Who was Maria Saville/Savage's dad?

[BenRalph]

My 3x great gandmother's father is a mystery (I don't like to say brick wall). She was born in 1846 & died in 1907, both in Leeds. She married twice - once to Benjamin Gaunt (using the name Maria Saville) in 1866 with no father listed. They had four children. She was listed as Saville on three birth certs, but on the second child her maiden name is Savage. Her fist husband died in 1874 and she remarried the following year to Thomas Clark (my 3x great granddad). She's married as Maria Gaunt, widow, father Thomas Fanon.

Thomas (Clark) & Maria had 6 children together. 5 of them had mother's maiden name as Savage (including my 2x great grandma), but their forth child she was back to using Saville.

I have her on every census and she always states she was born in Farnley. In 1861 she's in as Maria Savage, with her mother, Betty Savage. She's also with two siblings, Mary & John Savage. John, I later found, is buried in the same plot as Maria, her husband and daughter. She's also a Savage (mistranscribed as Farage) in 1851 with the same people but also another sibling, Thomas.

Her mother's maiden name on Maria's birth cert in Fowler.  Elizabeth is on the 1841 census with her children from later censuses, and another, George (who was born George Fowler but the baptism states his father is James Savage) but their surname here is Saville. Elizabeth married James Savage in Leeds in 1827. I can find no death/burial for Elizabeth under any of the names she used.

Can someone please try to find what the whole situation was with this family please? I've looked for quite a few years to resolve this with nothing at all helping.

Thank you.

[avm228]

Sorry if I have missed it, but I don’t think you have told us what Maria’s 1846 birth certificate says (if anything) about her paternity?

In fact I don’t see a birth registration matching what you say (i.e. with mother’s maiden name Fowler) - the closest being a Maria Saville, no mmn, Mar qtr 1846 Hunslet

[avm228]

There’s an online tree showing James Savage’s death as Dec qtr 1838 Leeds, but the GRO online index shows that James as aged only 3 at death.

[avm228]

Putting events in chronological order:

1825 (30 Jan): Baptism of George Fowler, mother Elizabeth Fowler (James Savage reputed father), Beeston
1827 (16 Apr): Marriage of Elizabeth Fowler to James Savage, cloth dresser, Leeds
1828 (06 Apr): Baptism of Thomas Savage.  Parents James & Betty, of Beeston
1832 (approx): Birth of John Savage, Carlton (per censuses)
1835 (approx): Birth of Mary Savage, Farnley (per censuses)
1841 (census): Betty Saville + Geo, Thos, John & Mary are in Lane Side, Farnley
1846 (Mar qtr): Birth reg of Maria Saville, Hunslet district. Birthplace Farnley (per censuses)
1851 (census): Elizth Savage + Thos, John, Mary & Maria are in Lane Side, Farnley
1861 (census): Betty Savage + John, Mary & Maria are in Rooker Lane, Pudsey

[Milliepede]

She's married as Maria Gaunt, widow, father Thomas Fanon.

Where does the name Fanon come from 

[Milliepede]

I'm thinking the birth found by avm228 in Mar 1846 is most likely and Elizabeth Fowler wasn't her mother but really not sure 

[BenRalph]

Sorry if I have missed it, but I don’t think you have told us what Maria’s 1846 birth certificate says (if anything) about her paternity?

In fact I don’t see a birth registration matching what you say (i.e. with mother’s maiden name Fowler) - the closest being a Maria Saville, no mmn, Mar qtr 1846 Hunslet

Sorry, I misremembered. You're correct. The Maria Saville is the one I found and no mmn is in GRO. I'm awaiting the cert to be sent to me as I've only sent off for it this week.

I'm thinking the birth found by avm228 in Mar 1846 is most likely and Elizabeth Fowler wasn't her mother but really not sure 

Who would her mother be then?

She's married as Maria Gaunt, widow, father Thomas Fanon.

Where does the name Fanon come from 

I've no idea. This is the only place the name is seen.

[avm228]

The Leeds Times, December 9, 1837

CHARGE OF ROBBERY AT FARNLEY

On Saturday a young man named John Shoesmith was charged by Betty Savage with having robbed her of 5d.  The parties reside near Farnley, are well acquainted with each other, and it appeared that the prisoner, who is a cloth weaver, had occasionally been in the habit of smoking his pipe at complainant’s house, and at the house of her neighbour Betty Taylor.  After a second hearing, Mr Bennett said that he did not believe that the man intended to rob the complainant; he thought he might have taken some improper liberties with her, and for that he must make her some recompense.  This proposal appeared to meet with complainant’s entire approval, and the parties retired and settled their differences amongst themselves.

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

I found these baptisms,

St Michael, Farnley

May 23 1835  Martha  Dau of Elizabeth SAVAGE    married woman   
(note in margin, see 1047 twin)  Sep  6 1835  Mary  Dau of Elizabeth SAVAGE    married woman

1047 is Martha, no father mentioned on either baptism.


Then I found this newspaper article, it would fit with the birth of Maria.


I still don't understand the SAVAGE then SAVILLE then SAVAGE change of name.

Regards,
Daisy


Bradford Observer 14 May 1846