Almost 3 years on and I have taken Mary Ann out of the box and dusted her off again, if nothing else I am persistent :-)
I was thinking about the discrepancy on the girls' marriage records regarding their mother's maiden name.
And today another straw has floated by :-) I grab each one as I come across it.
There is, on Family Search, a marriage record at Stockbridge Associate Session, Cockburnspath, Berwick, Scotland. This marriage took place on 24th Nov 1814 (which is in the ball park to be before Mary Ann's birth). The LDS have digitised the film but I won't be able to get to the FHC to look at the image for a few weeks.
In the meantime, if anyone knows if there may be a fuller transcription ( I live in hope that the original may have given more details but I know that's a long shot) online I'd be interested.
Boo
One step forward and five back !
As well as my G Grandmother ( Mary Ann Mavin) , this couple had three other children. Thomas Mavin (born 1843), Margaret Mavin (born 1852) and Elizabeth Mavin (born 1846)
Thomas became a joiner, like his Dad and stayed in the Spindleston area, he is the easy one :-)
The two girls were in the family home for the 1861 census and then in 1871 they were working at Waren House as domestic servants.
After that, they seemed to disappear.
I have found them, they were both in Scotland in 1881, in Edinburgh, both had married in Scotland.
Scotland's People have their marriage records:
Elizabeth married in 1877, groom was George Laidler. As it is a Scottish record, it gives the names of both father and mother. Elizabeth says her Dad was John Mavin, a joiner, mother was Mary Ann ( maiden surname Brown)
tickettyboo !
Then I looked at Margaret's marriage record.
She married in 1879, to Ralph Wallace. Margaret also had both parents names recorded on the marriage record. John Mavin, a joiner and his wife Mary Ann ... but this time it says Mary Ann's maiden name is Cooper.
So now I am left wondering .. maybe Mary Ann Brown was born outside of marriage? Maybe her father was John Brown but her mother was called Cooper and she and John didn't marry?
Lots of possibilities, I suppose.
errm, could someone remind me why we do this family history thing?
Oh yes, its because its fun ! :-)
Boo