Hi all,

I'm still trying to solve a mystery regarding the wife of my 3x Gt Grandfather - Thomas Watts 1765 - 1834, Norwich, Norfolk.

Their first child, Thomas was born 1791 in Norwich (unable to find a baptism).
Daughter Elizabeth b. 1795...Son George b. 1798..
The baptism records note their parents as Thomas Watts and Ann Meliship.

younger children -

James 1799 - 1803
James 1804
Mary Ann 1806 (my 2x Gt Grandmother)
Charles 1808
Their baptisms have the parents as - Thomas Watts and Ann Harper.

I concluded they must be two different wives (no marriage records found for either)
However, I've been thrown a curve ball and now my head is truly spinning.

There is an inscription on a Norfolk records site regarding my Watts ancestors..

It's in memory of - "Thomas Watts who died on the 5 June 1834 aged 69 and his Wife Ann who died on the 7th May 1833 aged 70 -also their son Chas who died 1824 aged 16 and their son William who died aged 39"...

I know this is the correct death date for my Thomas Watts but until now, hadn't known Ann's death. I knew she'd died before Thomas as he never mentioned her in his will...

So, now we have a son William that's appeared. This puts his birth year at 1793 but the only baptism that fits is with the parents as Thomas Watts and Ann Carr. A baptism for Thomas Watts b. 1791 with parents Thomas and Ann Carr also appears. That would explain why I can't find Thomas's with mother Ann Meliship..
There is also a marriage that would fit the time span etc - Thomas Watts and Ann Carr 1791 St Pauls, Norfolk.

I am so confused about the 3 different surnames for Ann. Was she Meliship, Harper or Carr???
Surely, with the children arriving in such quick succession, this rules out them being 3 different Anns'?
If Ann is one and the same, why the different names on their baptisms?

I think Meliship is significant as the name appears further down the line - Their Gt Grandson was named George William Mellowship Hardiman b. 1838 Kensington, London.
Mellowship is surely an alternate spelling of Meliship?

Thomas was the founder of the Rose Lane Iron Foundry "Riches & Watts" and he and his sons owned a Steam Packet and a couple of Pubs. He seemed to have had his finger in a few pies in the Norwich area...There is quite a bit of info on Thomas but Ann is a mystery...

Anyhooooo if there are any keen researchers out there willing to tackle the mystery of Ann, I would be so grateful...It's been a bugbear for me for so long now...
Thanks in advance :-)