Can anyone help me with my brick wall? I'm trying to trace my ggrandmother "Jennie Simpson Murray".
Unfortunately, my grandfather (Norman Rayner) spoke very little about his family. What I do know is that my grandfather and his dad (Arthur) moved to my home town of Heysham, Lancs from Fylde/Blackpool without my ggrandmother. I also know that my grandfather only disclosed that he'd had a sister late on in his life, so, I suspect there was something out of the ordinary that happened that they didn't want to talk about.
I've managed to trace my ggrandfather (see below) but I'd like to do the same for my ggrandmother, i.e. find BMD & census records. I've found a few people with the correct name on Ancestry but no records that connect with the Rayners.
I'm still newbie genealogist so I'm still learning about record sources. Can anyone recommend any records (particularly for the Fylde/Blackpool area) that I may not have considered, i.e. records not available on Ancestry or FindMyPast?
RECORDS FOR ARTHUR RAYNER
1939 Register shows Arthur widowed, but what's the whole story, was he widowed twice?
Borough: Morecambe & Heysham
Address: 56 Sefton Road
Arthur Rayner, Male, DOB: 11/07/1884, Widowed, Occupation: Foreshore Patrol
Norman Rayner, Male, DOB: 13/11/1920, Single, Occupation: Warehouseman Van Driver
1923 Birth cert for Mary Joan Rayner. I think this must be my grandfather's sister. She didn’t move to Heysham, so what happened to her? I've tried numerous wildcard searches on Ancestry, FindMyPast, LancsBMD, etc but I cannot find a marriage record for Arthur Rayner / Jennie Murray.
1923 BIRTHS in the Sub-District of Blackpool South in the County of Blackpool
When and Where Born: 17th March 1923, 254 Watsons Lane, Blackpool
Name: Mary Joan
Sex: Girl
Name and Surname of Father: Arthur Rayner
Name and Maiden Surname of Mother: Jennie Rayner formerly Murray
Rank or Profession of Father: General Labourer
Signature, Description and Residence of Informant: Arthur Rayner, Father, 254 Watsons Lane, Blackpool
1921 Census - Could prove very useful but it isn’t going to be available for ~6 years and I don’t want to wait that long.
1920 Birth cert for Norman Rayner (my grandfather). Does this mean Arthur and Jennie were unmarried at the time?
1920 BIRTHS in the Sub-District of Blackpool North in the County of Blackpool
When and Where Born: 13th November 1920
Name: Norman Rayner
Sex: Boy
Name and Surname of Father: Arthur Rayner
Name and Maiden Surname of Mother: Jennie Simpson Murray a Housemaid (Domestic)
Rank or Profession of Father: Woollen Weaver
Signature, Description and Residence of Informant: Arthur Rayner, Father, 471 Smith Riding, Linthwaite near Huddersfield. Jennie S. Murray mother, 2 Lord Street, Blackpool
1920 to 1912 West Yorkshire Electoral Registers, Colne Valley. Arthur Rayner listed at various addresses in Golcar
1911 Census - 70 West End Road, Golcar, Huddersfield
Arthur Rayner, Head, Age 26, Married, Woollen Weaver, Place of birth: Sowerby Bridge, Yorks.
Emma Rayner, Wife, Age 27, Married, Children born alive 1, Children who have died 1, Woollen Weaver, Place of birth: Hade Edge Holmfirth
1910 Arthur and Emma have a son "Arthur Winston Rayner" who dies the same year
1908-1920 British Army WWI Pension Records. William Rayner, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment, Regimental Number 4601540.
This record lists Jane (Mother) and Ben (Brother) at 65 Smith Riding, Linthwaite. Also lists Abraham and Frederick (as brothers) but not Arthur. Also lists William's address as 471 Smith Riding, Linthwaite lots of times.
Given that "471 Smith Riding, Linthwaite" is listed by Arthur on Norman's birth certificate and by William in his service record at about the same time and they share the same surname we can assume they're related. See 1901 census below that ties the names together.
1907 "West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935" Arthur Rayner / Emma Broadbent.
It looks like Arthur was married before having a family with Jennie Simpson Murray. I have traced Emma Broadbent (Rayner) up to 1920 but what happened to her after that?
PSA
1901 Census - 11 Stansfield Court, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax.
I think the enumerator accidentally transposed the "Where Born" entries for Joah and Jane on this particular census. I think it was Joah that was born in Mossley, Lancashire and Jane that was born in Holmfirth, Yorkshire.
PSA
1891 Census - Stansfield Court, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax
I think that listing everyone was born in Halifax was an error.
PSA
1887 Baptisms 28th September
Lists Arthur's date of birth as 3rd July 1884. This is 8 days different to that listed on the 1939 Register but I'm sure it’s the same person given the evidence shown above.
Father's name is listed as Joe rather than Joah but I've seen it as "Joseph" on other records so that's not a surprise.
DOB: 3rd Nov 1886, Ben, Parents Joe & Jane Rayner, Stansfied Croft, Sowerby Street, Profession of Father: Dyer
DOB: 3rd Nov 1884, Arthur, Parents Joe & Jane Rayner, Stansfied Croft, Sowerby Street, Profession of Father: Dyer
Any assistance gratefully received:
How do I trace Jennie Simpson Murray?
Were Arthur Rayner and Jennie Simpson Murray ever actually married?
What happen to Emma Rayner (nee Broadbent)?
What happened to Mary Joan Rayner?
Regards, Gavin Rayner
