Seeking Birth/Baptism of Sarah POUNTNEY, born c1816-1830 in ALVELEY

[M_ONeill]

Hello all, just joined the forum, nice to be here. 

I'm looking for some help in finding a birth record for a Sarah Pountney, my 3xgreat grandmother, who lists herself in census records as being born in Alveley, Shropshire.

The earliest I can find her is in the 1841/51 censuses, where she's living in Tettenhall, Staffordshire working as a domestic servant. In 1853 she marries my 3xgreat grandfather, a widower by the name of John Monckton and settles with him and his children in Pattingham, Staffordshire.

Her birth year varies wildly from census to census, but it generally falls within 1816-1831. To date I've yet to find any record of a Sarah Pountney born in Alveley.

If anyone can help me or has any ideas of sources I may have missed, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance! 

[crisane]

Do you have Sarah and Joseph's marriage certificate? What is her father's name?
1816 to 1831 birth year is a very wide swing. I have only looked at the 1861 census and 1816 is the birth year. Do you have any of her and Joseph's children's birth certificates and if so what does it give as Sarah's maiden name?
Just done a search on 1851 and found a Sarah Poultney born 1818 Hollinswood, Shropshire servant in the household of F E Horton. Is this your Sarah? Ah, and in a Horton household in 1841 age 21. Oh, but you say she was in Staffordshire in 1841/51. Can you give us the piece, book. folio, page numbers?

Added: I can see the Sarah in Tettenhall and her surname is written as Pountney age 20 and not born in county.
The marriage cert details would help 

No answers, just background at the moment from which to work. 

[M_ONeill]

Hello Crisane,

I haven't seen the actual certificate of John and Sarah's marriage, but the Marriage Registration Index lists them as having been married in 1853 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire (Volume 6B, pg505, line 36).

John's first wife Jane had died earlier that same year. John had five children with his previous wife (Mary and James who died in infancy, George, John and Edward). He later had at least two children with Sarah (James my 2xgreat-grandfather and Jane).

I don't know who Sarah's parents were - this is the main thing I've been looking for. But I can't find any record of a Sarah Pountney born in Alveley.

Thank you for all your help.

[crisane]

You really do need their marriage certificate but unfortunately they do cost. A Christmas present maybe?    It should give Sarah's father's name and occupation, that is of course if she is not illegitimate.

I'll keep looking

[M_ONeill]

So I looked on Find My Past, which I've been told has access to marriage records, but it seems that only the index is available.

Do you know of any other places marriage records can be viewed other than the GRO?

[sue14]

Hi

According to Staffordshire BMD the marriage took place at St Chads Church Pattingham.

I know this does not give you the answer but a little bit more info for you.

Sue

[M_ONeill]

Ah, I suspected the marriage had taken place in St Chad's, but didn't have confirmation, so thanks for that!

According to the list of parish records on the St Chad's website, the marriage record should exist, held at the Staffordshire record office. Perhaps it simply hasn't been digitised yet.

As an aside, I have a photograph of James (son of John and Sarah) stood outside St Chad's with the rest of the Pattingham Bell Ringers at a funeral in 1915. John and Sarah's grandson George Harry Monckton (son of James) is also commemorated on the war memorial in St Chad's. He died on the 3rd of September, 1918 fighting with the Royal Field Artillery in France.

[chempat]

crisane,

If you are still looking for her in 1851, I think ancestry has her surname as Pennpury,  age 30, living in a household of Smiths

[M_ONeill]

Bumping this thread, because I'm sweeping over some old parts of my tree that I haven't reviewed in a while. This mystery is still outstanding!

Since I first posted this thread, I have seen John and Sarah's wedding certificate from 1853. In it, Sarah's father is listed as George Pountney a labourer and both Sarah and John were resident in Pattingham at the time of the wedding. Witnesses were a John Tally and Eliza[?] Hamlett (unsure about this last one as the writing is quite faint).

But I'm still stumped as to the birth record. I can find no record of a Sarah Pountney born to a George in Alveley at any time. I'm wondering whether Sarah is mistaken about her birthplace.