a strange case of a girl too young to be married

[diavalos]

Hi Haselbury
Thanks for that you are very knowledgeable, and i didn't know any of that. I know that the dates of Mary Anne's birth are way out, but my gut instinct is telling me that she is the right person, whether she is or not remains to be seen, but i shall keep an open mind and keep looking.
Regards Joyce

[Mumsie2131]

Believe it or not the legal age for marriage didn't become 16 until the
Age of Marriage Act of 1929 until then girls of 12 and boys of 14 could legally marry in England.

[silvery]

The best way to determine Mary Ann's surname is to get a birth cert for a child.  In a look in freebmd years 1876 to 1879 the only birth anywhere for a Jessie F Hart is this one, so I think it might clarify your dilemma.  (But I agree with Jap, it looks as though John Hart married Mary Ann Atherton)


Births Mar 1878 
Hart    Jessie Frances        Burnley    8e   221

[diavalos]

Thanks
I am waiting for Jessies birth certificate, and will kepp you posted as to the outcome when it arrives.
 Joyce

[JAP]

I'm still puzzled about the following statement in reply #7 ...

  ...  Today i received a birth certificate for one of Mary Anne' children it confirms that her mother's maiden name was Casey. So yes i have got the right person.  ... 

In reply #9 I asked which child that was.  This query hasn't yet been answered.  It would be interesting to know.

It would seem sensible initially to get the birth certificates of the eldest and youngest children.
Jessie Frances, Burnley, 1878 seems to be the eldest.
At the time of the 1901 census, Alice aged 1, b Ashton Florence aged 3, b St Helens, was the youngest.
Perhaps there were younger children by the time of the 1911 census?

JAP
Note: later edit is in red

[silvery]

Thanks for that.
Strangely enough on the 1891 census there is a David Miller b Isle of Man living with the Harts he is a nephew, I will have to delve a little further into this. I have a birth certificate for Mary Elizabeth Hart who is my husband's grandmother,
 I still think i have the right family but maybe i am being blinkered, and as they are quite an interesting lot, it probably  suits me. but i will fefinately have a look at the McManus connection.
Joyce
 

Maybe this is the one.   There is a birth

dec quarter 1901 district Wigan vol 8c page 185
Mary Elizabeth Hart

Mary is b Ashton in Makerfield according to the 1901 (where she is down as Mary Edith, but I think it reads Mary Eliz th) which is covered by the Wigan reg district.

Joyce, did you get the birth cert, or was it given you by another member of the family?

[diavalos]

I got the certificate from the GRO. I searched for ages for Mary Elizabeth and then realised that she was recorded as Mary Edith. or at least that was how it had been transcribed. They dont make life easy do they?
Joyce

[silvery]

But which certificate have you got?   

[JAP]

Looking forward to hearing what is recorded as the mother's maiden name on Jessie Frances's birth certificate!

If it is CASEY, I'm not sure where that will leave us!!

JAP