« on: Sunday 01 August 21 20:18 BST (UK) »
After literally decades of searching for any clue to discover who the father of my illegitimate great grandmother was, I have finally found him after several DNA tests for myself and other family members and a huge amount of work.
My great grandmother was Mary Jane Dalton b 2nd Feb 1867 Crosby on Eden. Her mother was Jane Dalton b 27th Sept 1844 also at Crosby on Eden. DNA analysis in conjunction with the trees of many shared matches and traditional work now tells me that Mary Jane's father was Richard Pattinson b 1844 at Kirkoswald, Cumberland. He was the son of Richard Pattinson (b. 1813 at Kirkoswald - d. 1897) and Ruth (pretty sure her maiden name was Brown) b 1821 at Kirkoswald to d. 1902.
Frisky Richard b 1844 appears to me to have been their first born. The 1841 census on Ancestry is almost impossible to read but according to some transcription/corrections Richard Pattinson and Ruth Brown? seem to be in Kirkoswald but living separately. How on earth anyone can deduce that from those feint records I will never know but if they are right I take my hat off to them. I suspect therefore that the marriage would have been at Kirkoswald between June 1841 and 1845. I cannot be 100% that the 1844 Penrith birth for Richard was my man (awaiting certificate) but I think it was. He was certainly baptised to Richard and Ruth on 22nd June 1845 at Kirkoswald so the likelihood is that the marriage was before then. The family went on to live in Renwick and are found on many census returns without too much difficulty.
I cannot find the marriage for Richard and Ruth in either civil registration nor parish records. I have searched on Ancestry but I no longer have Find my Past. I have also searched the British Newspaper Archive, Free BMD and Free reg without success. If no one can find the marriage can anyone suggest why not and perhaps what I can do to locate it?
I am also interested in anyone's views as to the likelihood of Ruth actually being Ruth Brown as I suspect and how to find who her parents and siblings were. If I can find her parents I can build a tree forwards for any siblings and perhaps do further DNA testing.
Many thanks in advance to anyone who can offer help or insight into these frustrating problems.
Neil.
Middleham, Ronson, Skinner, Rowe, Dennison, Weightman, Dalton, Rowe, Brown, Stead, Thompson, Nicholls, Porter, Brough, Pattinson, Wannop, Ruddick, Waugh mainly in Cumberland, Yorkshire, Scotland.