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Now got my grandmother Mary Louisa's birth certificate 12th September 1886 in Lockwood Huddersfield. Her father is, as known, John Hellawell Shaw but her mother is down as Mary Ann Shaw formely Wood. So she is not a Huggett or at least didn't take his name but instead presumably her mothers Sarah Wood. According to my info (unconfirmed) Mary Ann was born or at least baptised 25 Dec.1842. George Hodder died in 1841 and Sarah remarried (William Huggett) in April 1842. But the plot thickens. HELP!

This looks like Mary Anns moms marriage





Marriages Jun 1842 (>99%)
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HODDER Sarah Croydon 4 69
HUGGETT William Croydon 4 69

So it looks like her mother was born a 'Wood', married a 'Hodder' and then a 'Huggett'


So this could be the elusive Mary Ann



Births Sep 1842 (>99%)
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Wood Mary Ann Croydon 4 91

This is from a tree on Ancestry


Sarah Wood
Birth: 02-11-1812 (2 Nov 1812) - East Grinstead, Sussex, England
Marriage: Apr 1842 - Croydon, Surrey, England
Death: 03-02-1886 (3 Feb 1886) - Croydon, Surry (Surrey), England
Parents: * William Wood, * Sarah Cooper
Spouse: * William Huggett

And this looks to be mom Sarah Hodder (Wood)


1841 England Census
about Sarah Hodder
Name: Sarah Hodder
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1811
Gender: Female

Civil parish: Croydon
Hundred: Wallington (First Division)
County/Island: Surrey


Registration district: Croydon
Sub-registration district: Croydon
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Richard Hodder 66
George Hodder 33
Sarah Hodder 30
James Hodder 9
Sarah Hodder 8
Charles Hodder 6
Frances Hodder 2





Followed by the death of her first husband George Hodder



Deaths Sep 1841 (>99%)
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HODDER George Croydon 4 59

So, going by the dates of Sarahs second marriage and the birth of Mary Ann Wood, it looks like Sarah got pregnant after the death of her first husband and before her marriage to Huggett


Hmmmm....need to find Mary Ann Wood in 1851

England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1940
about Sarah Wood
Name: Sarah Wood
Gender: Female
Spouse's Name: George Hodder
Marriage Date: 1 Oct 1827
Marriage Place: Croydon, Surrey, England



I can see that wall coming down brick by brick!

I wonder if this is Mary Ann Wood with her father and grandparents??

There is no birth in Croydon for this girl and she doesnt appear to be around on other censuses


1851 England Census
about Mary Ann Trimmer
Name: Mary Ann Trimmer
Age: 9
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842
Relation: Granddaughter
Gender: F (Female)
Where born: Croydon, Surrey, England

Civil parish: Merton
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England


Registration district: Croydon
Sub-registration district: Mitcham
ED, institution, or vessel: 6a
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 33
Household Members: Name Age
William Trimmer 61
Elizabeth Trimmer 71
William Trimmer 33
Edmund Trimmer 27
Henry Trimmer 25
Mary Ann Trimmer 9

I think that it is very likely that Sarah Wood is the mother and that her parents are William Wood and Sarah Cooper. The following backs this up.

1. Details given by Ginny above.
2. Baptism date 25-12-1842 given on another tree.
3. There is a William Wood connection. I have a bible handed down saying this belongs to William Wood. This could be either Sarah's dad or brother.
4. An Alfred Shaw possibly Mary Ann's illigitimate son is living in Croydon in 1891 census as nephew to a George and Jane wood. But i think the latter is Jane Huggett, .Mary Ann's sister.

The big question is who was Mary Ann's father and where is she in the 51, 61 and 71 census.

I don't think she was a Hodder or a Huggett otherwise she would have used one of the names on my grandmother's birth certificate.

Which leads me to to Ginny's Trimmer family. But hard to prove. I suppose I should get that Sept. birth certificate for Mary Ann Wood

I think that is your only option at the moment, to get that birth birth cert.

I cant find the Mary Ann Trimmer after 1851 at the moment but I have traced the possible fathers that are listed on the 1851 Trimmer census I posted and Mary is not with them

Is this the Alfred that you say is Mary Anns son?


Births Mar 1870 (>99%)
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WOOD Alfred Croydon 2a 221

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Re: Ginny's post about the Ancestry tree..
Sarah Wood
Birth: 02-11-1812 (2 Nov 1812) - East Grinstead, Sussex, England
Marriage: Apr 1842 - Croydon, Surrey, England
Death: 03-02-1886 (3 Feb 1886) - Croydon, Surry (Surrey), England
Parents: * William Wood, * Sarah Cooper
Spouse: * William Huggett

As I was in town this afternoon I had a look at the East Grinstead registers for Sarah Wood's baptism.

There is no baptism for a Sarah Wood between 1812 and 1815 unless I missed it but I did go through the fiche twice.

There is a 'received into the church' for an Ann Wood and a baptism for a Thomas Wood, both on the 9th Feb 1812 but the parents are James and Ann.

There are Huggetts being baptised in East Grinstead during that time.

Harold if there is anything you would particularly like me to have a look at in the registers then please PM me. However I won't be able to do anything until the week after next.

Chris

Probably Ginny but I'm not sure.

Thank you Chris, our main concern is about the elusive Mary Ann. We are fairly sure her mother is Sarah Wood but don't know her father - though it is likely that she is neither a Huggett nor a Hodder. I'm not sure what your registers show but we think she may have been baptised in Croydon at St John Baptist Church on 25 December 1842. Are fathers names recorded? She disappears out of view and suddenly turns up in the 1881 census as Mary Ann Shaw and then on my grandmothers birth certificate calling herself formely Mary Ann Wood

Chris, how kind of you to do that look up x


Harold, try the birth cert for Mary Ann Wood and come back to us....brick walls need proof

x

Hi the plot is getting thicker again. I have the folllowing from a user of Ancestry.co.uk

I'm researching them right now Harry and will let you know, I also have a census for you 1851 on Mary Ann Wood

1851 England Census
about Mary Ann Wood Name: Mary Ann Wood
Age: 1
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1850
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Francis Wood
Mother's Name: Susanna Wood
Gender: F (Female)
Where born: Croydon, Surrey, England

Civil parish: Croydon
Town: Croydon
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View image

Registration district: Croydon
Sub-registration district: Croydon
ED, institution, or vessel: 4l
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 66
Household Members: Name Age
Francis Wood 47
Susanna Wood 33
Francis Wood 15
Susan Wood 9
Caroline Wood 7
Edward Wood 6
Frederick Wood 5
Fanny Wood 3
Mary Ann Wood 1

Think this is your Mary what do you think?



To which I have replied

Hi, that is very interesting and would certainly throw the cat among the pigeons because it would mean she is not from Sarah Wood of Jolly Bleachers fame. However the evidence for and against is very mixed.

1. We thought she was born in 1842 and this is confirmed in the 1891 census when she (if that is her) is down as 48.HOWEVER in the 1901 census she (and I am 100% sure it is her because she is living with my grandmother and my great grandfather John Hellawell Shaw) is down as born 1850. Unbelievably the 1881 census has her (if indeed it is her) in the middle as born 1846.

2. There is an Alfred Shaw, possibbly her son, living as a nephew in Croydon with George and Jane Wood. I believe the latter is Jane Huggett establishing the Huggett connection.

3.In this new family you have found we would need to have a William Wood because I have his bible left to my dad

Best Regards Harry Message in Sent

I now have that 1942 birth certificate for Mary Ann - born 30-08-1842, father William Wood (Union St, Croydon, occupation Fullier) and Mary Ann Mumford. I don't think it is the right one, though William is a key name re Bible handed down.

Looking back over what we know i think she may have been born in the mid- forties. I mislead earlier - if you look at 1901 census (100% sure) there is a transcript error - she is not 51 but 57 making her born 1843-4.

Another GRU contact has her born 28-07-1841 and can't confirm it but is still convinced she is a Huggett.

This very difficult. Any ideas?

Oh good grief...how stupid am I!!

Sarah married 'Huggett' in June 1842....well this just has to be our 'Mary Ann'



Births Dec 1842 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Huggett Mary Ann Croydon 4 94


Have I missed something Harry or is it really that simple?

Just to confuse matters, there is also this little lot


Births Mar 1844 (>99%)

Wood Mary Ann Croydon 4 90
WOOD Mary Ann Croydon 4 [79]5
Wood Mary Ann Croydon 4 93

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It really is impossible - could be any of the 4.

Cheers Harry

Harry

Costs a lot of cash this hobby! I cant tell you how many 'dud' certs I have in my file

x