The complicated William Wood of Seghill

[Ayashi]

He’s been a bit of a headache for a while so I just wanted to share the misery…

My 3xgt grandfather was William WOOD c1829, Seghill (aka Earsdon) Northumberland, married to Mary Ann nee CARTER. On their marriage, he claims as his father one Robert WOOD, collier. Sure enough there is a census for a William WOOD of those details with that father.

Now, the census Robert (1804 North Shields) is married to a Sarah (1802 Newburn) with three other younger children, Mary 1834, Robert 1835 and James 1837.

Here comes the problem- the only marriage I can find for Robert and Sarah is 1832 in Newcastle, which is also where I’ve found the christenings of the three other children (abode Seghill). I have found diddly squat for a christening for William. I’ve looked as a previous marriage for Robert… a previous marriage for Sarah (she would have been 30 at marriage after all)… an illegitimate of Sarah… with no conclusive results.

So he’s a pain, but it gets worse-

He doesn’t name any of his children after Sarah, that I’ve found… or really after his apparent siblings…

They are as follows:
1854- Mary Ann (mother)
1856- Joseph Carter (her father)
1858- William (father)
1860- Elizabeth Carter (her mother)
[1863- Robert? TBC]
[1865- Jane? TBC]
1867- Jane (her sister?)
1869- Robert (his supposed father, brothers on both sides)
1872- John (- potentially her grandfather, uncle or half-brother)
1875- James Carter (her brother- he has a James as well, but clear who this is named for!)
1877- Thomas ()

I just find this guy a complete nightmare, because I can’t prove that both his parents are his parents… Of the two, it would make most sense that he’s Sarah’s pre-Wood-marriage child, but he gives no indication of that himself… and there is no will that I’ve found for Robert either, which would have been helpful. William’s own will does not help. It might be that I’ve got something wrong and the names John and Thomas appear on his side, or that his mother was Jane, but I’ve found nothing so far and I’ll have to look again when I’ve got back from work, but I wanted a fresh load of eyes on it just in case someone has an epiphany?

Thanks 

[alpinecottage]

Unfortunately, though you can see the Bishops Transcript on familysearch, their status as widow/widower/spinster/bachelor are not recorded and the two witnesses also witnessed other marriages and were probably church wardens or similar.

Neither Robert Wood nor Sarah Brown signed, they each made their mark.

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11766-96812-39?cc=1309819&wc=MMRX-YDG:1509283194

[Ayashi]

Thanks. I've been though the BTs on Familysearch, found the marriage and the three other children... I looked up a possible previous marriage for him which I don't think is the same person as it gave him as native of somewhere in Durham, but then again these things did sometimes change! Didn't realise that about the witnesses though... I guess that's not surprising.

[tickle49]

I haven't checked into Rootschat for some time and missed your posts below. Have you managed to resolve your query?

William Wood b.1829 was my 2nd great grandfather. I too have struggled with this family, however through Ancestry DNA I made contact with a distant cousin who suggested William was baptised in Cramlington and his mother was Mary Ann Moore, perhaps Robert's first wife as she said there was also a burial record for a Mary Ann Wood?

Would be good to make contact, Ayashi, to compare trees.

[trish1120]

WM MOORE Wood Baptised 06 Dec 1829, St Nicholas, Cranlington
Parents ROBERT a Pitman and MARY ANNE
Abode Colliery
(FreeREG)

MARY Wood Buried same Church 02 Feb 1829 age 28
(FreeREG)

Maybe Robert was too upset over Marys death and didnt baptise William til later in the year.

Marriage;
1 December 1827, St. Shields, Durham
Robert WOOD to Mary Ann MOORE
(Familysearch.Org)

Trish

[trish1120]

From this map Bishop Wearmouth is close to South Shields;
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/DUR/Durham1806f

So possible for Mary Ann?

Christening;
MARY ANN Moore
30 May 1802, Bishop-Wearmouth, Durham
Birth 14 December 1801
Parents Thomas Moore and Ann Hutchinson Moore
(F/S.Org)

[trish1120]

It may be a red herring but in 1841 Census in the Household next to Robert/Sarah Wood and children is;
Mary BROWN, 15, Female servant, born in Northumberland

MARY Brown Baptised 12 Apr 1826, St Michael and All Angels, Felton
Mother SARAH Brown, Singlewoman
Abode Eshott
(FreeREG)


There is also a ANN Brown age 40 on the same page, a Servant

[Ayashi]

Hi. That would be me you've been speaking to on Ancestry!

Trish's first post is what I found, with the exception of the burial- I have Mary Ann WOOD buried 07 Jul 1832 Earsdon, abode Seghill, dob c1807 (FreeREG and FindMyPast). I hadn't satisfied myself with a christening.

I didn't delve too far into Sarah- I have a speculative christening to James and Mary nee METCALF and I have her death cert. I stopped poking at her to focus on Mary Ann MOORE.

With regards to the children I can confirm now that Robert 1863 and Jane 1865 are theirs- Jane was mistakenly entered into the christening register as "Mary Ann Carter WOOD", her cousin Mary Ann CARTER having been christened one line above. I bought the death certs for both children.

Regards
Ayashi