Can't find a marriage record, in Todmorden.

[ThrelfallYorky]

I've just remembered: There are loads and loads of Fieldens, in Todmorden, many of them related to the John Fielden linked to the Factory Act, limiting the hours that children could be made to work. There is actually a FIELDEN SOCIETY in existence, that apparently congregates every few years in Todmorden, so they may well be helpful and useful in your research into your Samuel. I couldn't find a couple I was certain were yours in the 1841 census ( the only one they would have been together in) although in the wider area there were a couple. Good luck with your searching for Sally's family, too.

[Althea7]

Thanks for your interesting replies.  I will try to find out more about Todmorden, and the church where my ancestors married.

I can't find anything much about Sally Smith's parents, though I do have the marriage record to Samuel Fielden, and Sally is well documented in adult life, living with her grown up children in old age.

[lancsann]

She might have been born in STANSFIELD - an area of the old Todmorden. It certainly is a town that enjoys confusing folk. Holden's book on the History of Todmorden is good, if a bit dated now. There are several books published in the 1970s/80s/90s of photographs of old Todmorden, by Roger Birch, but they are quite pricey now.

Sorry not sure here whether you were replying to my Stansfield Road bit  about my m in law or to the OP. Definitely Stansfield road where more than one of the same family lived, including her grandfather who was a well known town councillor and whose obituary is available on the web.

I agree it is a very confusing town with all its different areas with lovely names - Mankinoles, Lumbutts etc. And all it’s families with the same surname. I have Sutcliffes too. When I first started I thought it would be easy to identify Greenwood Greenwood or Sutcliffe Sutcliffe. Wrong! Wandering round Cross Stone graveyard shows differently.

[lancsann]

There is a burial which might be the right Samuel at St Mary's

Samuel Fielden died 8th April 1847 age 34 lived in Gauxholme area of Todmorden

Unfortunately the record do not go up to 1901

[Althea7]

There is a burial which might be the right Samuel at St Mary's

Samuel Fielden died 8th April 1847 age 34 lived in Gauxholme area of Todmorden

Unfortunately the record do not go up to 1901

Thanks for that information.  One day I might visit and look round St Mary's graveyard, if it still exists.

[lancsann]

Thanks.  I am stuck with this one, I don't know why she has the surname Smith on Grace's birth record, or if that marriage record is correct why she is shown as Smith, especially as she is shown as a spinster, rather than a widow.

I have her as the daughter of Sutcliffe Kershaw.

And I have a DNA match with a descendant of a son of Sutcliffe Kershaw.

They were living a long way from that church where that marriage is given.  Why wouldn't they get married in a local church?

If you are descended fro a son of Sutcliffe Kershaw should that not be your starting point? Rather than researching Sally Smith, which even if it is not the right Sally and none of what has been posted relates to your family it has been interesting, at least for me, to look at Todmorden history again

Which son?

[lancsann]

There is a burial which might be the right Samuel at St Mary's

Samuel Fielden died 8th April 1847 age 34 lived in Gauxholme area of Todmorden

Unfortunately the record do not go up to 1901

Thanks for that information.  One day I might visit and look round St Mary's graveyard, if it still exists.

The graveyard from what I remember does not exist but there are several old gravestones set against the outside walls

[Althea7]

Thanks.  I am stuck with this one, I don't know why she has the surname Smith on Grace's birth record, or if that marriage record is correct why she is shown as Smith, especially as she is shown as a spinster, rather than a widow.

I have her as the daughter of Sutcliffe Kershaw.

And I have a DNA match with a descendant of a son of Sutcliffe Kershaw.

They were living a long way from that church where that marriage is given.  Why wouldn't they get married in a local church?

If you are descended fro a son of Sutcliffe Kershaw should that not be your starting point? Rather than researching Sally Smith, which even if it is not the right Sally and none of what has been posted relates to your family it has been interesting, at least for me, to look at Todmorden history again

Which son?

I am not descended from a son of Sutcliffe Kershaw, my DNA match is.

I thought my ancestor was Sutcliffe Kershaw's daughter, Sally Kershaw, but as this thread has shown, that is wrong and she was born Sally Smith.

I had thought my DNA match's ancestor was the brother of Sally Kershaw and they were both children of Sutcliffe Kershaw, but this thread has shown that this was the wrong Sally.

[ThrelfallYorky]

Don't know how relevant this may be, but if you think that Sally may be a daughter of John and Hannah Smith, there's a set of inscriptions in St Thomas' Heptonstall that I've spent a couple of hours browsing through ( not "searchable", sadly) and Row C5,
grave no 36 / 37 has:

 36                   "here .... of Ann...
In memory of Isaac, son of John and Hannah Smith of Hebden Bridge, who died Sept 19th 1885 aged 51
Also of Mary Smith his sister who died July 30th 1838 aged 44
             J                   S
             W                    U

37 Upright
In memory of Hannah infant daughter of John and Hannah Smith of Hebden Bridge who died May 16th 1835 aged 11 days
Also the aforesaid John Smith who died February 14th 1838 aged 44 years
Also of Murgatroyd Smith their son, who died July 23rd 1855 aged 37 years
Also of Sarah Ann Smith their daughter who died November 23rd 1855 aged 37 years
Also of John Smith their son who died April 23rd 1860 aged 22
Also of Hannah Smith, relict of the said John Smith who died September 26th 1874, aged 80 years
Also James Smith their son who died November 10th 1875 aged 55 years

37b Worn flat stone
Also John Smith
 It's possible that these may help you to establish is this family is the one of your Sally.
(Actually, there are very few "Smiths" in there, there's a vicar in the church, but hardly any else, although I've another "Isaac Smith" and family, and another grave, much later, of Smiths of King Street.

- and "it's a wise man who knows his own father" is surely the motto for all D N A searchers?
TY