I have been researching our family history for only a few months and am not experienced enough to know where to go from here on this one, so would appreciate any help.
My great grandfather was Thomas William Manton Woods, and in the family we have always known of him by that name, born in Lyddington in 1871. His mother is Catherine Manton, born 1849 in Burton Overy. I have been trying to find his father but keep drawing blanks. Today I received Thomas’ birth certificate from GRO. There is no name shown for his father.
From the census I have the following:
1851 Catherine age 1yr - living with mother Mary, (born 1825) Lyddington
1861 cannot find record of Catherine or mother
1871 Catherine MANTON age 21 - living with mother and father (Thomas and Mary) and siblings plus her son Thomas William MANTON, born 1871
1881 Catherine WOODS age 32, married - living with widowed mother Mary, two of her siblings, plus Thomas W Manton WOODS age 10, shown as grandson to Mary; and a grand-daughter Mary Ann WOODS, age 7, Catherine’s daughter??
1891 Catherine Woods, now head of family, age 41, widow, plus son William age 20, and a visitor Caroline Beadman (Catherine’s mother’s maiden name was Beadman).
1901 Catherine Woods, age 52, living on her own in Lyddington.
1901 Thomas W Manton Woods, age 30, now married to Caroline Elizabeth Spencer, with 5 of their eventual 9 children, including my beloved grandad Sidney William Woods.
Where did the name WOODS come from in Catherine’s life? I can find no marriage to a Woods between 1871-1881, no death of a male Woods between 1881-1891, and no Woods male to be seen around the family in any of the census records.
I feel I may need to jump a gap somehow, to find the correct Woods male and then come back to Catherine but I don’t know where to start.
I used to visit Lyddington church and graveyard each year when I brought my mother down to Stamford (birthplace) but did not realise then that I would become so interested in our family history. If only ......
Anne