Mrs. Morris. The Racecourse, Oswestry. Dating help please.

[Johnsdaughter]

Thanks all for your comments. I do have details on Mary Ann Morris. Sorry, I should have added this to begin with.

Married Thomas Davies, 03/02/1891 He was a watchmaker. Is that a clue in the photo?

Adopted John Thomas (born1894) on the 1901 census

Adopted Dorothy Mabel Boyd who was born in Thomas & Mary’s home. 11/06/99. This is my husband’s grandmother. I have a copy of her birth certificate.

George Thomas was born later in 1899 too to Mary and Thomas.

Robert Edward was born 1902

Sadly then Thomas died 03/12/1903 leaving her with 4 children.

She moved from Oswestry town to The Racecourse at some point before the 1911 census.

Married John Morris in 1908 in Oswestry.

As I mentioned, the photo has Mrs. Morris written on the back with her address at the Racecourse.

It is a puzzle why she had the photo with one child,  if this was John Morris, 2nd husband. I have not been able to find a 5th child. So dating the photo via the clothes was how I hoped to decide on who the man and child are.

[Gadget]

Do you have them on the 1991 census? // in Eden Street.

Jim and I have both dated the photos as mid - late 1890s*, so the man is most likely to be, Thomas Davies and the child is possibly John T Davies.  Mary Ann looks to be in her late 20s/early 30s.   Also, as Mary didn't marry John Morris until a few years before the 1911 census, it can't be John Morris.

Gadget

* I originally reversed the 8 and 9 and have corrected.
PS - I see from the marriage entry that Mary was 27 and Thomas 37.

[Johnsdaughter]

Yes, thank you! I do have the 1891 census for Thomas and Mary.
Assuming then that the photo is of Thomas and Mary, why does the reverse of the photo say Mrs. Morris, The Racecourse? Could you order copies of photos taken previously, like we can today?

[jim1]

Yes you could get copies quite easily.
The writer obviously put the name on the back post 1908
& as they used her formal name indicates someone not a family member.

[Johnsdaughter]

Thanks for that info Jim1.