“Illegitimate”

[[Ray]]

Hi

To save us all repeating the same searches (what a waste )  . . . . .

What are the relevant references to where you have found her?

Ray

[Andrew Tarr]

... Yes the name has been crossed out I think it reads Thomas I will upload a clearer picture.....thank you all for your suggested routes it’s been a lot of help!

Interesting - when I glanced at your image I immediately saw Theresa.  A child always has a mother, so I was assuming that name had been entered but then denied for some reason.  Otherwise the child has no parent at all ?

[chris_49]

Yes I thought that was odd - as if forename & surname had been reversed on the form. Thomas can be either - and the name could almost be Howard, too!

I take it a possible marriage of William Hughes and Sarah Jane Thompson in Sunderland in Dec qtr 1892 (Freebmd, so they may have wed the other parties) has been ruled out?

[Katesmallwood1]

Hi everyone here is what I have on her (Thanks Ray).
Sarah Howard
Born around 1865 (although on 1901&1911 census birth around 1867) Newton in Makerfield - this can be newton le willows and earlestown
1881 census - Servant...Newton le willows listed with "Selina j Howard" (I have researched her as a possible sister but getting confused)
Moved to Spokane, Washington in 1891 and Married Peter S Thomson (no parents recroded on marriage certificate as this was not needed)
1892 Daughter born in Spokane Helen Agnes Thomson and death of Husband, returned to UK, around Newton in makerfield area
1901 Census Now Hughes.....married with William Hughes (Born 1852 flint) (family stories say he had two children when they met Maggie and Mary however birth record and Census for Maggie Hughes say she was born in 1904 and baptism records have Sarah Hughes as her mother......this is one family mystery!)
1911 Census with William in Flintshire
Died 1936 buckley

I have baptism record for her which I have attached to a previous post........any thoeries on parents, birth records or marriage records to William would be great....everyone has been so helpful thank you!

So far I have thought she may have lied about marrying William maybe something to do with his previous wife or children? Although she was buried as Hughes.......I have searched for marriage records in both her maiden name...Howard and Thomson......with no luck

I also have been frustrated trying to work out the baptism record with the father name scribbled out
Someone suggested there may be clues in a 1871 Census for Selina J howard???
thanks!!!!!

[chris_49]

Struggling with this. The 1871 transcript has William Harrison, 48, Brother, as Married but the original reads very much like "Unm". So if this is his child she wouldn't necessarily be a Harrison! (Selina Jane's birth record per GRO 1861 Warrington district has the MMN Harrison, Selina a rare name so this probably right).

OTOH the birth record of Margaret Hughes 1904 Warrington has the MMN Howard -though there is another in the district 1903 MMN Thomas, which doesn't help! I'd expect she used the name Howard if that family brought her up. I note that there are 3 living children in 1911 - one possibly Ellen Agnes, the other one of William's and grown up? Searching Hughes-Howard births 1901-1915 not much help).

The baptism record has Howard in the wrong column and in heavier ink, so it may be a later addition (I don't think it's a different hand).

Sorry to be not much help but I'm trying to eliminate stuff. Sarah a daughter of William Harrison and some other Howard or Thomas misnamed on the 1871? (We rely on the enumerator). I fear the marriage may have not happened. If Sarah definitely a widow did William have a wife living? Bigamy a crime, co-habitation easily disguised, especially if you move.

Chris

 

[Katesmallwood1]

Thanks your thoughts and workings help a lot!
I am unsure if Williams previous wife was still living......as far as im aware he had two children previous so yes one (Mary) could have grown up and moved out.....my gut is telling me that she never actually married William and just took his name for some odd reason to do with previous wife. I am still very confused about her birth and baptism obviously something went on......sadly I cannot find any living relatives although I do now that Maggie and Mary Hughes both died in Buckley, Flintshire and had children who although are old could be still alive....unsure how I can track them down as I am still relatively new to researching and records.....everyone on here has been great so far.....

[Andrew Tarr]

Yes I thought that was odd - as if forename & surname had been reversed on the form. Thomas can be either - and the name could almost be Howard, too!

As the form appears to have been filled twice in the same hand, everything but the parent's name seems to have been entered later.  I stick by my interpretation of Theresa - especially the last two characters which look like ...sa to me.  Sadly the image is blurred.

Another possibility is that the parent's name is a red herring - the recorder may have started to fill in this record, realised his/her mistake and started with a new one on the same date.

[chris_49]

I'm fairly sure Farah Harrison is a mistranscription of the Sarah already found with the Howards.

Further confusion - the Margaret Elizabeth Hughes MMN Thomas born 1903 Warrington district (GRO) was born Newton-le-Willows sub-district according to LancashireBMD. I couldn't find a plain Margaret Hughes 1904 on that site but there is a suspect on CheshireBMD that year who was born Sankey sub-district - I don't know why not on Lancashire as it's north of the Mersey, but west of Warrington and not near Earlestown & Newton. I mention this because sending for a cert would give the right mother for Maggie - but there are two in the frame.

Chris

[Katesmallwood1]

I thought the name on the baptism which has been scribbled could be Thomas? But not sure if I am floating towards this as Selina Howard’s father was Thomas, again thank you for your thoughts it’s great!