Thanks everybody. Yep, you are right about Matilda and her sons Francis and John Lucas Coard or John Arthur Coard (Lucas changed from Lucas at registration to Arthur by Christening). The banns were read for Matilda & Francis Lucas at St Mary Islington but they never went through with it - reason unknown? It is family information that Thomas Francis was a son of Matilda but no proof and I have just got the birth cert hoping for a father's name but, typically, it was missing and 'Elizabeth' was the notifier. Interestingly, the birth was July but not baptised till October - Elizabeth was a housekeeper but equally the story is she was a servant at a nearby large house - Croome not far?
The complete story is quite muddled. Matilda was in 30s in 1881 and a servant. I didn't know about Thomas but son Francis was born clearly out of wedlock. His birth cert shows no father and Matilda was in the workhouse but by the time of christening, a father had appeared in Francis Lucas. I think I have identified him but he disappears by 1891. In 1891, Matilda is a charwoman with 2 sons (the second son John dies 2 years later - his birth cert also shows no father). All very strange.
Sorry, I could have posted more info but wanted to keep it simple to just what's on the christening. I can't find the farm on the census at present - it's on present day maps quite clear on A4104 owned by R S Allard. Whether Matilda & Elizabeth are the same person is the million dollar question.
