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My great-great grandmother, Caroline Meach b. 08/07/1900 d. March 1972 had a brother, Richard Thomas Meach (I believe he sometimes went by just Thomas). On the 1911 census their father, Richard Thomas Meach, is abscent (he died in 1901) and his wife is listed, Jane Wray. Jane lists that she has had only 1 child born alive and that that child has died so it would appear that she is Caroline and Richard jnr's step mother. However, on the 1901 census when Richard jnr. Is 4 years old and Caroline is only 9 months she is listed as married to Richard and has his surname, Meach. I understand that she might have taken her maiden name back after Richard died in 1901 (?) but I'm struggling to find a previous wife for Richard. Can anyone help?

MEACH, CAROLINE HENDERSON Order
GRO Reference: 1900 S Quarter in SOUTH SHIELDS Volume 10A Page 819


MEACH, RICHARD THOMAS HENDERSON Order
GRO Reference: 1898 M Quarter in SOUTH SHIELDS Volume 10A Page 805

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
3, West Walpole Street, South Shields, Durham, England

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Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Thomas Meach Head Married Male 25 1876 Gas Works Stoker North Shields, Northumberland, England
Transcription
Jane Meach Wife Married Female 26 1875 - South Shields, Durham, England
Transcription
Richard T Meach Son - Male 3 1898 - South Shields, Durham, England
Transcription
Caroline Meach Daughter - Female 0 1901 - South Shields, Durham, England
Transcription
Margaret Henderson Sister-In-Law Single Female 17 1884 - South Shields, Durham, England

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Tudors Yard Durham South Shields, South Shields, Durham, England

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Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Occupation Age Birth year Birth place
Jane Wray Wife Married Female - 37 1874 Durham South Shields
Transcription
Thomas Meech Son - Male At School 13 1898 Durham South Shields
Transcription
Caroline Meech Daughter - Female At School 10 1901 Durham South Shields

Marriages Dec 1905 (>99%)
JENNINGS Mary Ann S. Shields 10a 1264
MEACH Jane S. Shields 10a 1264
WARDALE Arthur S. Shields 10a 1264
WRAY John S. Shields 10a 1264

Northumberland and Durham Marriages Transcription

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First name(s) Jane
Last name Meach
Sex Female
Marriage year 1905
Marriage date 25 Oct 1905
Place South Shields
Description St. Jude
Spouse first name(s) John
Spouse last name Wray
Groom's first name(s) John
Groom's last name Wray
Groom's parish -
Bride's first name(s) Jane
Bride's last name Meach
Bride's parish -
County Durham
Country England
Record set Northumberland And Durham Marriages
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Marriages & divorces
Collections from Great Britain

Thank you! So from that do I gather that Jane remarried a man named Wray in 1905 and that is were that surname came from? How do I go about finding her maiden name and the actual mother of Caroline and Richard Thomas?

MEACH, CAROLINE HENDERSON Order
GRO Reference: 1900 S Quarter in SOUTH SHIELDS Volume 10A Page 819


MEACH, RICHARD THOMAS HENDERSON Order
GRO Reference: 1898 M Quarter in SOUTH SHIELDS Volume 10A Page 805

her maiden name is henderson

England & Wales marriages 1837-2008 Transcription

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First name(s) THOMAS
Last name MEACH
Marriage quarter 2
Marriage year 1897
Registration month -
MarriageFinder™ THOMAS MEACH married one of these people
Selina Mayne, Jane Henderson
District South Shields
District number -
County Durham
Country England
Volume 10A
Page 1175
Record set England & Wales Marriages 1837-2008
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Marriages & divorces
Collections from Great Britain

Ah i see it now!! So Thomas Meach married a Jane Henderson who became Jsne Meach. Am I right that Jane Henderson and Jane Wray are different women? If so how would Jane Wray have ended up caring for Thomas' kids? Or is it same woman who just remarried?

????


1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
110 Campbell St So Shields, South Shields, Durham, England

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Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Occupation Age Birth year Birth place
Robert Wray Head Married Male Seaman 59 1852 Yorks Scarboro
Transcription
Isabella Wray Wife Married Female - 59 1852 Co Durham South Shields
Transcription
John Wray Son Married Male Cartman General 35 1876 Co Durham South Shields xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Transcription
Robert Wray Son Single Male Foundry Labourer 26 1885 Co Durham South Shields
Transcription
Georgina Wray Daughter - Female Domestic Servant 24 1887 Co Durham South Shields
Transcription
Mary Ann Wray Daughter - Female Shop Assistant Grocery 20 1891 Co Durham South Shields
Transcription
Agnes Wray Daughter Single Female Shop Assistant Pawnbroking 16 1895 Co Durham South Shields
Transcription
Ethel Wray Daughter - Female - 14 1897 Co Durham South Shields

NO they are not different women!!


Thomas Meach married Jane Henderson in 1897

Thomas Meach died in 1901

His widow Jane Meach nee Henderson married again in 1905 to John Wray, thus becoming Jane Wray


Jane Henderson, Jane Meach and Jane Wray are one and the same person

??????????????


could this be a child of John Wray and Jane Henderson (late Meach)

WRAY, MARY ANN HENDERSON
GRO Reference: 1908 D Quarter in SOUTH SHIELDS Volume 10A Page 850

It's possible that child died very soon after birth ..... the age is shown as 1, but on the new GRO Index that can be either 1 month or 1 year as they have not yet solved how to indicate month and year


WRAY, MARY ANN 1
GRO Reference: 1908 D Quarter in SOUTH SHIELDS Volume 10A Page 491

I wonder is this is Jane on the 1939 Register???

Wray Household (1 Person) 64 Adelaide Street , South Shields C.B., Durham, England

First name(s) Last name(s) DOB Occupation
Jane Wray 16 Dec 1874 Unpaid Domestic Duties

no further information on the image

????????????????

possible death of John Wray ..... right age and place

Deaths Mar 1914 (>99%)
Wray John 37 S.Shields 10a 960

The image of that 1911 Census shows that John Wray had been married for 5 years ............... which roughly fits with a marriage in late 1905.


The image of the 1911 Census for Jane Wray shows that she has been married 5 years, and had 1 child during that marriage and that the child died.

The column headings say "Number of Years Present Marriage has Lasted", and "Number of Children born alive to present marriage" .................... hence why she does not list the two older children.


So ................ it looks as though the marriage broke up, and John went back to live with his parents

Of course, the other explanation is that he was visiting his parents on the night that the census was taken, and so he had to be shown at that address not at home with his wife.


It's possible that the only way you will solve this is if you buy that death record, and see who reported his death!

hi
SylviaInCanada

well thought of

just what i was thinking

some certs needed

Hi safc .............


yes, I think Kelsey is going to have to buy some to prove this family.

Not the Son relating below was it?...

Chris :)

Soldiers died in the Great War 1914-1919 Transcription (Find My Past)

First name(s) Richard
Last name Meach
Service number 39393
Rank Private
Regiment Durham Light Infantry
Battalion 2nd Battalion.
Enlistment place South Shields
Death year 1918
Death day 21
Death month 3
Cause of death Killed in action
Death place France & Flanders


https://www.twgpp.org/photograph/view/2405910

(Arras Memorial)