Essex Help please

[cyberbabe]

I'm really struggling with this one and don't know what to do next.

I'm trying to find my 5xgrandmother Sarah Bell and anything on her parents.  Sarah died before the 51 census so all I have is born in county in 41 when she was living in Harwich.

She married in Manningtree in 1814 to Henry Stuart and the parish register entry states that she was a minor who married 'with the consent of mother, Sarah Bell, father deceased'. 

Mother Sarah is still alive in 1841, living in Harwich and Henry and Sarah's 6yr old daughter Eliza is with her.  I haven't found a definite death between 1841 and 1851 and there is a Sarah Bell of the right age in 1851 living as a Lodger in Dovercourt, born 1770 Great Holland and listed as Former Farmer's Wife.

I know how hard it would be to look for a marriage between Bell and Sarah ? but if anyone has any suggestions on this one, I'd be very grateful

With thanks

Alyson

[suffolk*sue]

A bit of a longshot, but heres one possible marriage from Boyds index.


1797 / BELL  JN / CORNELL  SARA  /SAFFRON WALDEN  /ESSEX   
 

[cyberbabe]

Hi Sue

Thanks for that, don't know how I missed that one!

Not all that a long shot really...from the census and her death cert, daughter Sarah's birth year is approx 1796 so not unfeasible that its a year or so out.  She may have been born before the marriage....!

I had this idea (as you do!) that I would find mother Sarah's death cert as that will tell me who she was the widow of (or that she lied on the census, was never married and daughter Sarah was illegitimate) but I'm struggling with that too.

I've gone thru 1837online and noted all the Sarah Bell deaths from the last known sighting of her in 41 up to the end of 1860 in case the 1851 census return is her.  I then went onto familyhistoryonline and tried to match those up with burials (as they give the age where the death index doesn't!).

But it still left me with 5 possibles and with not knowing Essex (I'm from up north) and the geography all that well, I'm not sure if any are feasible

Alyson