One of the minor brick walls in my research into the Oakey family of Grimley concerns the following.
William Oakey (b. 1827) was the son of William Oakey and Mary Berrow. On the 3rd November 1850, according to the Grimley parish records (and the IGI), he married Betsy Bishop Pender.
In the 1851 census they are in Grimley (Hannah is either Betsy's mother or maybe grandmother):
Hannah Bishop, 66, widow, cake maker, b. Grimley
William Oakey, son in law, 24, farm labourer, b. Grimley
Betsy Oakey, wife, 19, gloveress, b. Grimley
In 1851 they had a daughter, Betsy Emily Oakey (chr. 3rd August 1851; also on BMD). In 1859 however William died, and in the 1861 census Betsy and her daughter are living with her brother (maybe) William Bishop in Coucher's Cottages. in St John's in Worcester.
William Bishop, head, 40, married, labourer, b. Grimley
Elizabeth Bishop, wife, 28, married, gloveress, b. Bromyard
Elizabeth Grubb, daughter, 20, married, gloveress, b. Bromyard
Betsy Oakey, visitor, 28, widow, b. Grimley
Betsy E. Oakey, visitor, 9, scholar, b. Grimley
After that: nothing. Or at least nothing that I can find out for certain.
Betsy senior seems to vanish completely. As does her daughter. In the 1881 census the only Elizabeth of the right age born in Grimley is an Elizabeth Weaver; she's already married to William Weaver in 1871, and is indeed listed as Betsy Weaver, but I can't find any record of a Weaver marrying an Oakey.
Anybody got any ideas where these two might have vanished to? All helpful suggestions gratefully received!
