Genealogy Chat

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Okay Jonathan Leech (Leach) Thornton bn approx 1819/1820 in Bradford Yorks - not been able to get details from parish reg Moves to Manchester sometime before he Marries a Matilda Birch 1842 and they go on to have a couple of kiddies before her untimely death. Old Jonathan gives father on marriage as Joseph Leech (no thornton showing as surname) he goes on to marry again in 1856 and this time leaves the fathes name blank. Now a second marriage certificate has turned up on the Manchester bmd site in the name of Jonathan L Leech marrying a Matilda Birch same references and everything so the question is who is Jonathan???? Is he Jonathan Leech Leech, Jonathan Leech Thornton, or just Jonathan Leech? At the moment the poor bloke dosent know if he's coming or going! Any ideas much appreciated

Hi Tammy I was originally going to say it sounds like he was born before his parents married and that Leech was his mother's surname, Thornton his father's, as often happened, but then Joseph LEECH wouldn't be his father! Unless he was born Jonathan Leech, father Joseph Leech, and his father died when he was quite young, mother remarries and he took on his stepfather's surname as well. What surname were his children with Matilda given? Lou

Were there any LEACH or THORNTON witnesses at either marriage, so that they may help to identify his family?

Hi Lou, Jonathan called all his children thornton's and added the leech sometimes leach in as middle names. There is a birth of a Jonathan Thornton bn 1819 bradford to a harriot thornton on the igi but the name harriot seems a little wrong (thought it might be mispelt). Not sure if he was illegit, and named after the mother or if they made a mistake on the marriage certificate. Seems odd a second certificate being written for the same marriage though? Tammy

Hi Gwen, No im afraid not, Have two unidentified Dewhursts maybe a husband and wife at the second and a william charlton (unidentified) and Estella Birch (brides sister) at the first. SO no luck their either Tammy

Tammy The BMD sites will list the marriage twice is one of the parties is known by 2 different names. I assume you found it on Lancashire BMD? My ggrandmother's marriage is on there and she has two listings cos she'd been married before so it says Edith Maynard married Percy Flowers Edith Sutcliffe married Percy Flowers Am I making sense? I don't think it means the marriage was re-registered, just two entries for the same marriage in both the names he was known by! Lou

Lou You are quite right about the marriages being listed twice where there are 'doubts' about the names - this threw me at first, however the ref number is the same for both and therefore proves it is the same marriage - jolly handy for me because it showed up a widows maiden name, thus saving me the cost of a cert! Marjorie Tightwad.

Debbie, Thanks so much for that so far im pretty sure he's going to have been born in 1819/1820 from all of his census returns he seems to stage that age as well as on his marriage but i guess he may be either Jonathan Leech Thornton or Jonathan Leech (Leech) He does say his father was Joseph but i guess that may be incorrect. Lou, So he may have been known by both names - just a though though if he was born Jonathan L Thornton and seems to be using that name why the need to have his marriage recorded as jonathan l leech? Tammy

Tammy Ask me another! No idea, hon, why would anyone be known by 2 names? I still go with the taking on his stepfathers surname as well as his own father's as something maybe worth looking into. I know he was born pre civil reg so couldn't have been re-registered IF his mother remarried but if he was born Leech then known as Leech Thornton throughout most of his life, maybe that's why his entry is recorded twice. Lou

Gosh Lou, I think this lot are getting as bad as the higginbothams - changing names and counties!!!! Between them the French lot and the William's in Wales i think im slowly going mad! Oh and the bit i forgot to add - Jonathan had a son Edwin Wynn Thornton bn1859 manchester (no idea where the wynn came from) but an Emma Wynn Thornton turns up in London (died 1843) with completely different parents. Coincidence? Im guessing there may be a connection somewhere years prior! Thanks for the ideas on this lot... Tammy

I thought I was doing myself a favour by putting my Derbyshire ones away for a while and starting to pursue another branch. But this lot are turning out to be as much of a nightmare as the rest of them! BTW...nothing for Henry and Mary so they obviously didn't have them baptised at the same place as the others???? Lou

Lou, What absolute rotters! couldn't they have used the same church for one other child!!!!!! Hmmm moving on to another line sounds like a good idea anyone want to donate an uncomplicated one!!!!! Cheers Tammy

hi, another possibility, could the Thornton be the parish of birth, (there is a Thornton in Bradford) i.e Jonathon Leech of Thornton. Perhaps to differentiate between similar named person. Joan

Hi Matt, Thanks for that, I do have a note of that one but am not 100% sure it's mine.... Debby is going to have a bit of a check back on the parish records to see if this one jonathan referred to is called jonathan (leech) thornton or not. I was a bit dubious about the spelling of Harriot on this record but there is a chance it's mine - trying not to discount anything at the moment. and Joan Thanks for the suggestion i hadn't thought about that one... If his fathers name was joseph leech then there is a chance he was Jonathan Leech of Thornton and someone dropped the of bit out alonf the way..... Feels like im going round in circles!!!!!! Thanks for the suggestions though! Tammy