Request for help with Baptism look up in Bebside area (& a story to explain!)

[Familysearcher123]

Hello

I hope someone can help with this long shot

I am searching for a baptism record for my great grandmother Catherine

I am unable to locate birth certificate for her as unsure of her birth name

Her mother was Sarah Walmsley Reading mostly known as Sarah Reading, born Leamington who married a William Smith in 1855 in Foleshill, Coventry.

Catherine's sister Margaret Nicholson was born 1861 in Franworth, Lancashire with mothers maiden Redding.
Her baptism record shows father Samuel Nicholson from Bolton, Collier.
Her mother was living with Samuel Nicholson on the 1861 census in Kearsley as married couple although I can find no record of marriage.

In 1871 Sarah was back in Coventry alone and was calling herself & both her daughters Smith.

Catherine was born abt 1865 and lived in Coventry, she married as a Smith giving William Smith as father but was also called Nicholson on the 1881 census

Different census gave different places of birth:

1881: Durham, Durham
1891: Newcastle Tyne

Both a bit generic if you are living in the Midland however the 1871 census state 'Bebside up North'

I was excited when I found this as Bebside is close to Cowpen and there is a family story of Catherine 'being the child of Lord Cowpen & being bought back, as a baby to Coventry on a cushion'

Flights of fancy as there is no Lord Cowpen although there was a Lord of the manor but I am not going down that road and why a cushion mentioned ?

I think Sarah just had an illegitimate child and made it up ! 

I can find no baptism in Coventry for Catherine under any name combination

So my questions are :

Was she baptised at time of birth in Bebside or close area under Nicholson or Smith (or even Reading although unlikely) with mother Sarah?
Any father mentioned?
What was Sarah occupation at time & where did she live?
Are there any clues that could help pinpoint her birth registration ?

It's a big ask and I hope someone can help

Regards
Louise

[c-side]

So basically you are looking for a baptism of a child called Catherine, likely illegitimate, with a mother called Sarah in or around 1865?

It's not impossible if the timeline is reasonably short.

Bebside would be Horton parish.

I have just been to the archives today and won't be there again till next week but if nothing transpires before then I can have a look over, say, 3 years to see what comes up.

Christine

[Familysearcher123]

Christine

Yes, that's it in a nutshell.

I did waffle, I was covering bases as there may be a clue in her story

It would be very wonderful for you to have a look.

I plumped for 'about 1865' as age given on the records are as follows, although writing them down 1864 just as popular:

1871 - Age 6 - 1865
1881-  Age 18 - 1863
1885 - Marriage on the 28 Jul - age 21 - 1864
1891- Age 26 - 1865
1901- Age 36 - 1865
1911- Age 46 1864
1955 - Death on the 16 Oct - age 86 - 1864

Thank you very much for looking at this for me, it is very much appreciated

it is a family mystery that I do hope to solve
Kind regards

Louise

[c-side]

I will take a look at Horton C of E baptisms two years either side of 1865 - see if she's there.  If not then it would be looking for a needle in a haystack, I'm afraid.

Christine

[c-side]

From Horton parish church baptisms

Catherine daughter of Samuel and Sarah Nicholson on 17 July 1864, father's occupation is miner and the abode given as Cowpen Lane.

Could this be her?

Christine

[DavidJP]

Hi,

Following on from the baptism for Catherine as found by c-side there is this birth on freebmd:

Nicholson, Catherine; Dec qtr 1863; Tynemouth registration district; Volume 10b Page 199

Tynemouth registration district covers Bebside.

This is the only Catherine Nicholson birth registered between the  years of 1863 & 1865 in this registration district.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards

David

[c-side]

Ties in nicely 

[Familysearcher123]

Thank you very much Christine & David this has been a great help

Christine,  it is very good of you to look this up for me in the church records.

Yes, I think this could well be Catherine as all the details seem to link up with the information I 'think' I know:

Sarah being with Samuel Nicholson
He was a miner
They moving with across country for work
And the mention Cowpen !

I am presuming but don't really know ......

Do you think to have the fathers name in the baptism record he would have had to be there?
As he would have to be on the Birth registration?
My gut thought is he wouldn't ?

I did find a birth registration June quarter 1864 Tyneside under name Catherine Smith which I thought was a possibility but if she was baptised as Nicholson it would make sense that she was registered with that name (I will use details David supplied.)

Indeed although I believe Sarah and Samuel never married her sister birth registration appears to be under name of Mary Nicholson in 1862

This linked with what I think could be her baptism :
1862 • Farnworth with Kearsley, St John The Evangelist, Lancashire, England
As Nicolson, Parents Samuel & Sarah, Abode Kearsley, Fathers trade Collier

I am unable to place Samuel Nicholson in 1871, I do believe he married a Mary Rycroft in July 1872 • Newcastle Upon Tyne, Northumberland ( of course it could be another person with same name but it's the theory I am working on).

I am going to have another good search for him

I can place Sarah, Margaret & Catherine in Coventry as Visitors in 1871 however they are named as Smith, which I believe to be Sarah's married name.

Sarah disappears after 1871 too, I am unlikely to find her if using the name Smith, she could be anywhere!

I will have to bite the bullet and order the birth certificates, it does make sense that Samuel was both the girls father.

If I can clear up this part of their history I will be delighted although it will leave lots of unanswered questions as to why they married in name of Smith etc etc

Thank you again this has been a great help I feel a little bit nearer cracking this
Kind regards
Louise

[c-side]

On the question of whether the father had to be present at the baptism - I don't think so but the vicar must have been convinced that they were married or he would have written the record as 'illegitimate daughter of Samuel Nicholson and Sarah Reading'.  Incidentally I don't think he needed to be present for inclusion on the birth certificate in 1863.  I can't remember when that rule came in but I think it was later.

It would not be unusual for the girls to take on the name of a step-father either - in fact it was quite common.  I have a few incidents of it in my tree.  Sometimes you find records e.g. 'Catherine Nicholson alias Smith' which indicates that situation.

Christine