This is a mystery! PLease help!

[snowyw]

I have a William Norman Davenport born 1900  Stoke T.
He had children between 1923 - 34 and the mother's maiden name was put as Godwin on the entry on BMD.
I have been told the mother's name was Elsie Ada.
I cannot find a marriage to Elsie Ada Godwin ANYWHERE!
BUT there is a marriage of a William [H] Davenport to a Ada Smallwood in Stoke T 1918.  When I looked the BMD entry, it certainly looks like William N Davenport. 
If this is the right William, then how and why are the childrens mother's maiden name Godwin.
There are no children for Davenport/Smallwood on BMD.....
I cannot even find a suitable Elsie Ada Godwin living anywhere close (Burslem), but Ada Smallwood was in Hanley in 1901 - born 1892. 
What do you think?  I am sure it is the correct couple - but why is the maiden name Godwin on the entries for the children?
Aahhhh!

[avm228]

The situations are usually explained by the wife either having been married before or having informally changed her name in early life for some other reason e.g. to take on a stepfather's name.  Have you looked at those possibiities?

[snowyw]

I cannot find a Godwin/Smallwood marriage.  So it doesn't look as though she was married twice.
On the 1901 census, Ada Smallwood is 8.  She is living with her mother & siblings. 
Unless someone can find a stepfather - I'm flummoxed

[mshrmh]

1918 marriage is on StaffordshireBMD as Ada Smallwood/William N Davenport at St Mark, Shelton. There's no indication on there that she had used any other name (usually would do so via an asterisk and the other name) - not infallible, but a fair chance this was also her father's surname on the marriage register - the only way to check is to see the register itself - either by purchasing the certificate or by visiting the archives.

There's no Elsie Ada Smallwood or Godwin birth on the GRO index 1885-1910 (there was an Elsie Ada Goodwin in London)

[tina morana]

Hi folks
William was 18 when he married in 1918.
Yet his first child wasn't born until 1923 .
Something doesn't add up here.
First 2 born in Stoke. Next 3 born Congleton ches.

Tinam

[mshrmh]

Tina - I agree, I thought the age difference suggested (he b1900 she 1892) was high for a young marriage.

I'd suggest that it depends what Snowy is looking for - if to establish the children's parents then birth certificates are the way forward; if it is to establish what became of William Norman then the marriage certificate would be the solution.

(I wasn't worried about the different reg. districts for the births as many of my family were from this area and hops over the Staffs/Cheshire border seem frequent - I take the point that there could be two families though.)

[snowyw]

Thanks for your replies.  All five children are the same family, but I am now really wondering whether the woman William married was actually the mother of his children. 

[mshrmh]

GR thread with potential answers to save further duplications:
http://www.GenesReunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/ancestors/thread/1297887?page=1

[Willow 4873]

There are several explanations for the late birth of children namely it was the end of WW1 and if he was a prisoner of war he may not have of been liberated for a while or he was injured and in hospital or it could be that they lost children at birth or through miscarriage

Willow x