Mary Ann Hewitt or Stor(e)y?

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

My big nightmare, Mary Ann Hewitt or Stor(e)y, the daughter of a Susannah Alice Chambers or whatever she decided to call herself at the time.

The mother was born Susannah Alice Chambers, baptised in 1836 in Lincoln, daughter of George and Sophia. The family darted back and forth between Lincoln and Worksop for a spell after some trouble with the law and she is never with her parents in a census;

1841 Lincoln; as Allice Chambers in the household of Charlotte Espin (her aunt).
1851 Lincoln; as Alliss Chambers, housemaid in the Issott household

1858 Worksop Marriage of Susannah Chambers to John Story Hewitt
1861 birth of Mary Ann Hewitt mmn Chambers in Worksop


1861 census for Bath St, Great Grimsby has a John  Hewitt and Susannah Hewitt, both aged 25, Mary Ann Hewitt aged 2 months (the only way to find it is an address search on FindMyPast, household schedule 167B, a name search does not work).

1871 things start to get strange;
Baget Street, Brightside Bierlow, Sheffield
William D Storey Head - Male 32 b Lincs
Susannah Storey Wife - Female 30 b Lincs
Mary A Storey Daughter - Female 10  b Notts
Charles Foster Visitor - Male 52 b Lincs

1876 Marriage in Sheffield

Susannah Storey, widow daughter of George Chambers to William Foster, widower, son of Charles Foster.  Witness names are not known family.

1881 Census 57, Candow Street, Attercliffe cum Darnall, Sheffield
William Foster Head Married Male 39 b Beverley, Yorks
Susannah Foster Wife Married Female 40
plus two lodgers

1891 Effingham Street, Rotherham
William Foster Head Married Male 48  b Frodingham, Yorks
Susannah Foster Wife Married Female 50 b Lincoln, Lincs
Thomas Chambers Nephew Single Male 19 Kimberworth, Yorks
William Coldron Nephew - Male 2 1889 Yorks

The Coldron and Chambers family are known relatives and seem to cement this as being the right Susannah.

I've lost Mary Ann after 1871, I'm not sure what surname she used. There is a marriage in 1883 for a Mary Ann Storey to a Frederick Foster, her father noted as William Foster. Following her through the census she appears in Worksop in 1891, Sheffield in 1901 and 1911 but the mmn in the bmd for the kids and the mother in 1901 suggest it's the wrong Mary Ann. Hubby Frederick Foster is consistently a chair maker so I'm confident it's the same family throughout 1891-1911, just not convinced it's the right family.

It's a really confusing family hence adding the bits for Susannah but what happened to Mary Ann?

[Milliepede]

but the mmn in the bmd for the kids and the mother in 1901 suggest it's the wrong Mary Ann.

What mmn is it? 

Note the 1871 census is under Strey on ancestry for anyone looking.  Mary A born Worksop. 

[Girl Guide]

Just for interest this is Mary's birth record on the GRO

HEWITT, MARY  ANN STORY    CHAMBERS 
GRO Reference: 1861  M Quarter in WORKSOP  Volume 07B  Page 28

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

but the mmn in the bmd for the kids and the mother in 1901 suggest it's the wrong Mary Ann.

What mmn is it? 

Note the 1871 census is under Strey on ancestry for anyone looking.  Mary A born Worksop.

There are some I can't find on the GRO site that appear on freebmd but those that I can are mmn Storey.

What I think I have right now are census records for two different people, my Mary Ann up to 1871 and another/different Mary Ann under the married name of Foster from 1891 onwards.  A missing 1881 census isn't helping matters either.

 

[Daisypetal]

Hi,


I've found them as HOWETT in 1861 at Anc.


This is another strange piece of the puzzle,

Yorkshire Banns
Place:  Brightside
Banns of Marriage between
William FOSTER    Bachelor
Susan Alice HEWITT    Spinster

07 May 1871
14 May 1871
21 May 1871



I can't find a marriage that took place, just these banns.  They show Susan as a spinster which wasn't true maybe that's why the marriage didn't take place then.

Do you have a death for John Story HEWITT?


Regards,
Daisy

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

Nothing for John after 1861 and no other births for the Hewitt/Chambers combination.
I have a feeling they parted company for some reason rather rather than the death of John, nothing to support the idea but it's just a hunch.

The 1871 Banns pop up just after the census and it's interesting that in the '71 census the surname of Storey is used rather than Foster. The vanishing spouses, sudden new spouse and made up family surnames are common to her siblings too, pretty much all of them did it at some point and led me a merry chase. 

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

Looking at the Worksop Census there appears to be two William Hewitt's b1816 which is making things really awkward.

1851 marriage of William Hewitt to Mary Hallam and an 1836 marriage of William Storey Hewitt to Mary Scatliff.

1836 Baptism Worksop of John Hewitt, son of William Storey Hewitt and Mary Ann, 1838 Worksop Baptism of Maria Hewitt, dau of William Storey Hewitt and Mary Ann.
 
An 1858 marriage of John Story Hewitt was 19th of July 1858 and just a week or so before there was a Maria Story Hewitt marriage in the same church.

[Dundee]

Following her through the census she appears in Worksop in 1891, Sheffield in 1901 and 1911 but the mmn in the bmd for the kids and the mother in 1901 suggest it's the wrong Mary Ann.

According to the census, Frederick was born in Sheffield.

FOSTER, FREDERICK
Mother's maiden surname: STOREY
GRO Reference: 1885  J Quarter in SHEFFIELD  Volume 09C  Page 450

Herbert and Bertie were both born Brighouse.

FOSTER, HERBERT
Mother's maiden surname: STOREY     
GRO Reference: 1887  J Quarter in HALIFAX  Volume 09A  Page 387

FOSTER, BERTIE
Mother's maiden surname: STOREY     
GRO Reference: 1890  M Quarter in HALIFAX  Volume 09A  Page 383
(Note he is female on the GRO)

Ada born Worksop.

FOSTER, ADA
Mother's maiden surname: STOREY       
GRO Reference: 1891  D Quarter in WORKSOP  Volume 07B  Page 28

Polly born in Sheffield.

FOSTER, POLLIE
Mother's maiden surname: STOREY       
GRO Reference: 1897  S Quarter in SHEFFIELD  Volume 09C  Page 533

Debra 

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

Following her through the census she appears in Worksop in 1891, Sheffield in 1901 and 1911 but the mmn in the bmd for the kids and the mother in 1901 suggest it's the wrong Mary Ann.

According to the census, Frederick was born in Sheffield.

FOSTER, FREDERICK
Mother's maiden surname: STOREY
GRO Reference: 1885  J Quarter in SHEFFIELD  Volume 09C  Page 450

Herbert and Bertie were both born Brighouse.

FOSTER, HERBERT
Mother's maiden surname: STOREY     
GRO Reference: 1887  J Quarter in HALIFAX  Volume 09A  Page 387

FOSTER, BERTIE
Mother's maiden surname: STOREY     
GRO Reference: 1890  M Quarter in HALIFAX  Volume 09A  Page 383
(Note he is female on the GRO)

Ada born Worksop.

FOSTER, ADA
Mother's maiden surname: STOREY       
GRO Reference: 1891  D Quarter in WORKSOP  Volume 07B  Page 28

Polly born in Sheffield.

FOSTER, POLLIE
Mother's maiden surname: STOREY       
GRO Reference: 1897  S Quarter in SHEFFIELD  Volume 09C  Page 533

Debra 

And in 1901 that family have a widowed mother called Mary Greaves (presumably to do with Mary Ann), in the household which is steering me away from them. In the 1891 Polly Foster was in the household, noted as mother of Frederick and they can be found together in previous census.


It doesn't help track down my Mary Ann after 1871 or whether she was using the surname of Storey or Hewitt but at least it's one off the list.