Unfortunately the death cert information is given by the children or others if they aren't around, so that info may not be valid either. If all they ever heard their mother say is that she was a widow, then that's what they'll put down, true or not... If you can afford it, though, it's still is good to have it... Never know if some other info might pan out. The ladies also may indeed have had 2 different fathers, one, Frederick something, the other William something ( if they both belong to Sophia)...so far there don't seem to be any births for either of them? tough going as there are so many areas to consider looking which may never pan out! Did you look for a will?
If Sophia was born a Mower, there is a Sophia born 1785 Cockfield,Sfk...but there are also few births for St. Edmunds Bury under Mower around the turn of the century... I see there are parents John & Susan (Thaine) Mower. There is no Sophia born to them, but she may have been and used a middle name...but how to look back then if no census marriage or death available to follow them through?...
St. James/St. Edmunds was a Catholic church, I think? One had to be baptized named after a Catholic saint. So the name Susan may have only been given at birth or Christening...The name Mary is used for a lot of births/Christenings for obvious reasons, then middle names may have been used later in life. We have the same problem looking for all the Mary born in Quebec, Canada. Makes it hard to follow if the middle name isn't used.
Wish you luck with this project...Sophia's a slippery one J.J.
Mind you it just occurred to me that even now some Catholic priests refuse to baptize babies born out of wedlock, so it was probably harder back then...
George Everard Mower...wonder what happened to him? Was Sophia old enough to have him? depends on the death or the census being true age... It also brings to mind that Angelina herself was old enough to bear children, so another consideration for the stew pot. heehee, no help at all am I?
