Genealogy Chat

Good luck with your search. By the way, to answer your original question, I haven't come across any loose uses of the term grandmother in my research at all. I would think she will be the same Maria. Kate.

Thanks Kate :-) I am hoping she is! Louise

I haven't really had time to digest all the information on this thread, but just had a thought. Could Maria who registered both births, have meant that she was grandmother to the mother of the babies and not grandmother to the babies themselves, when she was asked her relationship. Especially if she was foreign, perhaps her English wasn't very good. Kath. x

Hi Kathleen, Good thinking. Only problem is Maria Mentzel's year of birth from the census data found is c1824. The marriage I found for Maria Warner and Joseph Jones (Charlotte's parents) is for 1842 Paddington, therefore she can't be one of their parents and Frank Coombs' (the father) parents were George and Jane who lived in Fovant at this time. Only other thing I have considered is whether she could be a 'nanny'. Not that Charlotte and Frank were rich but my mum said they had their own business and I wondered why she would be registering the births and not the parents themselves (unless they were too busy). Louise

I was just sorting through my files and trying to get some order to my research when I took a peek at the 1861 census for Maria Jones and Joseph Jones cited earlier on this thread. At the top of the page just before their names is what I think a James MENTZEL aged 6. SO maybe James and his wife or James on his own was living next door to Joseph Jones and his wife Maria, then Joseph died and Maria either married James Mentzel or cohabitated with him. Would some kind person please look for me on the image on the previous page to see who James aged 6 is listed with (and check for me that I am not have delusions that this is a Mentzel - ie wishful thinking). The RG no is RG 9/87 and page 6. Maria is 38 and so is Joseph both born Marylebone, Middlesex and living in St. Marylebone. Many thanks, Louise :-)

Looks like Mentzell to me :D James R and Mary are on the previous page with other son Edward. Didn't even register when I found them last time lol

Ancestry has recorded the names as Mentrell James R age 36 House Painter , born Middx St Martins; Mary age 36 born Middx Marylebone and Edward age 12 born Marylebone. Kim

Oh thankyou, thankyou Tracey!! I am so happy. Don't know what made me decide to get my file out and sort out (been meaning to do it for months). Maybe someone from the other side was trying to show me something... I hadn't even thought of looking at the census images again although I did consider they knew each other as families before Maria and James Mentzel got together especially as both couples got married in the same church. This is a major breakthrough for me and I am so happy :-)))) Thanks. Louise Once again the moral of the story is check all people on the census page where your family are for other possible relatives etc. I have made this mistake before but won't be doing it again!!

Louisiana, they seem to be living in the same house. There is only a single line instead of // between the families. The name is definately Mentrell. Anne

Thankyou Kim, that is definitely the same Mentzel Maria is with in 1871-1891. Thanks Anne, Must be mistranscribed as all the other parts fit. Livining in the same house, hmmm. Louise :-)))) (the very happy bunny)

Looked on FreeBMD and there is a Edward Mentzel born 1848 Marylebone! So I am sure this is the correct family as Mentzel is a very uncommon surname in the UK (not many entries in the indexes for 19th when I looked for their marriage and not many on Ancestry). Louise

Hi Kim, I replied to the email you sent me but realised afterwards that it's probably been sent to Ancestry!! Many thanks for sending the 1861 image to me, I'm really grateful. Louise :-)))

Louise, no problem glad you sorted out your families! Kim