Baxter

[faraci]

I received the marriage certificate for Benjamin Baxter and Mary Sumers this morning.
Date of marriage 8 July 1850 in the Parish church in St Neots.
It doesn't really shed any light.
Benjamin's father is John Baxter-labourer. Mary's father is William -labourer.
Benjamin, Mary and William Day sign the register with an 'x' as their mark.     
?Why does Mary have a different name from her father.
Any suggestions as to how I can progress?
Thank you
Suzanne 

[johnP-bedford]

Suzanne, 

Well Benjamin's father is named John; OK it'd be nice if it said John Oliver - but that's not to say that it isn't Harriet's father. Look at it this way, if it wasn't John then I'd say there was an issue.   

Where it tells you Mary's father's name does it just say William, or does it say William Sumers or William Day.

The Willliam Day you mention, was he a witness ie. ' in the presence of..' if so that does not necessarily mean it's her father - it could be Benjamin's best man; and what was the other witness's name please.

Regards John

[faraci]

Hi John
In the Father's name and surname column it says William Day -labourer
The marriage is witnessed by William Day x his mark
and Louisa Garton
Regards
Suzanne

[faraci]

Does anyone have access to the burial registers for Huntingdonshire?
As John Oliver Baxter does not feature on the 1841 census he may have died before this date. In 1851 Ann is described as a widow. There are 2 deaths for John Baxter on Free BMD March 1844 and March 1846 in Huntingdonshire. Perhaps his death record would verify his middle name.
Also the twins Mary & David born c1833 are not on the 1851 census. Have they also died?
Can anyone help?
Thank you
Suzanne   

[bedfordshire boy]

John Baxter infant buried 26 Feb 1844 at Sawtry St Andrew
John Baxter age 56 buried 3 Mar 1846 at Alconbury Weston

No burials of a John Oliver Baxter anywhere on the NBI

No burials of a David* or Mary born c1833 before 1851 in Hunts

All negatives.. Sorry!

David

* In 1851 David Baxter 16 was living with his brother Benjamin 23 in St Neots. You added a correction to his birth year on Ancestry!

[bedfordshire boy]

     
?Why does Mary have a different name from her father.

The usual reason is that she was a widow. How was she described - widow or spinster?

[bedfordshire boy]

It looks as though Harriet added a middle name, Florence, when she was baptised/married, and may have aggrandised her father's occupation. I wonder if she might have invented a middle name Oliver for him too!

[bedfordshire boy]

Thinking a bit more about John Oliver Baxter, as one tends to do on a cold wet morning, middle names weren't common c1800, unless the individual was illegitimate when the putative father's surname was often added as a middle name as a none too subtle hint as to his identity. Which set me looking to see if there were any illegitimate John Baxters baptised in the right time frame in St Neots.

And sure enough the baptism transcript for St Neots has a John Baxter baptised on 15 Feb 1807 son of Mary Baxter with the annotation "B" (= bastard?). Proving that this is the John Baxter who married Ann Richards might be more difficult. But there are no burials of a John Baxter in St Neots 1807-27 which is a good start.

David

[faraci]

Maybe!!
It's all a big mystery.