UPDATE!
After all these years of searching, I have uncovered more about my great great grandmother Mary Ann STREET of Oxfordshire.
I was fortunate enough to be shown a photo of , what was believed to be, Mary Ann as an adult. The frame was intact and gave a photography studio in Reading, England. After failing to find any census or death record for Mary Ann beyond the 1861 Henley Workhouse census, I decided to look for a marriage in Berkshire (where Reading is located, the place the image was taken).
I found the other marriages previously mentioned in this thread (William TRANTER and Job GREENAWAY), and dismissed them based on no matching census info for these potential marriages. The other name I discovered was "Henry BARRETT" in 1876, registered Hungerford, Berks.
I thought, well that's interesting.....BARRETT being the surname Mary Ann's son, George STREET used for his mothers maiden name on his marriage in NZ in 1896. It was too coincidental. So I checked census records for this couple.
1881 I found them as follows:
Peppard Cottage Farm House, Henley, Oxfordshire
Henry Barret age 46 Head Occ: Pensioner Gardener Domestic Born: Kintbury, Berks
Mary Ann Barrett age 44 wife Occ: wife domestic Born: Henley-on-Thames, Oxf
And in 1891:
Brook Street, Bensington, Wallingford, Henley, Oxfordshire
Mary Ann Barrett age 55 Head Widow Occ: Seamstress Born: Henley-on-Thames, Oxford
While the birth place for Mary Ann was not quite the same as 1861 ("peppard, Oxford"), I thought it was close enough given the age matches. And bearing in mind this woman has eluded me in all other census searches.
So I ordered the marriage certificate and the following information was gleaned:
Henry Barrett Bachelor of full age Occ: Labourer Residence: [kell?] Peppard Father: Thomas Barrett deceased
Mary Ann Street Spinster of full age Occ: Servant Residence: [Kell?] Peppard father: John Street deceased
I purchased a death certificate (reg 1891 Oxfordshire) for Mary Ann BARRETT and the following was revealed:
Mary Ann Barrett died 1 Jun 1891 Brook Cottage, Bensington, R.S.D, widow of Henry Barrett (occ: Farm Labourer and an Army Pensioner) Cause: Gangrenous Erysipelas; Informant: George Street, Brother, residing Well Place, Ipsden, Oxford
Now I had a father, John STREET and a brother, George STREET.
Now I was confused as we had previously found a family with a "Head" being John STREET with wife "Ursula Street" in 1841, with a young George Street (age 11) and Mary Street (age 4) with seemingly their adult daughters Jane Street (age 33?) and Rachel Lucass (married with her husband in household also).
It has been a thrill to discover these connections, but I still need to tie them all together somehow. I have searched Ancestry.com.au for baptisms for George Street (b. 1831 Ipsden) and Mary Ann Street (born 1836 Peppard) and nothing is coming up.
I am confident George STREET , the brother on Mary Ann's death certificate is the George STREET born 1831 in Ipsden, as using his residence from that document, he matches an 1881 census record:
"1 Well Place, Ipsden, Oxfordshire
George STREET" age 50, Head Married Occ: Agricultural Labourer born Ipsden, Oxford
[with wife Mary]
If anyone is interested in this very protracted search for my great great grandmother, feel free to offer insights and tips on how I can put the puzzle pieces together. I am always grateful to the Rootschat members who contribute and share an interest in my family history.
Many thanks in advance, regards,
J