Can anyone tell me what's going on here? Alternate maiden names for kids

[SamuelF992]

Hi everyone,

I'm researching the Westgarth family in the Durham area, late 19thC. I'm looking at the children of John and Isabella: Catherine (1873), John (1878), James (1880), Margaret Ann (1882), Thomas (1884) and Rose (1893). What's perplexing me is on the GRO all the sons have "McLeigh/Lee" as the mother's name and all the daughters have "Wilson". I've found a marriage for John Westgarth and Isabella Wilson, but does anyone know where there might be this discrepancy in the GRO records?

Best wishes
Samuel

[maddys52]

I can't explain why the mmn is different on the GRO, however the boys were baptised at St Cuthbert, Durham, and parent's names were John WESTGARTH and Isabella WILSON (Joannis WESTGARTH and Isabellae WILSON).

[AlanBoyd]

transcripts for the first four, have not found Thomas or Rose. There are sponsors McLee for John and McLean for James.

Durham City, County Durham 
St. Cuthbert 
Roman Catholic 
13 Nov 1873 Catharina Westgarth, born 17 Oct 1873, daughter of Joannis Westgarth & Isabella olim [formerly] Wilson (conjugum [married couple]), bapt. by Jacobo Rooney 
Godparents or Sponsors: Ellen Kelly

Durham City, County Durham 
St. Cuthbert 
Roman Catholic 
7 Apr 1878 Joannes [John] Westgarth, of New Durham, born 25 Mar 1878, son of Joannis Westgarth & Isabella olim [formerly] Wilson (conjugum [married couple]), bapt. by Gulielmo Brown 
Godparents or Sponsors: Margarita McLee

Durham City, County Durham 
St. Cuthbert 
Roman Catholic 
1 Aug 1880 Jacobus [James] Westgarth, of Sherburn Hill, born 13 Jul 1880, son of Joannis Westgarth & Isabella olim [formerly] Wilson (conjugum [married couple]), bapt. by Edward Consitt 
Godparents or Sponsors: Jacobus McClean; Catharina McClean

Durham City, County Durham 
St. Cuthbert 
Roman Catholic 
20 Aug 1882 Margarita Anna Westgarth, of Sherburn, born 6 Aug 1882, daughter of Joannis Westgarth & Isabella olim [formerly] Wilson (conjugum [married couple]), bapt. by Gulielmo Brown 
Godparents or Sponsors: Gulielmus Kelly; Helena Kelly

[SamuelF992]

Ah that's interesting. So the McLeans were sponsors. Is that similar to a godparent? I'm unfamiliar with Catholic traditions.

[ColC]

The 1881 census indicates that Isabella was only 16 when they married, not impossible but the marriage record would be helpful and might explain the issue.

81, Middle Row, Sherburn, Durham

John   Westgarth   Head   33   1848   Coal miner   Durham, Durham,
Isabella   Westgarth   Wife   25   1856   -(Married 1872)   Manchester, Lancashire, England
Catherine   Westgarth   Daughter   8   1873   Scholar   Durham, England
John   Westgarth   Son   3   1878   Scholar   Durham, England
James   Westgarth   Son   0   1881   -   Sherburn Hill, Durham, England

WESTGARTH, CATHERINE       WILSON 
GRO Reference: 1873  D Quarter in DURHAM  Volume 10A  Page 455

WESTGARTH, JOHN       MCLEE 
GRO Reference: 1878  J Quarter in DURHAM  Volume 10A  Page 449

Colin

[Gadget]

I;ve been looking at this too.

So far I've found 4 possibles birth regs as Wilson in Manchester and none for *Lee in 1856+/- 2 . Mothers' names are not helpful!

I might be that she wasn't registered. Is it possible to search the Manchester RC records for a baptism?

[SamuelF992]

It's an odd one isn't it! Here's something else that's strange there. There's an Isabella McLeigh in the 1871 census, born in Manchester around 1856, living in Durham. And the family names seem to match up:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/10321763:7619?tid=&pid=&queryId=fe85928d18b79e1c7e3defba25e447f9&_phsrc=PeJ41006&_phstart=successSource

[Gadget]

Interesting - and first daughter's name is Catherine (after Mother?? )

[Dundee]

It might have depended on who registered the births if she was commonly known by both names. 

Is she the Isabella with Thomas McLEIGH and Catherine in 1871?  They didn't marry until 1860 and Isabella was born in c1856.

The McLEIGH children have KELLY as a mother's maiden name so this might be Isabella's birth.

WILSON, ISABELLA
Mother's maiden surname: KELLY     
GRO Reference: 1856  M Quarter in MANCHESTER  Volume 08D  Page 159

Debra