Genealogy Chat

I have been trying to trace the maternal family of my great grandmother for two years now.

MY great grandmother was Emily Liddell, born on the 5th March 2901 in Stockton, County Durham. Her father was Thomas Liddell and her mother was Mary Elizabeth Ann Welch.

On the 1901 census, Emily's mothers name was Margaret.

I found a marriage for a Thomas Liddell to a Mary E A Liddell in June 1922 in Stockton, meaning the two would have been in their fifties when they married, after all their children were born and it put Mary as a widow and her father as Michael Welch.

However, I have found a marriage entered for 1890 which I think is too much of a coincidence.

Jun 1890 - Hartlepool, Durham.

James Liddell
Thomas Murphy
Isabella Tyreman
Mary Elizabeth A Welch

Looking for a James and Mary Liddell gives no results, however, a James MURPHY is living with an Isabella in Hartlepool in 1891 with two young children.

One story was that Mary Elizabeth A Welch was married to another man while she was living with Thomas Liddell and couldn't marry him until her first husband had died, which may have explained 'widow' on her marriage certificate in 1922.

Does anyone know what I can do? I am at a loose end with this family right now. I still can't find definite parents for her. Apparently, her father was Michael which would tie in with her son born in 1906, William Henry Michael Liddell and apparently her mother was Ellen.

In 1911, she had a daughter called Mary which actually shows as Mary Liddell, mothers maiden name was Welch.

Any ideas and thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, that's the family in 1901. I can't find them living together in 1891. Thomas is still living at home with his parents Thomas and Bessey.

There is a public tree on Ancestry with Emily and her family on it . Owners name annweb? Is that yours? There are photos and stories - but Emily's DOB is given as 21st March 1901, not 5th

There is an Emily Liddell being born on the 21st March, but she never married and is not the same as my great grandmother.

Yes, I have her birth certificate. I ordered it about two years ago.

It's her certificate that gives her mothers name as Mary Elizabeth Ann Welch and her father as Thomas Liddell, and I know it's the right one as it gives the same address on the certificate as where they are living on the census.

Elaine, have you looked at the tree on Ancestry? It is definitely the same family. I have just looked at the source for Emily's DOB on there, and it looks to have been taken from a death cert. Do look at the tree - it has pictures of Emily and some stories about Thomas and Mary. It must belong to a relative of yours as the owner says Emily is her great aunt.

The tree on Ancestry is a relative of mine, we are both trying to find out more about Emily's mother Mary and her history.

And, I think that Thomas was the son of Mary, not Thomas Liddell, I think he was illegitimate.

Just reading over your message posted at 3.15, Elaine . . .

It occurred to me that - if Mary Elizabeth Ann Liddell and Thomas Welch were married to each other when that birth was registered, Mary should be named on the certificate as "Mary Elizabeth Ann Welch nee Liddell". But if it just says "Mary Elizabeth Ann Liddell" in the box for mother's details and "Thomas Welch" under father's details, that sounds to me like they weren't married.

Perhaps they lived together unmarried and both attended the birth registration?

Kate,

On Emily's birth certificate, the mothers name is given as Mary Elizabeth Ann Liddell, nee Welch.

The Thomas Liddell who was born in 1894 and who is on the census in 1901 is a strange one, I have his birth certificate and there are no details under the father's name so I can only assume he was illegitimate.

I have been looking again and after re reading the marriage information for Thomas Liddell to Mary E A Liddell in 1922, I am pretty sure it's them.

Somersetgirl

The name on the marriage certificate for Thomas & Mary was Michael Welch, and his occupation was a Seaman.