Leat Family - Sidbury

[NEATWHEAT]

I am looking for information on the possible father of Lily or Lilly Leat.  She was born in Sidbury about 1884 and married George Arthur Spear in 1907.
On her Marriage Certificate her father is shown as William.  I have been told she was born Lillian but known as Lily or Lilly.

Her mother was Mary Jane Leat but all the information seems to point to Mary being an unmarried mother of 9 children, which seems unbelievable.  Even one baby born out of wedlock in those days was unbeleavable.

In 1881 Mary was in Honiton Workhouse with some of her children but no father shown there and in 1891 she was back living in Sidbury, where Lilly is shown in the census as are her brothers and sisters.

Her brother Robert's birth certificate shows no father on it so why is there a father on her Marriage Certificate

Can anyone give me some ideas of where I go from here

Many thanks

NEATWHEAT

[Manchester Rambler]

I'm afraid it will be difficult to find any information on Lily's father, as it looks certain that her mother never married, and is always alone on censuses.  Unmarried mothers were much less unusual than you might think, although 9 illegitimate children is definitely out of the ordinary!  Illegitimate children sometimes gave an imaginary father on their marriage cert to "keep up appearances".

This looks lke Mary Jane's birth registration:

Births Dec 1845   (99%)
Leatt    Mary Jane        
Honiton 10 117

On the 1871 census she is living with her sister Hannah:

RG10/2043; Folio: 27; Page: 8 - Bridge St, Sidbury
Hannah Leatt - Head - Unm - 22 - Lace Maker - Sidbury
Fanny L Leatt - Dau - 1 - Sidbury
Mary J Leatt - Sister - Unm - 25 - Lace Maker - Sidbury
Bessy Leatt - Dau - 10 mo - Sidbury
Edward Leatt - Son - 4 - Sidbury

Let me know if you need her details on the earlier censuses.

I can't see Lily's birth reg. at the moment, but it looks as if some of the children were registered as LEATT, and others as LEAT.

Rambler

[welsh lady]

If you go on to Devon Look up Exchange
A Chris Graves has Sidbury Parish Records can do the following look ups
BAPTISMS-1813-1907
MARRIAGES AND BURIALS-1709-1976

Welsh Lady

[welsh lady]

Heres Mary Jane with her parents in 1861
Village of Sidbury,Sidbury,Devon
RG9 Piece 1379 Folio 42 Page 10

James Leatt,Head,45,Ag Lab,Sidbury,Devon
Jane Leatt,Wife,52,Honiton
Elizabeth Leatt,Dau,18,Lace Maker,Sidbury,Devon
Mary Jane Leatt,Dau,15,Lace Maker,Sidbury,Devon
Hannah Leatt,Dau,13,Sidbury,Devon
Amelia Leatt,Dau,8,Sidbury,Devon

Possible Marriage
James Leat to Jane Darke in Qtr Sept 1842 Vol 10 Page 175
in Honiton,Devon

Welsh Lady

[NEATWHEAT]

Thank you to Manchester Rambler and Welsh lady for your help.  I will follow up the information I have now been given. 

But if anyone comes up with any more information I will be grateful

Thanks again
NEATWHEAT