Harriet Tarrant/Lamb - nee Baxter or Bray or Goldspring??? - Southwark 1870/80's

[meljade]

Hello,
I'm trying to solve a mystery about an elusive family member Harriet Tarrant.  She died in 1921 aged 68 in Peckham.  She was born approx 1853, although could be as early as 1841 if one of her census ages is to be believed, birth place could be either Devon or London (gained from the censuses).   She had 6 children that I'm aware of, however on the children's birth certificates she gives up to 3 different names - Baxter/Bray and Goldspring. 

Her first marriage to Robert Lamb (unable to find any marriage dates) yielded a daughter Mary Ann in 1875, she lists her surname as Baxter.  Robert died in 1881 (Foxes Buildings, Southwark where they were living).  Robert Lamb is listed as a Fish Curer on his death cert.  She then went on to marry Thomas Tarrant (also living in Foxes Buildings) and had 5 children - William George b 1883 (surname listed as Lamb, obviously from the previous relationship), Robert b 1885 and George b 1887 (surname listed as Goldspring), Harriet b 1889 and Emily b 1890 (surname listed as Bray).  I have been unable to find a marriage for Harriet and Thomas Tarrant (although according to their 1911 listed they would have married around 1883)  I'm at a loss as to why there are so many surnames.  I have been unable to find any Harriet's which match any of the information I have so far, not even a close match.   

Is it possible she never married either Robert or Thomas? or could a marriage be listed somewhere other than the GRO?  Is it possible the person entering the details got the surnames mixed up (all certificates Harriet was the informant but was only 'marked' with an X) so she couldn't read I'm assuming.  I have looked online for data/clues as to how I might solve this mystery (unfortunately I don't live in England) to search parish registers or original documents. Is it possible she was hiding something with all the name changes? Does anyone have any theories or info which might help? I'm at a loss at the moment.
Many Thanks Mel

[Milliepede]

Have you got birth certificates for the children with different names - could they be middle names put down as surnames? 

I can see from census 1891 on they are all down as Tarrant and daughter Harriet marries with the surname Tarrant.

Bit of a mystery 

Added oh I've just got what you meant, it's the mother Harriet with all the different surnames on the births not the children is that right? 

[lizdb]

One theory is that she probably wasnt educated, and had lived with several people before marrying Tarrant (or living with him, of not married) .
When registering her childrens births and was asked her maiden name, she didnt know what that meant and gave either previous names she had used, or the surname of that childs father.

If Tarrant is the father of the children in question, then it must be that she just doesnt know what her maiden name was. Maybe she herself had a series of step fathers and used different names at different times.

Another possibility is that Thomas lived with a couple of different Harrietts over the years, so they would have different maiden names.

[Milliepede]

What name did she put for the first child - possibly that was the accurate one but not finding any matches for her under those names either 

Thomas born 1875 Bermondsey seems to be the oldest per the 1891 census - guess he was a Lamb but is not on the 1881 with Harriet and daughter Mary Ann.

This one - Thomas Charles Lamb Dec 1876 St Olave or he could have another surname.

[lizdb]

Anyone found them in 1881?

[Milliepede]

1881 is under Lamb - Harriet 28 widow born London and daughter Mary Ann 5 born London.

[avm228]

So Harriet(t) is:

28 b London in 1881 (as Lamb)
46 b Devonshire in 1891 (as Tarrant)
60 b Devonshire (parish NK) in 1901 (as Tarrant)
56 b Devonshire in 1911 (as Tarrant, free index)
68 at death in 1921 (as Tarrant)

So if you take out the 1901 age as an outlier, a birthdate of 1852-1855 looks likely, probably in Devon.  If Harriet was from a travelling community (both "husbands" are described as hawkers at one time or another), or from a family which was only in Devon early in her childhood, that may explain why her birth parish was not known when she was an adult.

Was Thomas married before? There's a 16 yr old son Thomas with them in 1891.

[lizdb]

Could Thomas not be Harrietts?
But a child of Thomas - there is a chr of a Thomas Tarrant to aThomas and Elizabeth in ,I think it wasNewington, silly me has closed the page now!

Modified to add
Here we are
St Mary Newington
Born 25 Feb 1875
Christened 21 March 1875
Thomas Tarrant
Parents Thomas and Elizabeth
7 Warner Street
Hawker

[meljade]

Hi, yes Thomas was married prior to Harriet. First wife Elizabeth Perkins. 3 children from that union- Thomas, Elizabeth and Sarah. In the 1881 census they are living in foxes buildings but Thomas had been listed as "farrant" widower.