Genealogy Chat

Mystery solved! Sarah didn't remain a spinster all her life. Many thanks to everyone who helped. Krissie.

Thats what I thought you must have done, did you notice FreeBMD has been mistranscribed for the marriage ref?

Keith, I just looked for a Sarah of the right age and birth place in 1861, found Sarah and John SMERDON, so then looked at the marriage images for John SMERDON in the June quarter of 1853 and 'BINGO' it tallied with the one previously found for Sarah MAJOR. Jennifer

Jennifer, good bit of detective work there, how did you find it? search for just Sarah in name on 1861?

I have also found them in 1841, the images have been sent. Off to cook the diner now. Jennifer

I have sent the images, so you can see for yourself. Jennifer

Jennifer, Were Sarah and hubby living in the inn in 1861?? She was left: 'my newly erected dwelling house and premises wherin I now reside' by Uncle William so she must have been pretty well off. Maybe John Smerdon knew this because they married just 6 months before good old Uncle William died. And his name sounds like one of the baddies from a Charles Dickens novel!

The uncle was retired in 1851 so it was not an Inn, John was a watchmaker. If you PM me your e-mail address I will send the Census images. Jennifer

So he was a neighbour then. Maybe she was working as a barmaid in the inn and that's how they met. Do you know what his occupation was Jennifer?

No, John is not with them, but he is on the previous page. Jennifer

Hey Jennifer, That looks like a good one! Could anyone look up Sarah and her Uncle William on the 1651 census please? I know that she was living with him then in Newton Abbot and he was an innkeeper so maybe this John Smerdon was lodging at the inn then? Thanks everyone for all the help.

How about this? 1861 RG9; Piece: 1408; Folio: 90; Page: 1; Sarah SMERDON b. Wolborough age 37, wife of John C. Smerdon Marriage John Cowell SMERDON, Apl, May,June qtr, 1853, Newton Abbot vol. 5b, page 298. Jennifer

Well I couldn't find a sarah Major of the right age and birth place on the 1861 so it looks like she did get married. She has not got a middle name by any chance has she? ann Glos

I don't know whether she got married or not, that is what I want to know.

Krissie, are you saying that you don't actually know if she got married on that date? or that you know she got married but don't know if she married Thomas harris? ann Glos

Keith all that means is the other people whose marriages were entered on that page have not yet been transcribed, 1853 has not been fully transcribed yet. Georgina.

Update on 1861 census, it cannot be them , charlotte is recorded as sister in law and unmarried.

Sorry, forgot to say that Sarah was born in 1823 in the parish of Wolborough, Newton Abbot, Devon.

You could send for the certificate but put brides maiden name as a checking point. that way you wouldn't lose the whole £7. ann Glos

Coincidence Keith. ONE partner in a marriage can't be a late entry as both names appear in the same entry, think what a marrage cert looks like. The fourth name in June quarter and at least a second name in the Dec quarter have either not yet been transcribed or were hard to read and are there somewhere with a wrong page number perhaps.