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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Sussex => Topic started by: hilsbee on Monday 22 October 07 17:37 BST (UK)
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I seem to have stalled and wonder if anyone can advise me.
My g,g,grandmother was a Mary Jane Brettwood born in Rye, Sussex in about 1856 according to various census records. I have her wedding certificate which states that her father was James Brettwood, deceased, mariner. No idea who her mother was.
The only record I can find at ancestry or LDS is of a William Brettwood born in Rye in 1852. I have assumed that he is her brother.
There just is no trace whatsoever of any other Brettwoods anywhere (apart from William's wife and children) and I don't quite know where to look.
Does anybody know of any other version of the name Brettwood? If the father was a mariner, could they just have lived under the radar?
I'm really stuck and if anybody has any advice, I'd be really grateful!
Many thanks
Hils
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I wonder if it is Brett Wood - meaning Brett is used as a middle name rather than part of the surname, alternatively maybe the enumerator got it/heard it wrong. This might be the family you are looking for in the 1861 census
Town Wall Cottage, Rye, Sussex
James HB Wood Head Mar 39 Mariner Kent Witstable
Eliza AB " Wife Mar 35 Sussex Rye
Sarah AB " daur 13 Scholar " "
William HB " son 8 " " "
Mary JB " daur 4 " " "
Martha A Stone Lodger Un 25 Sussex Peasmarsh
Sarah Towle Visitor Mar 39 " "
RG9; Piece: 557; Folio: 51; Page: 32
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Do you have access to the 1861 census ?
Look at this entry - shout if you cant ...
RG9/557; Folio: 51; Page: 32
Town Wall Cottage
Family headed by a James (a Mariner) is shown as B Wood surname - theres an 8 year old William too
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Good Lord Mary - look at the timestamps !
Obviously 'Ladies first' !
:D
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Possible birth:
Mary Jane Wood
Jan/FEb/Mar 1857
Rye reg distr
ref 2b 5
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William married as a Brettwood too -
William Brettwood March 1874 Easington Vol 10a Page 600
Bride - Dorothy "Rutley"
although with them in 1881 is a nephew William "Ruttey"
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Christening from IGI - could well be same girl
17 April 1857 Rye
Parents James Henry and Eliza Ann
Links up with the 1861 census, by which time they all seemed to add the initial B before their Wood
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Good Lord Mary - look at the timestamps !
Obviously 'Ladies first' !
:D
I thought it was having a bit of a fight to get to the screen ;D ;D
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cant see em in 1871 - apart from young Will - on a vessel in Whitstable Bay ...
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IGI also has christenings in Rye for:
Susan Agnes Britwood
14 Feb 1862
parents James Henry Britwood and Eliza Anne
Mercy CAroline Wood
7 MArch 1860
parents JAmes and Eliza
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Both births were registered just under Wood:
Susan Agnes Oc/Nov/Dec 1861 Rye 2b 6
Mercy Caroline Jul/Aug/Sep 1859 Rye
... but the reason Mercy is not on the 1861 census is that she died and here is her death registration:
Mercy Caroline Brett Wood (!)
Jul/Aug/Sep 1860
Rye
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I think I'm going off on a tangent here - would somebody else care to look at the following and give some thoughts.
I looked for a marriage of James Brett* circa 1847 +/- 5 years and two entries popped up both James Brett both same quarter 4 1850
The second one is incorrect as it gives the reference as 5 767 but on looking at the image I believe it is 763
However, there didn't appear to be an Eliza for a spouse.
So I looked for James Wood and married in the Rye district in Q1 1847 was a James Henry Wood. (Again noticed the father's name given by liz as James HENRY Britwood) Listed for the same page is an Eliza Ann Care but the district clearly states Ross which is also written on the image so there is something wrong here, but I don't see any other entries - either male or female - for Ross with the same page number.
But if I look at the 1851 census I find ........
Rye, Sussex
James Care Head Mar 54 Mariner Kent Rolvenden?
Mercy Wife Mar 54 Sussex Rye
John Goble son Mar 33 Ag Lab " "
Sarah Ann Brett Granddaur 3 " "
HO107; Piece: 1634; Folio: 299; Page: 12
No sign of any other Sarah Brettwood or Sarah Wood of that age born Rye.
Just noticed the entry by lizdb - coincidence of the name Mercy given to one of the children.
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Also in 1851 Rye, Sussex
James Wood Head Mar 29 Mariner Kent Witstable
Eliza Wife Mar 25 Sussex Rye
Eliza Jane daur 5 " "
HO107; Piece: 1634; Folio: 313; Page: 40
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Reckon you are on to something!
So James Henry (mariner) married Eliza Ann Care,
she has a rellie, James Care (also a Mariner - they often kept it in the family)
He has a wife Mercy (James Wood calla a daughter Mercy)
He has a grandaughter Sarah Brett - and James Wood has a fixation with adding the name Brett to everyone!
but how does it all fit together? Sorry - got to go and cook dinner now, hubby just phoned to say he's on his way home!
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On a bit of a roll - dinner will have to wait
IGI has christening
Eliza Ann Care
6 Sept 1826
Rye
parents James Care and MAry
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1861 does have Military Road, Playden, Sussex
James Care Head Mar 64 Ag Lab Kent Rolvenden
Mary Wife Mar 64 Sussex Rye
John G (although it was transcribed as a J it reads G) Son Mar 43 Ag Lab " "
RG9; Piece: 557; Folio: 146; Page: 1
I'm assuming Mercy is being badly written and rewritten as Mary, definitely Mercy in 1851.
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and also in 1841
Rope Walk, Rye, Sussex
(All noted as being born in County)
James Care 50 Labourer
Mercy 41
James 19
Richard 17
Ann 15
William 10
HO107; Piece 1109; Folio: 31; Page: 21
Seems Eliza Ann was known as "Ann"
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lookin good !
:)
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But what about the anomolies in the marriage index?
I think it's definitely going to be down to a birth cert!
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Good Lord! What an amazing amount of information - I thought I had tried all possible combinations of names (including just Wood) on LDS and census and I did try ploughing through all the different pages of the Rye census. I must have been doing it wrong!
Having a quick look at some of that info - I have a verbal anecdote that they came from Whitstable and one of the witnesses on the marriage certificate had a last name of Care - so it looks like this is the right track.
Wow - now off to plough through all of this.
What can I say apart from thank you so much - and I do hope the dinner got cooked eventually :)
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This is overwhelming - I can't see why I couldn't find a James Wood in Rye - and believe me I looked several times ::)
I've sent off for Mary Jane's birth certificate but I'm pretty sure you are all on the right track - her eldest daughter was an Eliza. And the Care family definitely ties in with the witness at her marriage.
Once again, thank you so much - it looks like you had a bit of fun doing that, but I really appreciate your enthusiasm :-*
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It's always fun when you find a tiny clue and can run with it and unravel a few knots :D
Please let us know when you get the cert and see if the hunches are right.
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I've just got back some certificates and you did ask about them!!
Mary Jane Wood born in 1857 shows parents James Wood and Eliza Wood formerly Care, living at the Strand Rye which fits in with the 1861 census.
Mary Jane's marriage certificate shows surname Brettwood and a witness with the name of Care
The birth certificate of MJ's daughter (my grandmother) shows the mother's maiden name as Wood, not Brettwood.
Marriage certificate of James Henry Wood shows him married to Eliza Ann Care. Now interestingly, James has not father listed which I assume means he is illegitimate.
Now that might explain the difference in surname - maybe Wood was his mother's name and maybe his father was called Brett so he added it to his name at some point - could be his mother's deathbed confession ;)
I don't know, but it now opens up a fascinating line of enquiry - so thanks again for getting me started on this.
Hils
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Your certificates seem to have turned out well - all except the one without his father's name on it, you are possibly right on this point, it usually indicates illegitimacy! Interesting thought about a deathbed confession ;D
Thanks for bringing us up to date with it, it's nice to hear the confirmation of the census research since that can never be conclusive without the certs.
:D
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1861 does have Military Road, Playden, Sussex
James Care Head Mar 64 Ag Lab Kent Rolvenden
Mary Wife Mar 64 Sussex Rye
John G (although it was transcribed as a J it reads G) Son Mar 43 Ag Lab " "
RG9; Piece: 557; Folio: 146; Page: 1
I'm assuming Mercy is being badly written and rewritten as Mary, definitely Mercy in 1851.
The 'G' in 'John G Care' stands for Goble - he was my g,g,g grandfather
Mercy was Mercy Clark of Rye I believe
Regards Kirsty
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From the Sussex Marriage Index
Rye, East Sussex, 17 Feb 1817
James CARE
Mercy CLARK
Ian C
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The mystery of the Brettwoods lies with my great great grandfather who was born in Rye in 1853 and was the brother of Mary bn 1857 and Sarah 1848. He was born William
Henry Brett Wood and ran away to sea when he was 12. My granny, Dorothy Brettwood Chicken told us that when he went aboard ship and was asked his name they wrote it as William Henry Brettwood. This seems to be confirmed as on the 1871 census he was at sea and recorded as william Brettwood. There are no other Brettwoods prior to 1871. When he came back from sea he kept the name and his sons carried the name on. He settled in Seaham harbour near Durham married and had 9 children.
I can only think that his sister liked the name Brettwood and decided she would also become a Brettwood. Their parents were James Henry Brett Wood and Eliza Care.
I can only think that the error occurred as it was quite unusual to have two middle names and certainly in my family tree these are the only two with two middle names
Hope this information is useful
Barbara