Help with strange Ridley relations, please

[rupiezucki]

Hi, I need some help with my very confusing family.

Here is the census info, by way of background:

1851 St Helen's Auckland
Robert RIDLEY 32 Chester-le-Street
Mary 26 Whitburn
Walter 5 St Helen's Auckland
Bessy 3 W. Auckland
Caroline St H. Auckland

1861 Wingate

Robert 41 Birtley
Mary 36 Whitburn
Walter 14 W Auckland
Elizabeth 13 W A
Caroline 11 W A
David 10 Wingate
William 7 Wingate
Margaret 4 Wingate
Robert 7 mos Wingate

1871 Tudhoe
Robert 52 Blackfell
Sarah Ann 32 S Shields (aha! I hear you cry)   
David 17 Bishop Auckland
William 16 Wingate
Caroline 20 B Auckland
Robert 10 Wingate
Emmanuel S Hetton
Sarah Isab. 3 B Auckland
Joseph Pike 1 B Auckland

1881 Chester-le-Street
William 29 Wingate (What?)   
Sarah Ann 36 S Shields
Emmanuel 16 Hetton
Sarah 13 B Auckland
Joseph 11 B Auckland
John Wm 8 Chester-le-Street
Frank 6 Lanchester
Mary Ann 5 B Auckland

1891 Burnhope
William 42 Wingate
Sarah Ann 48 S Shields
Joseph Pike 21 B Auckland
Francis 16 Nettlesworth
John William 18 Lanchester
Sarah WAKE 78 Widow border NBL Leamington
Maria C 9 dtr () S Shields

The chap that is most important to me is Joseph Pike Ridley.  I am doing all this from Canada, so I can't pop into the records office.  Any answers to the following questions or helpful advice (or offers to verify any of the info) would be greatly appreciated.

I followed the family with much difficulty, mainly through the children.  Most of my Ridley relations are/were coal miners, so the movement from town to town is expected, but the change of wives/husbands has me a little confused.

Here are the possibilities I can imagine:

Robert's wife Mary dies (A Mary Ridley's death is registered in Easington Mar 1852). 

Robert marries Sarah Ann (nee WAKE, her mother was nee PIKE) and has more children including Joseph Pike RIDLEY.

Robert dies.  Sarah Ann either dies also and her stepson William marries another Sarah Ann from South Shields and keeps the children together OR ... Sarah Ann marries her stepson William - and has 3 children with him.

Possibly pertinent information:  Joseph Pike Ridley's birth was registered in Auckland, Dec 1869 (vol 10a p 176).

Robert is (I am told) the son of William RIDLEY, b 1801 Winston, Co Durham, and his wife Jane, b 1819 Wallsworth.

So - what do you think?

Is there any point in getting Joseph P Ridley's birth cert?

Was the kind of thing I am imagining common?  A woman with 7 children might have had trouble finding a husband, right?

I can't find a record, yet, of Robert marrying Sarah Ann, of William marrying Sarah Ann.

And while we are at it...  any guesses on the 1891 census re:  Sarah Wake 78 (Sarah Ann's mother) and her 9 year old daughter Maria.  Indeed there is a Maria Clark Wake birth reg Mar 1882 in South Shields.

Thank you for your help and for keeping the sniggering to a minimum.

Holly

[Richard Knott]

Yes, I think the most likely answer is that William started living with his stepmother as his wife (but didn't marry).

The following suggest that Maria is Sarah's granddaughter:

1901   RG13/4736
Joseph Wake, 48, coalminer, b S.S.
Elizabeth Wake, 41
+ children Maria, 19; William H, 15; John, 6

1891  RG12/4161
Joseph Wake, 36, wid., b S.S.
William Henry Wake, 5 which fits with Maria being elsewhere

In 1861 (RG9/3758) there is a Joseph P Wake, 8, b S.S. son of John and Sarah Wake; and in 1851 (HO107/2395) there is a Sarah Ann, 12, with the same family. Sarah is the right age and born in La/e/eamington.

Joseph is registered as just that but they may have added the P(ike?) later.

Richard

[rupiezucki]

That Maria would be the grand-daughter makes perfect sense.

Joseph P Wake was indeed also a Pike.

Thank you so much, Richard!

Is there any way you know of that I can get a look at the birth certs (without buying them) of the children born to William Ridley and Sarah Ann?  I assume they would show whether the parents were married.  Same would apply to children of Robert and Sarah Ann.

Cheers,
Holly

[janmoore]

This may confuse the issue...

The following is from South Tyneside Register office:

   Robert RIDLEY
   Spouse: Ann PIKE
   Register: C K2
   Entry: 231
   Date: 05/10/1873

[bjtres]

Hi I am just a new member. My mothers maiden name is elaine rawlin and i have a lot of history on the rawlins if you are interesrted.