Hi there,
I've been researching my family tree for a while now via findmypast. I'm a stickler for double and triple checking information but unfortunately I think I've gone majorly wrong with one of my paternal 2nd great grandmothers.
My 2nd great grandfather Henry Hiscock b. 1843 Hurst, Berkshire was married to an 'Anna'. They had 3 children all born in Southsea, Portsmouth Ellen b. 1870, Sarah b. 1871 and my 1st great grandfather Charles b. 1876.
According to the 1871 census, Anna was born in Piddletown, Dorset in 1839 and, in the census, there were also listed Thomas and Susanna 'Vilcat' (misspelling of Vicat) as being at the property, they were clearly named as Father and Mother-in-Law.
The Hiscock family were living in Portsea Island Portsmouth at the time and there was a family called Vicat on Portsea Island. Great, thought I, an easy find. This unfortunately is where I think I went wrong.
I spent months looking for any information regarding a vicat/hiscock marriage, birth information for the children or any information regarding Anna Vicat's birth in Dorset. Zero luck.
As a last resort I cross referenced birth information for children of the same name born in the same years as listed for daughters and son. As a result I've discovered that there was an Ellen, Sarah and Charles, recorded for the right year's in civil births, whose mother's maiden name was given as Payne. I also found a civil marriage record for a Henry Hiscock with option of wife being Anna Payne and there's an Anna Payne listed as having been born in Piddletown.
Unfortunately there's no parish records to give me more conclusive information.
So, I have two questions I'm desperate for help with:
Where should I go from here to gain firm proof that Anna Payne was indeed my 2nd Great Grandmother.
Why would the Vicat couple be so clearly marked as mother and father-in-law on the 1871 census?! (I can find no proof of a previous marriage for either Henry or Anna). Help!
