Hello! I've only recently discovered this wonderful site, and I'm hoping that someone will be able to help me solve a mystery involving my great-grandparents!
1851 census: Markeaton Park, Derbyshire:
George Thornton, Farmer of 120 acres
Mary Thornton, wife
(children Richard George, Elizabeth, Millicent, Ellen.. and
(great-granny) ANNE THORNTON, age 5, born Markeaton.
The Thorntons were obviously reasonably well off - George died in 1859 leaving a considerable amount of money to his widow Mary and son George, but nothing at all to daughter Anne.
The 1861 census shows the widowed Mary and her children still living at the farm - but Anne (now aged around 15) is missing. I can't find her anywhere.
However.. in the 1871 census, (now known as "Annie" aged 26) she is shown living in Talgarth, Brecon (Wales), as the wife of James Wade, a 33 year old gamekeeper from Newark, Notts. James came from a family of gamekeepers and farm labourers, all from the Nottinghamshire area (Hawksworth/Syerston). I've not been able to find James anywhere in 1861 either - and we've had no success in tracing their marriage, although they went on to have 7 children, (the first of whom, Thomas, was born in 1871 in Talgarth Brecon). The family moved around with James's work - in 1881 they were in Wrington Somerset, where 4 of their children were born. Their last son was born in Mansfield, Derbyshire, three years before James' death.
It's tempting to conclude that young Anne ran off with her father's gamekeeper - but I would love to be able to find either of them in 1861, to see if there are any clues as to how or where they met.
Sorry this is so complicated!
Thanks for your help
Sue