Genealogy Chat

Husband's gran is Frances Amelia Cairns b.1893 in Doncaster. Have birth certificate which gives Ruth Cairns as mother (no father on cert). Aunt believes her mother (Frances) was brought up by relatives as mother (Ruth) died in childbirth. So far, so good. Can find a death entry for a Ruth Jane Cairns in Doncaster in 1894 which would fit - stating her age at death as 21. Can find on 1881 census Ruth Jane Cairns with her family. Other people on here, maybe 6 months ago managed to find same family on other censuses. So, that would give a birth year of 1873 approx.. Have trawled ancestry bmd 1870 - 1876 inc. but no Ruth Cairns birth entry. 1881 census states she was born in Doncaster - family originated in Wakefield. Only other possible is a female Cairns birth in Wakefield in 1873/4 (forget which now after a couple of glasses of wine). Which way to go? Do I claim the Ruth Cairns in Doncaster as mine - it's a fairly uncommon name after all - or will getting the death cert render any more clues - ie will it say 'died 6 months after childbirth - mother of Frances'. I really ought to follow up this line as my tree is looking lopsided without this branch filled in! What would you seasoned researchers do next? thanks in advance Bridie

Thanks Pamela I suppose the best I could hope for is that the cause of death could be childbirth related. As I can't prove who Ruths parents were and she has neither a husband nor an occupation on Frances's birth certificate (nor an age come to that!) it's not a lot to go on - except that Ruth Cairns was not a common name, at all.

The death certificate will probably not name her as the mother of Frances. It will give date and place of death, name, age, occupation, cause of death and give the name of the informant of the death.

This looks to be it: Births Sep 1873 Caines Ruth Jane Doncaster 9c 631 Rose

Then changes to Cairns: Marriages Sep 1890 (>99%) CAIRNS Harry Doncaster 9c 996 Marriages Sep 1892 (>99%) CAIRNS Sarah Selina Doncaster 9c 1012 Deaths Jun 1894 (>99%) Cairns Ruth Jane 21 Doncaster 9c 363 Marriages Sep 1896 (>99%) Cairns Lilly Agnes Doncaster 9c 1090 Marriages Dec 1901 (>99%) Cairns William Ramsden Doncaster 9c 1422 Rose

Name seems to be Caines until 1890: Births Jun 1867 (>99%) Caines Harry Doncaster 9c 612 Births Mar 1869 (>99%) Caines William Ramsden Doncaster 9c 593 Births Sep 1870 (>99%) Caines Sarah Selina Doncaster 9c 564 Births Sep 1873 (>99%) Caines Ruth Jane Doncaster 9c 631 Rose Births Sep 1874 (>99%) Caines Lily Agnes Doncaster 9c 689

1891: Name: Ruth J Caines Age: 18 Estimated birth year: abt 1873 Relation: Daughter Father's name: John Mother's name: Emma A Gender: Female Where born: Doncaster, Yorkshire, England Civil parish: Doncaster Ecclesiastical parish: Christchurch County/Island: Yorkshire Country: England Registration district: Doncaster Sub-registration district: Doncaster ED, institution, or vessel: 19 Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age Beatrice Caines 2 Emma A Caines 45 John Caines 45 Joseph Caines 7 Kate Caines 8 Lilly S Caines 16 Ruth J Caines 18 William Caines 22 Rose

Portland Rose thank you and sorry to be a day late in replying - I went to bed! I have no idea how you came up with all that so quickly but it makes perfect sense and I'm sure that's the family - aunt spoke of a great aunt Beatrice. Wonder why they changed from Caines to Cairns! Going to see if I can find a marriage for John and Emma now to try and get a bit further! Thanks again. Bridie