RootsChat.Com
Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: samcraven on Thursday 21 January 10 18:03 GMT (UK)
-
I am trying to trace my Great Great Grandmother. I have found her as Harriet Mortimore (incorrect I think) as a widow on the 1871 census and as Harriet Ayto still as a widow on the 1881 census. Can't find any marriage between an Ayto and a Harriet before this time. How do I find who she was married to or what her maiden name was?
-
hi,,what is the source of your info on this lady? what year was she born? every detail helps us to help you... ;)
-
i can see a harriet ayto on the 1881,,,but she is listed as single...although there are a few children...looking back in the census,i can see her in the 1841,,,still as an Ayto....maybe she never married ? the harriet i am refering to was born c 1837 in lincs.
-
HI
Is this the same one you've found in the 1881 census
Thomas Mortimer bn circa 1817 Littlethorpe Lei'
Harriet Ayto 1837 Wood Newton Linc'
Thos H Ayto 1860 St Margaret Linc'
Edward Ayto 1863 """
Eliza Ayto 1868 """
William Ayto 1871 """
Charlotte Ayto St Margaret
If so Harriet shows as Unmarried and is a housekeeper
Wendy
-
Hi
Harriet Ayto shows again then with her 2 girls in the 1891 and shows as being a widow.
Odd but not unusual in the hobby.
Wendy
-
Hi
Just taken a look at that 1871 census where she is down as a Mortimore on image and she is shown as being unmarried but has being transcribed as Mortimore.
Again odd but not unusual.
Wendy
-
Thanks for the help,
The Harriet Ayto/Mortimore that you have found is the correct one. I have found her death as 1902 aged 65 so I assume she was born in 1837. It seems strange that in the 1881 census she is registered as a Housekeeper when the house she was living in was in "the Leicester slums" although I guess she could have worked elsewhere.
The name Mortimore has carried on through the generations, but as a middle name for the males.
I would just like to find out her maiden name if married and who the father of the children is. I am sorry if I seem vague but this is the first time I have done anything like this!!!! Sam
-
1851 -------- Commercial Road, Spittlegate, Grantham
HO107 Piece: 2103 Folio: 404 Page: 50
ROBERTS, Ann Head Widow F 32 1819 Annuitant
Little Ponton
Lincolnshire
ROBERTS, Thomas Son M 7 1844 Scholar
Little Ponton
Lincolnshire
AYTO, Harriet Servant F 13 1838 Servant
Little Ponton
-
1841 ---- Woodnook, Little Ponton
HO107 Piece: 621 Book/Folio: 9/7 Page: 8
AYTO, John M 50 1791 Lincolnshire
AYTO, Ann F 20 1821 Lincolnshire
AYTO, Mary F 15 1826 Lincolnshire
AYTO, George M 5 1836 Lincolnshire
AYTO, Harriet F 3 1838 Lincolnshire
-
So maybe she never got married,,,,,she just took the name of mortimer for a short while..for whatever reason.
-
AYTO SURNAME
This very unusual name can probably be best described as a variant dialectal spelling. It is believed that the name originates in the Lincolnshire region, an area of early 7th century Anglo-Saxon domination, and is a shortened version of the personal name "Hatto", itself, a variant of "Hadu" meaning "strife". Quite why anybody should be called "strife" is not clear, except that the Angles and the Saxons, as well as the later vikings were very fond of warlike names. The name development would appear to be from "Hatto" circa 15th Century, to Atto and Ato, one Thomas Ato being recorded as marrying Elizabeth Kew at Kyme, (Lincolnshire) on May 13th 1689 and to Ayto early in the 19th Century, whilst Priscilla Ayto married Joseph Drayton at Barrow on Humber on March 25th 1874. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Ayto, which was dated November 28th 1808, a christening witness at Grantham, Lincolnshire, during the reign of King George 111
-
Births Sep 1837
Ayto Harriet Grantham 14 284
-
Thank you for all this info........I feel like I am starting to get somewhere now!!! sam
-
Have you sent for any or the children's birth certificates? I suspect they would not show a Father's name, but Harriet showed it by using it as a middle name? Eliza appears in the index as Eliza Mortimer Ayto as well as the boys having it as a middle name. In addition to the children Wendy listed from the 1881 census there is also a George Mortimer Ayto JunQ 1865.
-
"Housekeeper" seems to often be used to explain away on censuses a woman living in a house with a man she's not married to. ;)
Probably her and "Thomas Mortimer" from the 1881 census were in a common-law marriage. He may be the father of some or all of the children.
In 1861 they are in Saint Margaret Leicester, RG9/2284 36/44
Thomas Mortimer, listed as widowed, he has several children with him, and then a lodger Harriet Ayto (not very clear surname), who is unmarried and has her son Thomas Henry with her.
-
I anyone is interested in further information on this family name, there is further information (with citations) on by dedicated website at:
http://www.bobcopeland.net/all-o/surname_index.htm
-
Sam, I am connected to the Ayto family and have your Harriet on my tree. I agree with what has been mentioned here in that probably she never married. I haven´t found any record of a marriage for Harriet although I have to say, I have been focussing on other Ayto lines. If i find anything, I will post.
-
Hi there Riojatinto,
I've just told my dad that you have Harriet in your Family Tree......He was really pleased!!! ;D Is your Ayto family still in the leicester/Lincs area? Unfortunately not a lot is known about the Ayto side which was my dad's mum. Good luck with all your searching. I've gone of the boil with it at the mo as I've recently had a baby but when i get some time i'll definately start again.
:D
Sam
-
Hi Sam,
Your Harriet´s grandfather was called John Hayto and I´m descended from his brother´s line (Joseph Hayto). The last direct Ayto in my family was my grandmother whose maiden name was Ayto. She was an only child and unfortunately I never met any of the Ayto´s. My dad remembers his grandfather but they only met once! Since he divorced my great grandmother in the 1940´s. I do have family in that area though and I have made contact with one or two other people descended from my line of Ayto´s who still live in the lincs area!!! I take it your descended from Harriet´s line? Congrats on the baby.......!
-
Hi Sam, Have you tried Bob Copelands website, it should tell you all you need to know about the Ayto family, including all it's variant spellings,Including Ato, Hayto, Eatough, and others. Regards Del. P.S. My GGGGG Grandfather was Anthony Ayto from Normanton Lincs. Del.