mystery Sophia Francis

[Alexander.]

The eldest sister of one of my ancestors was called Sophia FRANCIS. She has been a nightmare to research because everything seems to fit perfectly then I find a record that shows it can't have been true. So any suggestions are much appreciated.

Sophia was born in 1816 in Tooting, Surrey to parents Thomas and Sophia FRANCIS. She had an illegitimate daughter Eliza at Tooting in 1836, but Eliza died age 2. I have not been able to find Sophia in the 1841 census.

I thought that Sophia married Samuel Eaton in 1855, and I had found the couple in all the later censuses, Sophia born abt 1816 in all of them, and born Tooting. A son (presumably illegitamate) named William Edward Francis (b. 1843) was living with them in 1861. Then yesterday I saw their marriage parish register entry on Ancestry and to my great surprise, Sophia was recorded as a widow and her father's name Thomas Markwell, deceased. I was so sure that my Sophia had married Samuel.

The real kicker comes in the 1871 census, when Sophia FRANCIS's nephew and neice, Margaret & Thomas Blagg are living with them. These two children were the children of Margaret Blagg (nee Francis). Margaret, her husband, and her second husband (George Stock) all appear to have died within five years after Thomas's birth, which explains why they were living with Samuel and Sophia.

But how could they possibly be Sophia's niece and nephew if Sophia's father was Thomas Markwell??? Was Sophia lying to cover up the illegitimacy of her two children? 

Any ideas much appreciated...

Alexander

[Galium]

Lying would make sense.  Maybe Sophia generally passed herself off as a widow, and never managed to find the right moment before the marriage to tell Samuel the truth.