for that one as well and see where I go.  [LimeGreen][/color]  Many thanks for your ideas.

[betty smith]

 I have discovered that Mary's father was Thomas Waites who married a Jane Threlfall in 1839 and found them on 1841 census.   I don't know how Jane became Thwaites or the children Thwates and then Waites.  I expected to see Thomas as deceased on Mary's marriage cert. but not so.    I am awaiting John Crayston and Jane Thwaites' certificate to see what that says.   Quite a puzzle at the moment.      Any more ideas??

[sillgen]

Don't worry about spelling changes.  Most people could not read well enough to check what the enumerator or registrar had written and they wrote what they heard so an indistinct mumble or regional accent could well change a surname quite considerably.
The marriage certficates did not always put deceased on them so Thomas may have been dead.  You can check all BMDs on the www.ancestry.co.uk site   Choose the complete version and you see the pages quarter by quarter as you would if you checked the original books.  It will mean looking at all spellings though.   The parish burial registers might be a better way.
Andrea

[betty smith]

Thanks for your thoughts.   You begin to wonder if you are on the right track.   Can't wait for my certificates to arrive.  A Threlfall was living with my grandfather, Thomas Satterthwaite, and his mother Mary Ann in 1901 so that kind of confirmed the Jane Threlfall bit.   Thanks again.