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John Robert Garratt Mulcaster was born 18/11/1902 in Ayr to Rebecca Mulcaster. He was illegitimate. He was "adopted" by the Parker family in Rutherglen Lanarkshire

Rebecca Mulcaster was a "farmer's daughter" and on John's birth cert was said to be "Domicil. Wreary Cumberland"

My problem is finding Rebecca.

Gerry :-)

these are the only 2 births for rebecca in cumberland that could be her

This one is a farmer's daughter:


Name:Rebecca Mulcaster
Age:17
Estimated birth year:abt 1864
Relationship to Head:Daughter
Father:George Mulcaster
Mother:Hannah Mulcaster
Gender:Female
Where born:Longrigg, Cumberland, England
Civil Parish:Burgh by Sands
County/Island:Cumberland
Country:England
Street address:Burgh
Occupation:
Farmer Daur

Registration district:Carlisle

Wreay is about 6 miles from Carlisle.

George Mulcaster 54
Hannah Mulcaster 55
Rebecca Mulcaster 17
John Mulcaster 14
William H. Mulcaster 10
David Graham 30
John Douthwaite 17

Name: Rebecca Mulcaster
Age: 7
Estimated birth year: abt 1864
Relation: Daughter
Father's name: George Mulcaster
Mother's name: Hannah Mulcaster
Gender: Female
Where born: Longrigg Bank, Cumberland, England
Civil Parish: Burgh
Ecclesiastical parish: Burgh
County/Island: Cumberland
Country: England
Registration district: Carlisle
Sub-registration district: Burgh
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Household schedule number: 93
Piece: 5224
Folio: 40
Page Number: 19
Household Members:
Name Age
George Mulcaster 45****Inn keeper and Farmer
Hannah Mulcaster 45
Edward Mulcaster 20
Hannah Mulcaster 15
Mary Mulcaster 11
George Mulcaster 9
Rebecca Mulcaster 7
John Mulcaster 5
William Mulcaster 9 Months
Jane Graham 17
George Nicholson 22

There does seem to be a Scottish connection - the younger Hannah's children were born in Scotland and in 1891 she is living in Dumfries:


Name:Hannah Mulcuster
[Hannah Mulcaster]
Age:76
Estimated birth year:abt 1825
Relation to Head:Wife
Gender:Female
Spouse:George Mulcuster
Birth Place:Wighton, Cumberland, England
Civil Parish:Burgh
Ecclesiastical parish:Burgh St Michael
County/Island:Cumberland

George Mulcuster 75
Hannah Mulcuster 76
Hannah Allardice 45 - daughter
Hannah Allardice 10
Herbert Allardice 6

EDIT forget this as I see the child was born in 1902
Marriage ???????

Name: Rebecca Mulcaster
Registration Year: 1891
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration district: Carlisle
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Cumberland
Volume: 10b
Page: 763
Records on Page:

Name
Wilson Hodgson
Rebecca Mulcaster

Hmmm, did Rebecca marry, and then get divorced?

Name: Rebecca Mulcaster
Registration Year: 1891
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration district: Carlisle<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Cumberland
Volume: 10b
Page: 763
Records on Page:
Name
Wilson Hodgson<<<<<<<<<<<
Rebecca Mulcaster<<<<<<<<<<


Name: Rebecca Hodgson<<<<<<<<<<<<
Gender: Female
Spouse Name: Wilson Hodgson<<<<<<<<<<<
Spouse Gender: Male
Petition Year: 1901
Co-Respondent 1: David Routledge<<<<<<<<<
Type of Record: Husband's petition for divorce<<<<<<
Divorce Court File Number: 1595


EDIT: SNAP! MelFG :-D

EDIT: and Potty :-D

A tree on Ancestry has this Rebecca as marrying a William Hodgson in 1891 and being divorced by him in 1902.

Marriage to Wilson Hodgson189129 AprAge: 28Burgh by Sands, Cumberland, EnglandA copy of the marriage record was contained in the divorce petition. Wilson Hodgson 25 Bachelor Farmer son of Josiah Hodgson Gentleman and Rebecca Mulcaster 26 Spinster daughter of George Mulcaster Innkeeper. one of the witnesses was W H Mulcaster.

Divorce from Wilson Hodgson19023 FebAge: 39Cumberland, EnglandFiled 22 Jan 1901 by Wilson Hodgson Innkeeper (The Lowther Arms) and Farmer. Wilson asked for a divorce and custody of their five children.

Wilson Hodgson and the five children of the marriage with Rebecca, in census 1901?

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Burgh, Burgh by Sands, Carlisle, Cumberland, England

Wilson Hodgson Head Married Male 36 1865 Farmer & Innkeeper Burgh, Cumberland, England
George W Hodgson Son Single Male 8 1893 - Burgh, Cumberland, England
Thomas Hodgson Son Single Male 7 1894 - Burgh, Cumberland, England
Frances Hodgson Daughter Single Female 4 1897 - Burgh, Cumberland, England
William Hodgson Son Single Male 3 1898 - Burgh, Cumberland, England
Sarah Hodgson Daughter Single Female 1 1900 - Burgh, Cumberland, England
Ruth Lamb Servant Single Female 18 1883 General Servant (Domestic) Dearham, Cumberland, England
Annie Armstrong Servant Single Female 16 1885 Nurse (Domestic) Cumberland, England

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Burgh by Sands Carlisle, Burgh by Sands, Cumberland, England

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Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Occupation Age Birth year Birth place
Wilson Hodgson Head Divorced Male Farmer 44 1867 Flanders
Transcription
George Hodgson Son Single Male Farmer Son Working 19 1892 Cumberland Burgh by Sands
Transcription
Thomas Hodgson Son Single Male Farmer Son On Farm 17 1894 Cumberland Burgh by Sands
Transcription
William Hodgson Son - Male School 13 1898 Cumberland Burgh by Sands
Transcription
Christina Porteous Servant Single Female General Servant Domestic 29 1882 Dumfrieshire Langholm
Transcription
Mona Porteous Servant Single Female General Servant Domestic 19 1892 Dumfrieshire Langholm
Transcription
Frances Hodgson Daughter - Female School 14 1897 Cumberland Burgh by Sands
Transcription
Sarah Hodgson Daughter - Female School 11 1900 Cumberland Burgh by Sands

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
St Johns Vicarage Bedlington Station, Bedlington, Northumberland, England

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Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Occupation Age Birth year Birth place
Blanche Emily Shorthose Aunt By Married Single Female - 60 1851 Staffs Burtonj on Trent
Transcription
Walter Alexander Dark Visitor Married Male Clergyman Established Church / Vicar Designate Of St Bartholmews Sheffield 38 1873 Australia New South Wale Resident
Transcription
Edith Winifred Rudd Daughter - Female - 0 1911 Northd Sleekburn St John Greenhill
Transcription
Rebecca Mulcaster Servant Widow Female Monthly Nurse 40 1871 Cumberland Laugrigg Busck
Transcription
Daisy Caroline Mathesan Servant Single Female General Servant Domestic 21 1890 Northd Hebburn on Tyne

Mistranscribed on the 1891 census and she is down as single

1891 England Census

Name: Rebecca Muncaster
Age: 26
Estimated birth year: abt 1865
Relation: Daughter
Father's name: George Muncaster
Mother's name: Hannah Muncaster
Gender: Female
Where born: Longrigg, Cumberland, England
Civil Parish: Burgh
Ecclesiastical parish: Burgh
Town: Burgh
County/Island: Cumberland
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation: FATHERS OCC FARMER AND INN KEEPER

Registration district: Carlisle
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 4293
Folio: 32
Page Number: 10
Household Members:
Name Age
George Muncaster 65
Hannah Muncaster 66
William Henderson Muncaster 20
Rebecca Muncaster 26
Andrew Graham 41
William Mitchusson 71
James Brickland 78
Richard Crulman 21
Thomas Beckett 19
Thomas Hair 17
Catherine Sharp 22

Rebecca would have been single in census 1891, as that took place on the night of 5/6th April 1891, and Rebecca and Wilson Hodgson were married on 29th April1891

The divorce petition said that six children had been born of the marriage, but that only 5 were still living:

George Wilson born 4th April 1892
Thomas born 27th August 1893
Francis (sic) Hannah born 13th May 1896
William Mulcaster born 23rd Dec 1897
Sarah born 1st February 1900.

Hi All

Thanks for you help.

It looks like I will never be able to be sure which Rebecca is the right one. My immediate thought, and the usual case, was that Rebecca would be relatively young if she had an illegitimate child, but there does not seem to be a likely candidate born anywhere.

It would also seem likely that "farmer's daughter" would indicate someone not previously married.

Hmmmmmmm? As I cannot be very sure I think I am going to have to stop the branch of the tree at Rebecca

Gerry :-)

Given that Rebecca Mulcaster, farmer's daughter, reverted to her maiden name after being divorced by husband Wilson Hodgson, she may well have also reverted to describing herself in relation to her father, not her ex husband; at that time women still sadly seemed to be described in relation to one or the other.

Rebecca would still have been young enough to birth a child in 1902, but may not have been in a position to rear one on her own, if she had been deserted by the father of the child. She also left behind her one year old daughter Sarah when she left, or was sent packing, by Wilson, so she seems able to give up a child, though in both sets of circumstances she may have felt she did not have much choice.

Just because something is not 'the usual case' does not mean it didn't happen. Rebecca Mulcaster Hodgson may not fit your assumptions of what age the mother of an illegimate child should be, but I still feel she is a strong candidate, I don't know what others on the thread think?

08 August 1890 - Carlisle Patriot - Carlisle, Cumbria, England

Local Shows
Butter. A piece of plate was given for the best display of butter in design. 1, Rebecca Mulcaster

(no idea if her or not, below, again)


31 July 1891 - Carlisle Patriot - Carlisle, Cumbria, England

AGRICULTURAL SHOWS
Mrs Rebecca Hodgson's ornamental design in butter was very greatly admired.


09 August 1895 - Carlisle Patriot - Carlisle, Cumbria, England

Butter. Mrs Wilson Hodgson, Burgh.

Chris :)


edits (also below if him)

https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=hodgson&yearOfDeath=1891&page=3#calendar


08 May 1891 - Carlisle Patriot - Carlisle, Cumbria, England

LOCAL AND DISTRICT NEWS.
Mrs F. Hodgson, Burgh-by-Sands.—The will of the late Mrs Frances Hodgson (born Blaylock), formerly of the Faulds Farm, Burgh, and latterly of Burgh, who was the widow of Mr Thomas Hodgson, has been proved by her grandson, Mr Wilson Hodgson, the sole ex ...”


1891 (Find My Past)
Wilson Hadgson Head Single Male 23 1868 Living On His Own Means Cumberland, Flanders
Parish Burgh by Sands
County Cumberland
Registration district Carlisle
Archive reference RG12
Piece number 4293
Folio 31
Page 8


1881 (Find My Past)
Frances Hodgson Head Widow Female 68 1813 Annuitant Cumberland, England
John Hodgson Son Single Male 44 1837 Farmer Burgh, Cumberland, England
Wilson Hodgson Grand Son Single Scholar Male 15 1866 Scholar Cumberland, Flanders, England
Parish Burgh by Sands
County Cumberland
Registration district Carlisle
Archive reference RG11
Piece number 5162
Folio 41
Page 12


01 May 1891 - Carlisle Patriot - Carlisle, Cumbria, England

Marriage
At St. Michael's Church, Burgh By Sands, on the 29th ult., by the Rev. E.H. Fitch, Wilson only son of J. Hodgson to Rebecca, youngest daughter of G. Mulcaster.

Agree, Kucinta; she is the most likely candidate.

Seems like butter wouldn't melt....

Before or after her marriage ;-)

Nice find Chris!

Kucinta

I know, you are right, not every situation conforms to the expected or majority and I AM very inclined to her. You give a strong argument. At the end of the day I suppose she is really the only candidate

Chris, that is a very interesting find and is the icing on the cake i reckon!

Thank you :-D