In my family tree there is a Matthew Blythe (1837 - 1874; Sancton, East Yorkshire).
He can be found in the 1871 census in Newbald, married to a Sarah Jane (birth circa. 1836 in Hutton Cranswick). I am trying to get my head around who Sarah Jane is.
In 1881 Matthew has died, but Sarah Jane Blythe can still be found in Newbald along with three of her children, still reporting her birthplace as Hutton Cranswick.
In 1891 Sarah Jane Blythe cannot be found... but a widowed Jane Blythe can be found in Newbald; birthplace Hutton Cranswick.
1901 is similar - a widowed Jane Blythe in Newbald, born in Hutton Cranswick.
I think Sarah Jane and Jane are likely to be the same person - my evidence for this is as follows:
In 1881 Sarah Jane Blythe has a daughter called 'Jemima Blythe'. The birth record for Jemima in 1874 states the mother's maiden name is 'Anderson'.
I searched marriage records for a Matthew Blythe to an Anderson anywhere in England during the 1800s and found one result - Matthew Blythe marrying a Jane Anderson in 1861 in Scarborough.
My working theory is that Jane sometimes went by the name Sarah Jane, and then she reverted to Jane after her husband died.
I have a copy of the certificate of the 1861 marriage, which states that Jane's father was a George Anderson, agricultural labourer. I have hit a bit of a brick wall in tracking down which George and Jane Anderson are 'mine' on the 1841 - 1861 censuses, with the added complexity that she could possibly be called 'Sarah' or 'Sarah Jane' - can anyone help cut through the tangled mess of Andersons?
Thanks!
