Would anyone be able to identify where the wedding of the Ann James who married James Wilson in the Whitehaven Registration District (Dec. 1873) took place by any chance? This could be the key piece of evidence for Aragon's enquiry which began this particular thread.
The reasoning for this is based on some deductions that may not work out when followed through. But, it may be worth a try if only to eliminate a line of enquiry. Possibly someone who has access the marriage records from those years may be able to help Aragon out with this one. The marriage may have been at Cleator or Cleator Moor rather than Whitehaven if it was a church wedding.
At the time of the 1881 census, this couple and their family appear to be living at Leconfield Street, Cleator Moor (in the part of Cleator Moor sometimes referred to as 'Coglety'). Among the children of James and Ann Wilson are two sons - William and John.
At first glance, and from the ages of the children recorded on the census it would appear William and John are the sons of James Wilson from an earlier marriage. That would mean Ann Wilson (nee James) was their stepmother. Yet, what if this William and John were actually sons of Ann James before she married James Wilson?
There must be many cases where a census record is not 100% correct. Could this be one of them? If this is the correct family, then when William and John left home themselves - and presumably got married - they would have reverted back to their true surname (James).
Aragon has set an interesting puzzle. Hopefully the truth can be determined - it should be out there somewhere!
(Photographs of Leconfield Street, Cleator Moor posted below).
