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« on: Saturday 18 May 24 11:19 BST (UK) »
I've had yet another mystery dna match come up that links to a group of matches who are descendants of the same couple, this new match is on MH and the biggest so far at around 280cM, predicted as first cousin to my mother (who I now believe was an NPE birth).
The grandfather of the match is the problem, he uses two names during his life, Charles Dobbs and Sidney Ratcliffe, my match is in her 80's, made her tree private a few days ago though when public it didn't show her grandfather and she hasn't replied to messages.
There is no birth or baptism of a Charles Dobbs in 1879/80 or an 1881 census return that fits. He just appears out of nowhere in 1891 in Lincoln as a son of Christopher Dobbs and Sarah Ann Dobbs nee Wes(s)eldine (though they didn't marry until the late 1880's and Christopher died in 1892). Based on that 1891 census Charles Dobbs was born in 1880 at Horncastle in Lincs.
There is a birth cert, baptism and 1881 census for an illegitimate Cornelius Wes(s)eldine dob Feb 28th 1879 at Horncastle in Lincs, son of Sarah Ann We(s)seldine but nothing after that date. It's as if Cornelius vanishes and Charles then appears. By 1901 Charles Dobbs seems to change his name to Sidney/Sydney Ratcliffe as found on his marriage and military records, he continued to use the name for the remainder of his life.
It seems reasonable to assume Sidney/Charles are the same person but is he really the Cornelius Wes(s)eldine b1879?
As a side note Christopher died in 1892 but Sarah had children in the late 1890's naming him as the father.