He’s been a bit of a headache for a while so I just wanted to share the misery…
My 3xgt grandfather was William WOOD c1829, Seghill (aka Earsdon) Northumberland, married to Mary Ann nee CARTER. On their marriage, he claims as his father one Robert WOOD, collier. Sure enough there is a census for a William WOOD of those details with that father.
Now, the census Robert (1804 North Shields) is married to a Sarah (1802 Newburn) with three other younger children, Mary 1834, Robert 1835 and James 1837.
Here comes the problem- the only marriage I can find for Robert and Sarah is 1832 in Newcastle, which is also where I’ve found the christenings of the three other children (abode Seghill). I have found diddly squat for a christening for William. I’ve looked as a previous marriage for Robert… a previous marriage for Sarah (she would have been 30 at marriage after all)… an illegitimate of Sarah… with no conclusive results.
So he’s a pain, but it gets worse-
He doesn’t name any of his children after Sarah, that I’ve found… or really after his apparent siblings…
They are as follows:
1854- Mary Ann (mother)
1856- Joseph Carter (her father)
1858- William (father)
1860- Elizabeth Carter (her mother)
[1863- Robert? TBC]
[1865- Jane? TBC]
1867- Jane (her sister?)
1869- Robert (his supposed father, brothers on both sides)
1872- John (
- potentially her grandfather, uncle or half-brother)
1875- James Carter (her brother- he has a James as well, but clear who this is named for!)
1877- Thomas (
)
I just find this guy a complete nightmare, because I can’t prove that both his parents are his parents… Of the two, it would make most sense that he’s Sarah’s pre-Wood-marriage child, but he gives no indication of that himself… and there is no will that I’ve found for Robert either, which would have been helpful. William’s own will does not help. It might be that I’ve got something wrong and the names John and Thomas appear on his side, or that his mother was Jane, but I’ve found nothing so far and I’ll have to look again when I’ve got back from work, but I wanted a fresh load of eyes on it just in case someone has an epiphany?
Thanks