Sarah Ann Thewlis

[Ausigeni]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently putting my tree together with the help of DNA testing and have hit a bit of a roadblock.

I am tracing the line that extends back from James Shaw Thewlis 1847-1891. According to Ancestry he was the son of James Thewlis 1807-1870 and Sarah Senior 1816-1881. All were from the Kirkburton area.

I have two problems to solve. 1) Sarah Senior is only listed as Sarah Senior on her birth record (and everywhere else) but she is listed as Sarah Ann on the christening records for her children. Despite having found a marriage record, maybe there were multiple James Thewlises with different wives around the same time.

and 2) Her husband James Thewlis is listed as being the son of Richard Thewlis and Elizabeth Hinchcliffe but my DNA matches are linking me to people who belong to an entirely different family also named Thewlis from the same area.

So whereas once I was confident in the upper part of my tree I am now questioning all of the information past the point of James Shaw Thewlis (who is dead set confirmed to be in the right place). 

I have so far used Ancestry, My Heritage, and Family Search but everything is pointing to what I already have being right even though the DNA says a little different.

Any ideas what I could do next?

Thanks in advance.

[BumbleB]

Just to confirm, hopefully, that we are talking about the same James Shaw Thewlis 

Holy Trinity, Holmfirth

James Shaw Thewlis, son of James and Sarah Thewlis of Holmfirth - born 3 February and baptised 21 March 1847.  James is a Plumber and Glazier.

[BumbleB]

Also baptised at Holy Trinity, Holmfirth - children of James (Glazier or Plumber and Glazier) and Sarah:

Amelia - 1827
Richard - 1830
James - 1832
Elizabeth - 1834
Mary Ann - 1844

There are other children baptised at Holmfirth in the same timescale with parents James and Sarah - but this one is a Clothier.

[BumbleB]

GRO facility confirm that the mother's maiden name of James Shaw Thewlis, registered March quarter 1847 in the Huddersfield Registration District is SENIOR.  And Mary Ann Thewlis registered in 1844.

[Ausigeni]

Thank you so much for confirming that. I think that the other Thewlises must match me somewhere else on my tree then. I've noticed that since both sides of the family are from the same place, the same family names keep on coming up again and again.

[libby9]

Is it possible the DNA tree matches have the wrong ancestors?  Perhaps some of their Thewlis' are also yours, but the other tree owners have a wrong line?

[BumbleB]

Re-reading your first post you state that Sarah Senior only appears as "Sarah" on her baptism record, but that she is listed as "Sarah Ann" on the baptism records for her children. 

All the baptisms I found at Holmfirth - Amelia, Richard, James, Elizabeth, Mary Ann and James Shaw - have her name as "Sarah".  And she marries James Thewlis as "Sarah" at All Hallows, Kirkburton in 1826.

Just wondering where the baptisms took place where "Sarah Ann" is stated to be the mother?

[carolanne]

The birth year for Sarah Senior is very misleading when she married in 1826 she wouldn't have been born in 1816.
Regards Carolanne

[BumbleB]

1851 Census - HO107/2292 folio 556, page 13
Wooldale, Mirfield

James Thewliss - 45 - Plumber & Glazier employing 1 Apprentice
Sarah - 43
Elizabeth - 17 - Dressmaker and Milliner
Mary Ann - 6
James - 4

All born Kirkburton, except James (father) = Huddersfield