Good Morning Rex,
I am sorry I too have been unable to locate any of these girls in any later census anywhere in England. I spent many hours yesterday trying as I suspect so has Deb and others. I believe I tried everything possible particularly where Christianna and Anna Jane are concerned and cannot see them as married women either. I really hope someone has better luck than me. I chased up all possible married Christiana and Anna/Hannah I could find and found none to be them.
The name variant does not concern me. The enumerator has written the name how he heard it. Perhaps partly as there is another Maria Harris in the parish at the time, he may have been swayed. I do believe this 61 entry is the Harry family. I also tried for deaths without any success. I wonder what became of them.
Now Maria listing as a widow I suspect that is how she saw herself, particularly if there was no support coming from John, she would have considered herself a widow - she may have even thought he was dead herself. In these times a persons marriage could easily be dissolved allowing quick remarriage if the spouse had moved overseas. Divorce was not an option other than for the wealthy. Under normal circumstances where separation occurred people remarried using the 7 year rule. All one needed to do was state that they had not seen their husband or wife in 7 years and did not know if they were alive or dead. This rule was often used even if they knew full well their spouse was alive. (in such cases, they may marry away from their home parish so as not to be challenged) Where the spouse had gone over seas there was no need to wait the 7 years. This does not appear to have been used here since Maria did not marry until 1874.
As their father went to Brazil I wonder if there is any possibility the girls followed. Seems odd with Maria turning up in London in 1871 and then finds her way back to St Austell. Could she have even gone overseas too and later returned alone?
I do hope someone else has better luck than me with this one.....Good Luck...........Kris
