Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    chilterns
    Guest

    Default Susannah Weedall - Richard Sharpes

    I'm looking for the marriage of Susannah Weedall and Richard Sharpes - I have the birth certificate of their daughter, Sarah Eleanor (8a 215) - this shows the following,

    Registration District: Runcorn.
    Sub District: Runcorn in the County of Chester.
    When and where born: Twelfth May 1863, Grindrod Square, Runcorn.
    Name: Sarah Eleanor.
    Sex: Girl.
    Name and surname of father: Richard Sharpes.
    Name surname and maiden name of mother: Susannah Sharpes formerly Weedall.
    Occupation of father: Waterman.
    Signature, description and residence of informant: X The mark of Richard Sharpes, Father, Grindrod Square, Runcorn.
    When registered: Eighth June 1863.
    Signature of registrar: Henry Coleburn Registrar.

    I have the marriage of a Sarah Ellen Sharps, on 26th. June 1881, living at 77, Chapel Street, Salford - father's name Richard Sharps, Waterman and an 1881 Census record of Sarah Sharp, 18, born in Runcorn, working as a Servant at 77, Chapel Street, Salford, so these are one and the same. So far I have failed to find the marriage of of Richard and Susannah.

    The only marriage I have found of a Richard Sharpes (Boatman) is that to Kate Reed on 14th. May 1865, both signing the marriage cerificate with their mark. The 1871 Census records a Sarah E Sharps, their daughter, age 7, i.e. born in 1864, in Northwich, before Richard and Kate were married.

    The spelling of Sharpes, Sharp and Sharps is as recorded on Census and certificates.

    Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
    LittleSpark
    Guest

    Default

    I can only find the marriage for Richard to Kate as you mention above.

    Looking for Susannah Weedall, Cheshire BMD shows a marriage for her to Samuel Chesworth at Witton (Northwich) St. Helen 1861-1865. FreeBMD has this marriage as December Qtr 1865.

    Sheila

  3. #3
    Coromandel
    Guest

    Default

    From Richard’s occupation on the 1871 census, and Sarah’s age and middle initial E, I would be tempted to think you have found the right family, chilterns. Perhaps Sarah’s mother Susannah died, and then Richard remarried to Kate?

    There is a flaw in this argument, though: like you, I can’t find a marriage of Richard to Susannah, nor a death for Susannah. So perhaps the Susannah Weedall who Sheila has found (see previous post) is the same person? There is a Susannah Chesworth (aged 29) in Leftwich, Cheshire in 1871 with husband Samuel (a tanner) and baby son Thomas (RG 10/3696, folio 13; census returns Crown copyright, in custody of TNA).

    Perhaps Susannah never was married to Richard (though Sarah’s birth was registered as if her parents were married).

  4. #4
    Brick wall demolition expert!
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    South London
    Posts
    3,678

    Default

    It does look as if you have the right family for Sarah E in the 1871 census. Richard Sharpes states he is unmarried on the 1861 census and so if he did marry Susannah it would be after this date. But I can't find a marriage either.

    Quote Originally Posted by chilterns View Post
    The only marriage I have found of a Richard Sharpes (Boatman) is that to Kate Reed on 14th. May 1865, both signing the marriage cerificate with their mark.
    Is Richard recorded as a bachelor or widower?

    Also, who were the witnesses to the marriage of Sarah Ellen Sharpes in 1881?

  5. #5
    Famous for offering help & advice
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    uk
    Posts
    1,833

    Default

    There seem to be a number of Weadall/ Weedall around in the area who are also watermen. Playing around with the 1861 indexes on FMP this may include a Thomas married to a Susannah (possible parents of your Susannah?)

  6. #6
    chilterns
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by olliecat View Post
    It does look as if you have the right family for Sarah E in the 1871 census. Richard Sharpes states he is unmarried on the 1861 census and so if he did marry Susannah it would be after this date. But I can't find a marriage either.



    Is Richard recorded as a bachelor or widower?

    Also, who were the witnesses to the marriage of Sarah Ellen Sharpes in 1881?
    Richard is recorded as a Bachelor and the witnesses are Dennis G. Coppard, (Schoolmaster, 1861 Census) and what appears to be Ellen Hodges, signed with X her or his mark as the signature is not at all clear.

  7. #7
    chilterns
    Guest

    Default

    If it was the case that Richard and Susannah were not married at the time of Sarah Eleanor's birth, then if she had died, yes we would expect to see the death of Susannah recorded either under the name of Weedall or Sharpes.

    There is weight to this theory (whether she had died or not) and the strong possibility that Richard is the same person in the relationship with both Susannah and Kate.

    Let's suppose that the relationship between Richard and Susannah had ended, for whatever reason and Richard took Sarah Eleanor with him into the relationship/marriage with Kate, sometime between the marriage with Susannah ending and the Census in 1871, (where Sarah E. Sharps is recorded as being in the family) eventually marrying Kate.

    This has strong possibilities if we examine the 1881 Census, where Richard and Kate have one of their own daughters named Sarah A. Sharps, this after Sarah E. had left the family home to work in Salford - if they were daughters of the same marriage why would they both be called Sarah ?

    What casts doubt on this theory is that it would usually be the mother left "holding the baby" and not the father, unless of course the mother had died or was not able to care for the child for some reason.

    Conclusive evidence that this Sarah Ellen Sharps is my great grandmother is recorded in the 1891 Census, where Amy Davies, her daughter and my grandfather's sister is at the address of Richard and Kate Sharpes (recorded as Sharper in the Census) on the night of the Census and recorded as granddaughter.

  8. #8
    Brick wall demolition expert!
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    South London
    Posts
    3,678

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by chilterns View Post
    What casts doubt on this theory is that it would usually be the mother left "holding the baby" and not the father, unless of course the mother had died or was not able to care for the child for some reason.
    I did wonder about that. It does happen sometimes that the father is left holding the baby. As you say, it could be that she just couldn't cope at that time, or perhaps her husband did not want to bring up another man's child.

    Quote Originally Posted by chilterns View Post
    Conclusive evidence that this Sarah Ellen Sharps is my great grandmother is recorded in the 1891 Census, where Amy Davies, her daughter and my grandfather's sister is at the address of Richard and Kate Sharpes (recorded as Sharper in the Census) on the night of the Census and recorded as granddaughter.
    If Sarah's daughter Amy Davis is staying with her grandparents Richard and Kate Sharpes in the census, then I would think that you do indeed have very good evidence for Sarah Ellen being the daughter of the Richard Sharpes you found in the census.

  9. #9
    chilterns
    Guest

    Default

    Further evidence of a relationship between Richard and Susannah is recorded in the marriage certificate of Richard's brother Thomas and Martha Re(a)ed, Kate's sister – indicating that both families were known to each other, where Ellen Weedall, Susannah's mother was a witness.

    Looking more closely at the Weedall family I find Susannah, as a single woman gave birth to another daughter, Elizabeth Ann. In the Baptism entry of 14 Aug. 1869 it is recorded that Susannah was in the Knutsford House of Correction. I've not been able to find find this in the Find My Past or Ancestry records and asked the Cheshire Record Office for a search to be carried out of the proceedings leading up to the incarceration of Susannah.

    In addition to this I have found on FMP the image of the Quarter Sessions at Knutsford of 21st. Feb. 1865 where a Susannah Weedall was convicted of Larceny and sentenced to 14 days. I wonder if this our Susannah Weedall, convicted of a previous offence ?

    I would appreciate any comments re the above.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Select a file: