Richard Stoneman Who really was his wife?

[Devonmade]

Richard Stoneman was born in c1832, Jacobstowe, Devon. His whole family upped sticks and moved to Calstock in Cornwall where Richard raised some of his children before moving to Durham (he was a miner).

Now the only marriage I can find for Richard in Calstock is to a Jane Slee in 1852. Richard's 1st child was born 1853. When his children were baptised their mother was given as Sarah. In the 1861 census Richard is shown to be married to Sarah from Exbourne, Devon, likewise in the 1871 census. I looked on the family search web site and found the image for the marriage for Richard Stoneman and Jane Slee and Jane's father is given as John. One of the witnesses was Richard Stoneman's sister, his father is given as William.

I have found a census image for the 1851 census in Exbourne and found a Slee family with the father given as John. However, the only Jane was born in 1842, but there is a Sally Slee and I cannot find her after the 1851 census so wondered if she really is the one although she was baptised in 1830 so was younger than Richard, Sarah was always the same age as Richard on the census images I have seen.

John Slee was married to Mary, Richard and Sarah's first daughter was Mary Jane, their first son was William Henry (Richard's father was William) and second son was John.

So any thoughts gratefully considered.

Sue Stoneman

[Thomasin]

Hi Sue

You have a problem in that there were at least four Richard Stonemans born in the same area between 1831 and 1833. I have just followed your Richard (I think) through to 1871, and he is still in Bondleigh. I can see the Richard you are talking about, with children born in Cornwall and Durham, and the eldest has the same name, Mary J, but I think your Richard is on RG10; 2155; 7; 8 (copyright TNA).

Have a look and tell me if I've got it completely wrong!

[Thomasin]

This Richard married Mary Anne Dymond in the June quarter of 1859 (Okehampton).

[Devonmade]

My Richard is with his parents William and Jane Stoneman plus sister Mary in Jacobstowe, Devon in the 1851 Census. Mary became Mary Westlake in 1851 Q3 Okehampton registration district. All her children were born in the Calstock area. So William and Jane plus son Richard, Mary and her new husband plus William and Jane's other son William and family relocated to Calstock between 1851 and 1852 and can be located there on the 1861 census. William senior was born in Sampford Courtney and his wife Jane was born in Inwardleigh. Jane died in Calstock in 1854.

[Thomasin]

OK - so have you obtained a birth certificate for one of the children, that would give you the mother's maiden name?

[Thomasin]

I've followed the right family through the censuses now. (Strange to think that your Stonemans and my Fords would have known each other.) The Jane/Sarah question is really puzzling, though.

I looked on the family search web site and found the image for the marriage for Richard Stoneman and Jane Slee and Jane's father is given as John. One of the witnesses was Richard Stoneman's sister, his father is given as William.

Where did you find the image? I found the marriage, but it said 'no image available'.

[susan-y]

Could she have been Sarah Jane? There were a lot of them! I have people on my tree who are called one name on one census and another on the next. Maybe they just got tired of one so switched! Maybe there was another family member they were getting confused with and they decided to go by their other name.

Sue

[Devonmade]

Hi, perhaps the only way I will really know the wifes surname is to obtain a copy of one of the childrens birth certificates, however whether she be Jane or Sarah there is no census record that I can find of a Jane or Sarah being born in Exbourne around 1832. The nearest is Sally Slee and she was baptised in 1830 although her birth year is given as 1831 on the 1851 census. Thereafter she vanished.

Sue

[pennydog]

Just to add Sally is a 'nickname' for Sarah.

[Devonmade]

I did wonder about that.

Sue