Who Was James Williamson Owen?

[willsy]

Is that James jnr a Hatter? If so, what was his father's occupation and witnesses?

[Ray T]

The "Hatter" is James W Owen Snr. James Jnr was only born in 1878 so he was a child when the family travelled to the US. There is (allegedly) a James Snr.Snr. (JWO Snr's father) mentioned on the entry in the church register who's occupation is illegible but could be a hatter. (My own father, grandfather and great grandfather were hatters). I haven't managed to trace the witnesses as yet and that's clearly one avenue to explore as is James' signature. The entry is on Ancestry.

I'm away from my computer at the moment and if I think of anything else I'll post back.

I'm not sure whether obtaining a copy of the actual Certificate would give me any more info than the register entry?

Thanks very much for looking. I'm grateful for another mind to think this over with.
Ray

[Ray T]

From James Owen and Elizabeth Hamlet's marriage entry -

The first is James Owen Snr's occupation - clearly "Hatter".

The second is James Owen Snr's father's occupation - maybe "Hatter"

The third is Jonathan Hamlet's occupation - I think it reads "Gardener"

The witnesses were Samuel Turner and Mary Shaw

[willsy]

I'm not very good at deciphering but looking at the middle one and how OW is written for Owen on the parish entry, could it be weaver?

[willsy]

I keep coming back to this Mark Whitehead Link

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=89896245

so had a look 1851 as the American dates on the census are up and down. There is a family

HO107; Piece: 2156; Folio: 232; Page: 9

1851 in Stockport
Jonathan Whitehead    51
Martha Whitehead    44
Peter Whitehead    20
Esther Whitehead    18
Mark Whitehead    13
Joseph Whitehead    11
John Owen    41 brother in law

IGI
Name:    Jonathan Whitehead
Event Type:    Intended Marriage
Event Date:    31 Jul 1836
Event Place:    St Mary, Stockport, Cheshire, England
Gender:    Male
Marital Status:    Widowed
Spouse's Name:    Martha Owen
Spouse's Marital Status:    Single

and possibly first marriage

Jonathan Whitehead
Spouse's Name:    Martha Wild
Event Date:    13 Oct 1828
Event Place:    St. Mary'S, Oldham, Lancashire, England

1841 The Whitehead family are in Stockport with a William Owen
HO107; Piece: 113;  Folio: 12; Page: 19

Jonathan Whitehead    40
Martha Whitehead    35
Ady Whitehead    14
Peter Whitehead    11
Esther Whitehead    8
Mark Whitehead    3
Joseph Whitehead    1

William age 14 is there when you look at the census

IGI

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHC8-QH5

Name:    Mark Whitehead
Birth Date:    1841
Age:    32
Spouse's Name:    Ellen M. J. Baldwin
Spouse's Birth Date:    1846
Spouse's Age:    27
Event Date:    24 Oct 1873
Event Place:    Chelsea, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Father's Name:    Jonathan
Mother's Name:    Martha
Spouse's Father's Name:    Thomas
Spouse's Mother's Name:    Mary

There's a baptism

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12051-216869-3?cc=1536925

she is as Nellie J, sure it's the right family

I know the age is wrong for the obit but it's the Stockport connection I have tried for here

1910 then

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M2KF-CCN

and the family are in 176 Coleridge Street as the obit, ages all over the place, occ steamfitter

Mark J Whitehead    Head    M    72    
Helen J Whitehead    Wife    F    57    
Lester L Whitehead    Son    M    31    
William H Whitehead    Son    M    26

his death certificate is here

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11755-91264-82?cc=1463156

and you can find some of his children, through the census and marriages if you search IGI and the Whitehead Owen early marriages

must be getting somewhere now!

[willsy]

Ellen Whitehead still with William 1920 same address

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFMH-HSP

[Ray T]

Thanks Willsy. I need to find time to sit down and go through this carefully.
Cheers
Ray

[willsy]

1871 Possible James occ hatter c 1849 born Hyde Lodger

RG10; Piece: 3676; Folio: 109; Page: 18

[Ray T]

Willsy - This is almost as complicated as tiling the porch!

You identify Jame's parents in Post 11 as James Owen and Martha Williamson  - i.e. as quoted in his marriage to my G Aunt Lavinia Broome (Nee. Magee). This is the basis upon which I've been working.

I think it's a good idea to try to get into James' past via the Mark Whitehead connection and it looks to me that you have the right family, in Post 22, on the 1841 and 1851. That said, we have to assume that Mark Whitehead's birth year on his Find-a-Grave entry is ten years out.

The only thing I can't reconcile is that (looking at the 1851) if John Owen is Jonathan Whitehead's brother in law, Jonathan's wife, Martha, is John's sister. James Williamson Owen's mother is also Martha which would imply that there were two surviving sisters named Martha - unlikely - or James Williamson Owen and Mark Whitehead weren't actually first cousins. Does this make sense?

There is definitely a Whitehead/Owen connection as we have Owens with the Whiteheads in both 1841 and 1851. The problem I have is getting any further. We have the Whiteheads but where are the rest of the Owens?

I'll keep looking.