Catherine Hughes 2/1/1894 Holywell - Parents?

[Deirdre784]

Do you know if she had any siblings? Maybe one with a more unusual name than Catherine?

[shapeshifter]

Thanks for all the responses, I'm pleasently surprised by how quickly you all replied!

Can only do a quick reply now as in work.

Rosie is right to question my link to the birth registration. While the DOB I have is 100% accurate (already knew it before seeing it in the 1939 reg) I guess I put 2 and 2 together with the certificate as it's the right quarter in the right year and the right-SOUNDING area.

As far as cross-border births go, I was one myself, so know this is extremely common in recent times. But not so much in Victorian times I wouldn't think(?). Hard to imagine a welsh-speaking family from Holywell/Mold-ish having a reason to go 15-20 miles to Chester for birth. I will check it out though.

I don't know the distinction with civil weddings and whether they are publically available. Would it not be easy or even possible then to get the full wedding certificate?

Thanks again. Will reply to the rest and any more later.

[rosie99]

You can still get a copy of a 'civil' wedding certificate from the GRO.   Most online images are from Church records

[Deirdre784]

You need to bear in mind that, just because you knew her date of birth and it matched the 1939 register, it may not be accurate (but simply the date she knew and celebrated). Many on the 1939 register for instance will have the right day and month but the wrong year. If you know she was from the Holywell area but there’s no logical birth listed to match that date, then you may need to widen the date search. And get the marriage certificate to at least find her father’s name and occupation.   

[osprey]

well, there is a school admission record in Gwernymynydd for a Katie Hughes born 2 Jan 1894, guardian/parent Thomas Hughes, also a sibling John born 28 July 1892.

This looks to be the 1901 census for the family
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X91D-SFS

possible 1911
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XW3P-L7Z

and 1891 with an Ellen Jones born the same place as Catherine, possible sister?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4YYJ-ZW2

Possible marriage Thomas Hughes & Catherine Jones Holywell, again a civil marriage so no parish record to be found online.
No baptisms showing up for the couple either, so likely to be non-conformist.

[osprey]

1911 census for widowed mother Catherine

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7JK-3W4

Burial in Nerquis 6 July 1908 Thomas Hughes 41 of Bryngwyn Cottage, Gwernymynydd

[Deirdre784]

Doh! Didn’t think of Kathryn / Katie 🙁

[shapeshifter]

Ok, I think this is starting to fit together now.

I wasn't 100% convinced of Osprey's finds to start with, except for the excellent schoolgirl record and date find. I've just found the record on FindMyPast but don't have a current sub to see the record itself. I can't find on Ancestry at all, and I've also just discovered it clearly doesn't use 'kate/katie' as a variant of Catherine anyway (Grrrr!).

Anyhoo, I've texted my Auntie tonight and got some new info (I'd assumed she'd know nothing as my Dad (the eldest grandchild) offered nothing). She was sure of siblings 'Polly' and 'Nell' and the mother as possibly 'Catherine'. She also mentioned a farm in a place she couldn't really spell ("Gyenafeld").

Combining my Auntie's info with Osprey's record finds (and a little googling) I think I can make some strong and not so strong claims...

The schoolgirl record certainly limits to the Gwernymynydd area, and then to the records with the Hughes family in that area. I would only be 100% convinced of this if, stretching a little, the following is also true:
- "Gyenafeld" is Gwernaffield, just slightly north of Gwernymynydd.
- 'Nell' could be the Eleanor on the 1911 'widow' census?
- 'Polly', I've only just gathered, is a nickname for Mary, also on 1911 census.

No sign of Catherine/Katie on 1911 record, but she was 17 then, and old enough to have left home (will look next where she was in 1911 and 1921).

Not had a chance tonight to try and paste this together in my Ancestry tree, but does this all marry up for you guys?

[osprey]

apart from the date of admission - 8 May 1899 - for both of children, there's no further detail on the record.

map showing Bryngwyn to the south of Gwernymynydd

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01r98/

I gave a possible 1911 for Catherine in reply 13 working as a live in servant.