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« on: Saturday 11 January 20 06:45 GMT (UK) »
Hi all,
I have gone around and around on this one and cannot find a solution, and I know that someone here will have this sorted double-quick time, but I just can't figure it out.
On 1 Feb 1879 in Birtley Parish Church, a little over 2 years after the death of his father, William RIDLEY married his stepmother, Sarah Ann CLARK (nee WAKE), and they continued to raise his siblings and step siblings. The marriage certificate states that he was the son of Robert RIDLEY, coalminer, and she was the daughter of John WAKE, glassmaker. I do not have the certificate, so no further info. Family lore says her birth date was 11 Mar 1839, Westoe.
The history ...
When Robert RIDLEY's first wife, Mary Ann GREGG, died in 1862, Sarah Ann moved in. She was already Sarah Ann CLARK by that point, and some of their children's birth records list her as Sarah Ann CLARK, and some as Sarah Ann RIDLEY. She appears on the 1871 census as Robert's wife, although we have no indication that they ever married - especially not when her name was still CLARK when she married William.
My mystery is: Who is the CLARK that she married? Where was she in 1861?
Here is some information that may help:
Sarah's children with Robert RIDLEY
children all baptized in St Helen Auckland, where his mother lived.
Robert RIDLEY and Sarah Ann RIDLEY
bap. 3 Feb 1866, St. Helen Auckland - Emanuel Bartram (reg Jun 1864)
bap. 30 Jan 1865, St. Helen Auckland - John William (reg Dec 1865, death reg Mar 1867)
Robert RIDLEY and Sarah Ann CLARK
bap. 17 Aug 1868, St Helen Auckland - Sarah Isabella (reg Jun 1867)
bap. 17 Aug 1868, St Helen Auckland - Joseph (reg Jun 1868)
No baptismal info found yet
b. 30 Sep 1869 St Helen Auckland - Joseph Pike (reg Dec 1869)
b. 15 Jun 1872, Chester-le-Street - John William (reg Jun 1872)
b. 8 May 1874, Nettlesworth - Francis (reg Jun 1874)
b. Dec 1875, Byer's Green, Bishop Auckland - Mary Ann (reg Dec 1875)
FYI, Robert's previous children with Mary Ann were: Walter (1846), Elizabeth (1848), Caroline (1850), David (1851), William (1854), Margaret (1857), Robert (1860).
Sarah's census information:
Census 1841 South Shields Ferry Street
John Wake 30 Labourer
Sarah 25
William 4
Sarah 2
Census 1851 Bishopwearmouth
John Wake Age 44 glassworks labourer
Sarah Wake Age 38
William H Wake Age 14
Sarah A Wake Age 12
John T Wake Age 6
1861 Eight Pit, Great Lumley, Chester-le-Street
John Wake 54
Sarah Wake 48
William H Wake 24
John T Wake 16
Joseph P Wake 8
no Sarah...
1871 Mount Pleasant, Tudhoe
Robert Ridley 52
Sarah Ann Ridley 32
David Ridley 18
William Ridley 16
Caroline Ridley 20
Robert Ridley 10
Emmanuel Ridley 6
Sarah Isab Ridley 3
Joseph Ridley 1
1881 Daisy Hill, Witton Gilbert, Chester-le-Street
William Rudley Age 29, coalminer, Wingate
Sarah Ann Rudley Age 36, South Shields
Emanuel Rudley Age 16
Sarah Rudley Age 13
Joseph Rudley Age 11
John Wm. Rudley Age 8
Frank Rudley Age 6
Mary Ann Rudley Age 5
1891 Burnhope
William Ridley 42 Wingate
Sarah Ann Ridley 48 South Shields
Joseph Peke Ridley 21
Francis Ridley 16
John William Ridley 18
Sarah Wake 78 boarder NBL Leamington
Maria C Wake 9 boarder daughter South Shields
The 'boarder' is Sarah's widowed mother. Maria CLARKE WAKE is Sarah's niece, by her younger brother, Joseph Pyke WAKE. Joseph was married to Mary Ann STERN (deceased at this point) whose mother was Charlotte Ann CLARKE. No relation that I can see. She was from Lincoln, Essex, or Suffolk, depending on the document.
1901 Burnhope
William Ridley Age 48 Wingate
Sarah Ann Ridley Age 58 South Shields
John William Ridley Age 23
1911
William Ridley 59 Wingate
Sarah Ann Ridley 70 South Shields
They say they have been married 32 years. Interestingly, Sarah answers the Born Alive, Still Living, Have Died as 5.5.6, indicating she did not understand the question. The numbers have been struck through in black. None is written in in red, and the numbers have been rewritten in blue as 0.0.0.
Sarah died Feb 1914, in Burnhope.
Red Herring:
Family Lore says that Sarah's previous husband was Michael Clark. There IS a Michael Clark married to a Sarah in 1861, but he was still married to her and having children for many years after, so she is not our girl.
Thanks in advance!
Shermy