Genealogy Chat

Hi Rosi, Have emailed you, Shaz xxxxxxxxx

Lo Sharon, Have emailed you privately and also via GC. Hope at least one of these makes it through cyberspace! Luv Rosi

Hi Rosi, Can't help with your mystery I'm afraid but I think you have been trying to email me recently without success. Do try again and if nothing gets through this time I will register with yet another email provider and hopefully get more joy. Love Sharon xxx

Alas none (as far as I am aware) of the rellies involved have any connection whatsoever with Lancs or Yorks. Nemmind - and thankyou for the thought. Rosi

Rosi. I have had the same difficulty with not being able to find certificates for relatives in Lancashire either on microfiche or on 1837on-line. Someone on G.C. suggested I tried Lancs BMD. I now have copies of the missing certificates! If you go onto the Genuki website www.genuki.org/ and scroll down to Yorkshire ,you will be able to find Yorkshire BMD. On the Lancs version both parties involved in a marriage are listed. It often gives a printable form for ordering and the address of the local register office. Hope this helps Rosemary(Mid Essex)

Hallo Sharon No - I had not considered that possibility - as you say - it is one worth looking into. Another niggling doubt I have about it is the age disparity between Mary Shelton Kearn(s) and her husband William Mosson Kearns. She, Mary, was 34 on the 1871 census. He was 60 when he married his second wife in 1876. (the 1881 has him as 68 so a slippage there too). His 2nd wife was 20 years younger than him - and apparently his first wife and he would have had a similar but slightly bigger gap too. I do have one of the certs for Mary's children on the 1871 - and father is WMK it says. The thick plottens. Rosi

Hi Have you considered the thought that your man may have lied about being a widow when he married in 1876 and his never told his second wife about his children from his previous marriage. It was not unheard of in those days. I have one of my ancestors that ran off from her husband and left him with the children and married someone else using her maiden name. Have you looked to see where the children from first marriage are on 1881 census and if there is a marriage for his first wife to someone else? Regards Sharon

Yes Paul _ I think so. His name is not usual, William Mosson Kearns, and he was a solicitor. At the time of the birth of one of his sons, George Mosson Kearns, in 1863 he was a solicitors clerk. I am awaiting certs. for the other 3 children, youngest was b1868 and eldest in 1860. They were all born around the Islington, Clerkenwell area of London. William's younger brother John predeceased him - and bequests were made to John's children/grandchildren. His son George Mossen/on also called his firstborn son John Mossen/on.

Are you absolutely opsitive that the second marriage wa sthe same man ? if it was someone else with a similar name that could explain the lack of mention of the ealier family...

A day or two back Emma in Yorkshire kindly found Mary Shelton Kearns and her family for me on the 1871 Census. Her husband, William Mosson Kearns was not at home, but as a widower he remarried, aged 60, in 1876. I have looked carefully through 1837 online, from 1868 (when her youngest child was born) to Jun qtr 1877, in case it was registered late- but I cannot find Mary's death. So - what now? To add to the 'buts', when William died 1890 ish, as a wealthy man, none of the family he fathered with Mary were mentioned in his quite extensive will- although nephews and nieces and grand nephews etc. were. Most of his estate was left to his second wife and her daughter. Any theories anyone? Rosi