Which line do I follow now.

[REEDY]

can anyone help !  I have been following my family tree and one of the people is a Ann Elizabeth Dearing she was born on 12 April 1845 in melbourne East Yorks. Her birth certificate has no fathers name. Her baptism on the 6 July 1846 in Thornton only has her mothers name Jane Daring.
On Anns marriage certificate(2 Sept 1861 Thornton) it states that her father is Richard Dearing deceased.
Richard did marry jane Hailer in 1830 in Thornton.
Today I received a death certificate for a Richard Bearing( name was mis spelt) who died on the 9 Oct 1842 in Melbourne East Yorkshire.
I also know that Anns mother had another child Hannah lawley Dearing in 1849 to a George Lawley who she later married in 1856.
Now i think he could be Anns father.
Which line do I follow The Dearings which she stated to be her father or the Lawley which I think could be here father.

Please Please Help me.

[suttontrust]

Bear with me, I'm a bit confused.  Jane was obviously unmarried when she had Ann (unless it says "Jane Dearing formerly something else).  The fact that Ann named Richard Dearing as her father on her marriage doesn't mean much at all.  She may have believed it herself or simply made it up.  Even if the Richard who died in 1842 was Jane's husband, he couldn't be Ann's father, so there's no point in following that line if it's Ann who is your ancestor.  Why do you think Ann's father is George Lawley?  Is he named as Hannah's father?  Even if he is, there are 4 years between Hannah and Ann, so no guarantee that he fathered Ann.  If I were you I would follow George's line but only as a matter of speculation.

[REEDY]

Jane married Richard Dearing in 1830 and they had three children Mary born 1838 Thomas born 1839 and Sarah born 1841.
They are all on the 1841 census together.
In 1851 Jane is living in Licolnshire with George Lawley as man and wife but they did not marry until 1856.
Cildren living with them are
sarah age 12
Richard age 8
ANN ELIZABETH age 5
Hannah age 2
hannahs father is George Lawley.

[suttontrust]

Well, that makes it much clearer.  But you can still only say that George is likely to be Ann's father, not that he is.

[REEDY]

So do I presume and follow Georges line
I wish these ancesters would not make it so hard to find them.
I seem to be uncovering more and more skeletons

[trish251]

Would have to agree with ST. It seems that Jane was unmarried when she had Ann (perhaps a widow) - Ann may well have not told her husband that fact, and given that her mother had remarried prior to Ann's marriage, the husband would not know when Jane's first husband had died.

The Richard who died 1842 is obviously not Ann's father. You may have to accept that you will not trace Ann's father.

Given they were all living under the name of Lawley in 1851, have you found the family in 1841, to see which name is being used. Is it possible that the family in 1851 is not your Jane and her children? Mary and Thomas seem to be missing (but could be working, or have died). Have you found a record for Richard with any details of father?


Trish

[trish251]

I just had a look in 1861 & now see how the family do fit together.  You seem to have reached the conclusion that George was her father -  and unless you can find a Richard Dearing who died later, this is probably the best option.

I doubt our ancestors thought we would go to such lengths to unravel their stories    

Trish

[REEDY]

In 1841 the family are all living in Melbourne with Richard Dearing the head age 35 then Jane age 26
Children Elizabeth age 11 (child of Richards first wife Ann)
then Ann age 7 William age 6 and Mary age 3(children of Richards second wife) then Thomas and sarah children of Richard and Jane.
Richard married Jane in 1836.
The Richard who is born in 1843 has Richard Dearing as his father.
The children had been sent to work away.
Another interesting thing is that on Richards death certificate the informant is a Jane Simpson.
Janes surname before marriage was Simpson?

[Alison Gilewski]

A little off topic here. 
I wonder what became of Richard's first child, Elizabeth?
I have her marrying Robert HOLT in 1852 Cottingham, Yks. then they vanish.
Alison