Florence May Porter

[Nigel Porter]

Florence May Porter is the daughter of Joseph Asher Porter (1872 - 1942) and Mary Anne Dixon (1873 - 1906) and she is shown as born in Sleaford and is 6 on the 1901 census and living with the rest of the family.  In 1911 she is with her sister Alice living in Boston with the parents of her step mother (Mary Lizzie Baker) and is shown as 16 and born in Sleaford.  Seems straightforward, however I can't find any baptism or GRO record for her in 1894/5/6 with Dixon, Baker or blank as her mother in Sleaford or anywhere else, so can anyone help?

[tazzie]

Hi there is this one.....

Florence May Riley Dixon .....Sleaford 1894J qt no mother's maiden name given.

Tazzie

[giggsycat]

The parents didn't marry until 1896. (Mary Anne is Mary Jane on the Index?)


Marriages Jun 1896 
BALDOCK    Jane Catherine        Sleaford    7a   985    
DIXON    Mary Jane                Sleaford    7a   985    
Porter    Joseph Asher        Sleaford    7a   985    
Wainer    John William        Sleaford    7a   985

[larkspur]

Marriage on Freereg
All Saints Ruskington
27 May 1896
Joseph Asher Porter aged 23, Ruskington bachelor, labourer. Father John Porter bricklayer.
Mary Ann Dixon aged 23, Ruskington, Spinster. Father Charles Dixon labourer.
witness 1 Charles Parkes
witness 2 Susan Emma Wright

Baptism, Freereg
County   Lincolnshire
Place   Ruskington
Church name   All Saints
Baptism date   17 May 1896
Person forename   Florence May Riley
Mother forename   Mary Jane
Mother surname   DIXON
Person abode   Ruskington
Notes   A nurse child, with NP Susan Emma Wright.

[LizzieW]

larkspur - I think it's the same person sometimes Mary Ann Dixon other times Mary Jane Dixon.  I would guess the alleged father's surname was Riley!

[larkspur]

Mary Jane Dixon birth registered Sleaford 1872  7a/443. No mothers surname.
 Is she the 9 year old in the Sleaford workhouse on the 1881 census?  RG11/3222/113 p 37

Poor Poppet, she didn't have the best start in life.

[tazzie]

Hi....

Susan Emma Wright is married to John Asher Wright........ same middle name Asher.

Tazzie

[Nigel Porter]

As usual thanks for the quick and interesting replies and again I need to work on my lateral thinking.  I have looked at the original baptism record for Florence May Riley Dixon and the entry immediately above it is for Annie Wright, my great aunt, daughter of John Asher Wright and Susan Emma Wright (nee Otter) and Susan is listed in the notes below which says 'A nurse child with ? Susan Emma Wright'.  I can't read the word between with and Susan?  Given this evidence I'm confident we have the right girl. 

The Ashers and Porters are linked in marriage from the early 19th century and a great aunt (Sarah Anne Porter) did marry a Dixon in Heckington in 1860, but by 1875 that family were in Yorkshire, plus Mary Dixon gives her place of birth as Willingore (Wellingore) which is some distance from Ruskington/Heckington where most of the Porter/Asher action was, so not sure what the link is, if any?

[avm228]

The transcription at reply #3 shows that annotation as “A nurse child, with NP Susan Emma Wright”.

Perhaps it’s an abbreviation for Nurse Parent, or similar? (Roughly equivalent to what would now be a foster parent).