Surname change conundrum!

[andgalcas]

Yes Alan, I think you are right. This family could be the one. I've ordered Thomas, Susanna Jnr's and Neil Ferguson Jnr birth certificates and the Ferguson/Duffy marriage cert. The fact Daniel Duffy gives his DOB as Sept 1877 and the Daniel Jackson birth certificate stating May 1878 throws me but as you say he may not have been aware of his exact date of birth/origins etc. He was in an industrial school in Newcastle in 1891 calling himself Daniel Duffy, also his confirmation record from that time states he is Daniel Patrick Duffy. He never used the Patrick middle name again however in 1916 on his sons baptism record he is recorded as Daniel Jackson Duffy. I feel like I have opened a huge can of worms and don't know where to begin or what to believe!

It just seems like more than a coincidence that he moved to Barry in Wales where his possible father/uncle Thomas Duffy was also living. His marriage certificate gives the address of his mother in law/same as his wife but he states his father is Daniel Duffy labourer which Daniel Duffy back in the North-East was. I have asked the South Shields registry office to confirm if the birth certificate they hold for Patrick Daniel Duffy born 1877 gives DOB as 3 Sept 1877 just to be sure.

Until then the search continues...

[Jomot]

Re Alan's suggestion of the marriage in South Shields, 17 April 1876 between Neil Ferguson and Susanna Duffy, maiden name Kane.

The newspaper article from November 1877 about Neil Ferguson attacking Mary Ann Jackson says he had engaged her about 6-months earlier to look after his invalid wife - presumably Susanna.  A witness was an unnamed step-son of Ferguson.

The article strongly suggests that Mrs Ferguson was still alive, but there is a death registration Q1 1877 Stockton, Susannah Ferguson aged 42.

Oddly it isn't listed on the Middlesbrough Registrars website (Tees Valley Indexes), which was the registration district for Thornaby after 1875, nor is it on the Stockton Registrars website.

So if Susannah had already died, then Mary Ann would likely have been alone in the house with Neil Ferguson and the Duffy boys.

[andgalcas]

Thanks for that! Not what I was expecting...

I found Neil Ferguson on the 1881 census down in Hampshire with wife 'Ann' which I took to be Susannah (given age/POB) - The most obvious death records I noted for both Susannah and Neil were both AprilQ 1889 in South Shields but this may be wrong. The plot thickens! Would I be best off trying to get hold of both death records?

[Jomot]

As a first step perhaps try contacting Stockton Registrars and explain there is a Stockton death certificate you're interested in for elimination purposes but which isn't listed on their website. 

I've always found them very helpful, and if they do have it then they'll usually confirm whether it is or isn't the wife of (whoever) without you having to purchase it. 

01642 527720
registrars@stockton.gov.uk

[andgalcas]

Great thinking! They were very helpful with the initial Daniel Duffy / Jackson situation and checking DOB's before I purchased certificates. I will drop them a line now and see if they can help eliminate.

[andgalcas]

I’ve heard back from the registry office in South Shields and the Patrick Daniel Duffy registered there in 1877 was not born on 3/9/77 nor was his mother or father Daniel Duffy / Mary Ann Jackson. I’ve also received birth certificate of Daniel’s youngest son Ron born 1916 in Barry. Listed as Daniel Jackson Duffy. On Ron’s birth and baptism records he is called Daniel Jackson Duffy. On all the others simply Daniel Jackson. Maybe between 1913 (when next youngest child was born) and 1916 he found out about Jackson link?

[andgalcas]

I've also just had this response from the registry office in South Shields regarding the two death entries for 1889 in the town:

"Looking over the entries for Neil and Susannah I can see listed on Susannah’s record that Susannah is the widow of Neil Ferguson, but there is no wife listed on Neil’s entry, the addresses differ also on each record for the place of death.
I hope this assists with your enquiry"

I'll order the death certificates and hopefully this may shed a little more light...

[Jomot]

Oh well that's good to know, so the Susannah Ferguson who died in Stockton must be unconnected.  I wonder who she was then!

[andgalcas]

Hopefully the registry office in Stockton will reply soon but possibly unrelated. I did find a Susan Ferguson on 1871 census locally that I thought it could be but you can never be sure!