Hi Kenneth,
Thank you very much for the information and your offer of help. You're the first person to tell me that the registration district was Doncaster, but it fits in perfectly with the facts I have. I was out of the country when I received your email and unable to respond with the relevant facts.
Basically, I have been trying to track down the birth certificate of my great grand mother, Sarah Ann Wright, for a long, long time. On the censuses of 1851 - 1871, her place of birth was listed as Norton. I understand that there is a Norton near Doncaster, a Norton near Pontefract and a Norton near Sheffield. None of these offices, however, seem to have the certificate. Neither do the offices at Leeds, Bradford, Keighley or Bassetlaw. Sarah was 8 according to the 1851, so her year of birth was probably 1843.
In 1851 she was living with her grand mother Ann Lambert (widowed) and elder brother George in Harworth. Her elder brother was actually born in Harworth. In 1861 Sarah was working as a servant in High Street, Doncaster. and in 1867 she was married in Leeds Parish Church to my great grand father, William Watson. Her name on the marriage certificate is Sarah Ann Duncan Wright and her father is recorded as Edward Wright, farmer. However, there is no S.A.D. Wright in the St Catherine's register of births and the name 'Duncan' is not on any of her census entries. It does, however, appear as 'Donkin' on her death certificate in 1877.
I applied for the birth certificate of George Wright, her brother, born in Harworth, but was told that the father wasn't Edward. It's all very puzzling, isn't it?
To complicate matters further, an 1841 census entry for Pontefract gives Edward, age 30, as the husband of Elizabeth, 25, with children George, age 2, and Thomas, age 10 weeks. The George info fits in exactly with the 1851 census entry. So why isn't 'Edward' on his birth certificate as the father?! Every time I seem to come up with a solution, the logic seems to disappear from the story!
To complicate matters even further, in 1861 a George Wright, age 50, was living in Norton with his wife Rebecca (i.e. not Elizabeth). I couldn't make out the occupation of Edward. They were still there in 1871 (now Edward is a retired farmer) and my great grandfather's eldest son by his first wife, was living next door! Coincidence??
I have not found the marriage of Edward Wright, either. Maybe I should be looking for the death of Elizabeth Wright? Maybe I have looked and I can't remember! I'm so confused. It still wouldn't help me with the birth certificate of Sarah Ann Wright, though, would it?!
So, you see my problem?! I don't know if you can help, but I'd be EXTREMELY grateful if you could offer any bright ideas!
Thanks again for getting in touch.
Graham
