Woolaston/Wollaston - England or Wales

[lottiepenny]

Hello everyone…

I hope I’m writing this in the right place, this is my first post and I can’t find a forum regarding locations (not sure if i’m just being dim)

I’ve got myself all confused regarding my 4th Great Grandmother’s locations. Her name is Mary Ann Croome. Her baptism records show she was baptised in ‘Woolaston’. Initially this is showing up as Woolaston in Gloucestershire. She married her husband in Newland, Gloucestershire and all of her children are born in ‘Wollaston’, Gloucestershire until 1845. The 1841 England census also says she lives in Wollaston, Gloucestershire.

However, according to my research her next son was born in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales and the family appeared in the 1851 Wales Census, living in ‘Woolaston, Monmouthshire’.

Every life event after that occurs in Woollaston, Gloucestershire including birth of children, death of husband, 1871 ENGLAND census and her death and burial.

Geography is definitely not my strong suit and I’m confusing myself more and more trying to find out, i’m not sure whether to start all over again with her!

Would anybody be able to tell me:

 Were Woolaston and Wollaston the same place? Just a different spelling?

 Somehow, was Woolaston in Gloucestershire included in the Wales census or is there a wollaston in both gloucestershire and wales?

Sorry if this is a stupid question and I’ve over complicated things    I’d appreciate any help! Thank you 

[maddys52]

Hello lottiepenny and welcome to RootsChat.

What is the name of Mary Ann's husband  and when did they marry? Is CROOME her maiden name or married name? 

Chepstow is only about 6 miles from Wollaston, Gloucestershire.

Modified to add:
Also, Chepstow registration district covers parishes in both Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire, and includes Woolaston.
https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/chepstow.html

[Neale1961]

Woolaston (Woollaston, sic) is in Gloucestershire, but it is very close to the Welsh border

Description of Census Enumeration District (1851 census)
All that part of the Woolaston Parish called the Lower Hamlet
County Division of Gloucester
Superintendent Registrar’s District – 576 Chepstow

If you are looking at the census returns on Ancestry, it has been incorrectly indexed under Monmouthshire in 1851 and in 1911.

Possibly some confusion because Woolaston Gloucestershire, was included in the Chepstow Registration District from 1837 to 1937. (Chepstow is in Monmouthshire)

[Capetown]

Forest of Dean Family History website

https://forest-of-dean.net


Is a free site, you just have to register.

This contains many thousand of records including Newland and Wooolaston

Just for info,  (is this the marriage?), from the above website.

21 May 1832, Thomas EDWARDS batchelor, groom's residence, Newland
Mary Ann CROOME, Spinster, bride's residence: Newland
by banns*
Both sign, witness 1: William Jones, Witness 2: Mark of Betty Croome
Officiating Minister : H Douglas Vicar

---

The above website, also contains the records of Wollaston.

The best way to enter the surname in the search records is to put CROOME, but use the Soundex as the surname is spelt differently ie. at Wollaston, there are 120 records for CRANN/CROOME/CROOM/CROME.

----

*In the above website, running across the top, is Home, Resources, Forum etc.

If you Click on Resources - second item down, is 'Marriage Licence Allegations and Marriage Bonds, which covers, Gloucestershire Marriage Licence Allegations, 1637-1837 and Marriage Licence Bonds 1730-1823.

Again use the Soundex as there are 150 variations on CROOME which may be appropriate, is CORNE/CURRAN.  As these original manuscripts are hard to read and there was no formal spelling - variations occur and place names are spelt differently, so don't put in any place in the residence section.

[Capetown]

Again, when you use the Forest of Dean Records

You can search for

Surname: Edwards

then there is a coloumn for Father's first name (in this case Thomas)
Mother's First name: (Mary)
Chapel: Woolaston

5 children were christened on the same day in 1848

Thomas - aged 10, (c1838)  Matilda aged 7(1841),   Charles aged 5,(1843), Emma aged 2,(1846)  and William (no age)
- click on more details - up comes the whole information) - followed by George in 1850.

----

The GRO Index (births aged 1837) as this website lists the mother's maiden name, may be able to trace where the children's birth was registered, (if they did register their births).

Checked the GRO Index, can't see any births registered.  Looking at the Gloucestershire Records Office, Genelogical Database, there are many CROOM/CROOME, around Newland, West Dean, etc that appear to be non-conformists.

If they were registered in Gloucestershire, the GloucestershireBMD website - also lists mother's maiden name.

[lottiepenny]

Hello lottiepenny and welcome to RootsChat.

What is the name of Mary Ann's husband  and when did they marry? Is CROOME her maiden name or married name? 

Chepstow is only about 6 miles from Wollaston, Gloucestershire.

Modified to add:
Also, Chepstow registration district covers parishes in both Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire, and includes Woolaston.
https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/chepstow.html

Hello! Thank you for your reply! Mary Ann Croome is her maiden name, she married Thomas Edwards on 21 May 1832. 

I see, so the likelihood is that the family stayed in the same place but the registration districts changed?

[lottiepenny]

Again, when you use the Forest of Dean Records

You can search for

Surname: Edwards

then there is a coloumn for Father's first name (in this case Thomas)
Mother's First name: (Mary)
Chapel: Woolaston

5 children were christened on the same day in 1848

Thomas - aged 10, (c1838)  Matilda aged 7(1841),   Charles aged 5,(1843), Emma aged 2,(1846)  and William (no age)
- click on more details - up comes the whole information) - followed by George in 1850.

----

The GRO Index (births aged 1837) as this website lists the mother's maiden name, may be able to trace where the children's birth was registered, (if they did register their births).

Checked the GRO Index, can't see any births registered.  Looking at the Gloucestershire Records Office, Genelogical Database, there are many CROOM/CROOME, around Newland, West Dean, etc that appear to be non-conformists.

If they were registered in Gloucestershire, the GloucestershireBMD website - also lists mother's maiden name.

Thank you so much for your replies. I've been researching for over two years now, but still find it hard to find certain information and to branch out onto other websites for info. I will defo take a look at the websites you have recommended.

Yes all your info is correct, she married Thomas Edwards - i didn't know that five of her children were baptised on the same day - she had ten in total!

Once again thank you so much for your help, I haven't used this site before but everybody is so helpful!