Sarah Holyoake (c1809 - 1891)

[Catling121]

Hi All,

I'm trying to find out more about the family of Sarah Holyoake. Basically I have a problem:

Sarah Holyoake is my 4x Great Grandmother. She married John Townsend at Saint Aldate's Church, Oxford on the 26 July 1831. Throughout the censuses that follow she is recorded as having been born 1809-1810, in Oxford. So I found a baptism for a Sarah Holyoake...to a George and Sarah Holyoake...in Saint Aldate's Church...in 1809...

...but a month later there is a burial record for a Sarah, daughter of George and Sarah Holyoake.

I cannot find another Sarah Holyoake born around that time in Oxford.

In 1861 a visitor appears in the Townsend household, named Sarah J Holyhock, aged 29. Thinking this to be far too much of a coincidence I looked for a baptism and found a baptism for Sarah Jane Holyoake in Henley in 1831 to a John and Jane Holyoake. John and Jane it appears married in Watlington in 1829. I can only find two baptisms for a John Holyoake in Oxfordshire that would be of an age appropriate for this marriage. One is in Banbury 1797 to a John and Elizabeth. The other is in 1794... to George and Sarah Holyoake in Oxford.

If anyone can help me work out who Sarah Holyoake's parents were based on this mish-mash of information, I'd really appreciate the help.

Regards,

Chris

[lizdb]

Do the witnesses when she married help at all?

Also - do you know when the George and Sarah died? If so , did either leave a Will?  If daughter Sarah Townsend is mentioned , then there you are!

[ciderdrinker]

Hi
Yes you're right it George and Sarah
Sarah born 24.3.1809 bapt 14 May 1809 at St Aldgate d of George and Sarah Holyoak

Sisters and brothers John 5.1.1794,William 7.2.1796,Jane 11.6.1800 and James 21.3.1802
parents married at St Peters in the  East 29.6.1789 George Holyoak and Sarah Puzey witnesses Joseph Faulkner and Rachel Lay.
They all signed.

Burial George 6.6.1819 St Aldgate age 55 (From St A)and Sarah 21.4.1837 age 70 (from St Ebbes)both at St Aldates.


Damn just noticed that burial for Sarah their daughter.
Ciderdrinker

[lizdb]

So, who is the Sarah, dtr of George and Sarah , said to be buried June 1809?

[ciderdrinker]

Yes
Sorry I hadn't read the first bit properly and that burial definitely says d  of George and Sarah Holyoak.

Ciderdrinker

[Catling121]

Hi guys, thanks for chipping in!

For what it's worth the Marriage Witness were Mary Ann Wadlaw and John Harris. I haven't found that too useful yet...

Thanks,

Chris

[Catling121]

I've just had a thought - what if the burial for Sarah, dau of George and Sarah is incorrect?

I have had two instances in my research so far of coming across baptisms and burials where it seems the wrong name had been recorded. For example, researching my Westmacott family, the family in the 18th century seemed to be the only one in the village. I found two baptisms for a Thomas, but no child burial for Thomas. Later I found a burial for a William, who's age tallied up with the second baptism, but there was no William baptised. I therefore concluded that the second Thomas was actually a William, and that his name had been recorded incorrectly at baptism, or perhaps it was his second/nick name.

I can't remember the particulars, but I also found this during research of someone else's family a couple of years ago.

I'm just wondering if the child who died is just another daughter of George and Sarah, incorrectly named.

It just seems so strange to have a Sarah Holyoake married in the same church as another Sarah was baptised in, have all the censuses give a birthdate of 1809-1810, in Oxford, and yet...for her to have died in June 1809 with no other candidate for the Sarah I'm looking for.

I know it's clutching at straws, but I'd appreciate any opinions on this theory.

Thanks,

Chris

[lizdb]

Hi guys, thanks for chipping in!

For what it's worth the Marriage Witness were Mary Ann Wadlaw and John Harris. I haven't found that too useful yet...

Any marriage a year or few earlier for a Mary Ann Holyoak to a Mr Wadlow? Making it possible Mary Ann was your Sarah's sister, and then you can look for siblings for the possible Sarah baptisms you have found?  In fact that is probably the way forward, to follow siblings of the Sarahs you have found and see if Sarah Townsend witnesses any of their marriages.

[Catling121]

I haven't been able to find any likely candidates for Mary Ann Wadlow as of yet. It's quite possible that Ancestry's indexing just isn't very good (spelling etc.) but so far I'm showing up nothing. I do think it's the only option I have so far.