The family of Mary Ann Little b c1829 in or near to Gretna Green Scotland.

[10dorking]

Trying to find the parents of Mary Ann Little who I believe lived in the Gretna Green area.
I believe that she married a Charles Perry (from Somerset) in Scotland c1848.
They had a son Charles Perry b c1849 in Scotland.
The family then moved to London and can be found in the 1851 census.
Does this ring any bells with anyone??

Regards


10dorking

[CaroleW]

Do you mean Gretna Green?

1841 census has a number of Mary Little entries for Dumfries in the age range but only one Mary Ann.  Born 1827 and living in Torthorwald

Have you looked for a birth/baptism on Scotlands People.

www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

No marriage showing on SP to Charles Perry & no birth for son Charles

[CaroleW]

Just found the 1851 entry you mention

Charles Perry 30 b Somerset
Mary 25 b Scotland
Chas (Charles) 2 b Scotland
Margaret 2mths b Islington
HO107/1501/469/31

[10dorking]

Gosh, thanks for your rapid responses.

The ref to Gretna Green comes from the 1871 and 1881 census when Mary Ann Perry was then married? to a Joseph Jones and the family lived in Hatfield
Yes I did mean Gretna Green (big fingers and little buttons!)
I did try and get into the Scottish records a few years ago but found them difficult to work with when compared with the likes of FreeBMD etc.
I'm aware that this quest is a bit of a long shot, but any tips you can pass on wrt searching the relevant Scottish records would be much appreciated.

Regards,

10dorking.

[CaroleW]

If she remarried - a starting point would be to buy a copy of her second marriage cert which should give you her fathers name and occupation

No marriage to Charles Perry found so it will be interesting to see what her marital status was?  Did she remarry as Little or as Perry?  Daughter Margaret's birth was registered as Perry but showed mothers maiden name as Little

[CaroleW]

The 1871 only gives her birthplace as Scotland and by 1881 Joseph is shown as a widower. 

EDIT

It's the 1861 that gives Gretna Green as her birthplace - not 1871

[CaroleW]

No marriage found to Joseph Jones under Little or Perry.  Childrens births registered as Jones mmn Little

[10dorking]

Thank you very much for the info that have provided which corroborates the info that we have pulled together from  various family members.
It would appear from the lack of either a Scottish or English marriage certificate that Mary Ann Little and Charles Perry did not marry.
Likewise it would appear that the birth of their son Charles was not registered.
It is noted that Charles Perry's occupation is recorded as a railway labourer and as such he would go to wherever the work was.
On 13/08/1846, construction work started on The Glasgow, Kilmarnock, Dumfries Carlisle railway line which ran from Carlisle to Gretna Green and then via Rigg, Lowthertown, Eastriggs, Dormock, Annan, Cumertrees, Brass well and Noblehill, to Dumfries.
This section of line was opened on 23/08/1848 with the remaining section to Glasgow being completed on 28/10/1850.
Given this range of dates ie 1846 to 1850, it now seems more than likely that Mary Ann Little met Charles Perry when the line passed through the village/town where she lived and she took up with him, becoming pregnant in 1847/1848 with her son Charles being born in 1848/1849.
When his work on the line was complete in 1850, it would appear that Mary was pregnant again, and it appears that they upped sticks and went to the next railway job in London where their daughter Margaret (my maternal great grandmother) was born in 1851.
Clearly something significant occured to Charles Perry and his son, (did they both did???) as by 1861, Mary Ann and her daughter have now taken up with Joseph Jones with whom she moves to Hatfield and has several children before dying in 1874.
Once again many thanks for your help in exploring the Scottish side of this story.
Who knows, one day something may turn up which fills in the gaps in this story wrt to Mary Ann's place of birth and family and what happened in the 1850's.
Stay safe.
Best regards

10dorking

[MonicaL]

Hi 10dorking

Hard to more cenrtain without at least confirmation of father's name 

Notice that her first born daughter was Margaret and wondered if she could have been called after her mother (following Scottish naming pattern). There is this 1841 census entry:

William Little 53 agr lab.
Margaret Little 53
John Little 21
Mary Little 13 www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYLC-CYL

Address: Headlep Cross Or Gretna Loaming, Gretna Dumfriesshire

Your Mary Ann showed as 25 yrs old in 1851 though (although her birth year is variable in other censuses).

Monica