What do you do with a brick wall?

[larkspur]

Hi all....

Post on Rootschat and keep chipping away....

Hi to Larkspur.... 

I know we have had a tussle with Mary before.... but what about this Mary? and looks like this Mary's parents are buried at Caunton - if you want to carry this on, which thread do you want it on? or a new one?

Baptism - CAUNTON St Andrews
MARY dau of Robt & Mary RAUWORTH - born 18th June 1797 - baptised same day.

Checked her out Dizzy, I was thrilled when I found her but  she married in S Muskham 3-7-1823 to George Goodwin......

[Dizzifish]

Hi Larkspur....

Ooh... that's a shame, I really thought that was her and looks like she had a brother John who had married an Ann 

Oh well.... back to the chipping away then 

[venelow]

Hi Larkspur

In 1841 Mary is stated to be 45 years. If the enumerator followed the instructions this means she was born between 1792 and 1796. If the informant at her death really knew her age she was more likely to have been born in 1795 than 1796 due to her death being so close to the start of the year.  If she was born in 1795 then she was about 25 years when she was married, but possibly even younger.  She has enough time to have been married before. She has enough time to have 'tweaked' her age to accommodate her husband.

Are you absolutely sure she was not married previously?  I have seen marriage records in the 1820s that did not state the condition of the parties even though they were supposed to. I know for a fact of at least one marriage where one party had been married before but this fact was not recorded.  If her marriage to William was a second marriage she may have adjusted her age to line up with his.

The informant of the death may not have been in full possession of the facts. I suggest you look for other marriages between a Rayworth (and variants) and a Mary ? and see if she was left a widow. Her perceived origin maybe her first husband's parish.

A will from a possible father may settle the matter.

Good Luck
Venelow

[venelow]

PS
I don't do emoticons. I don't know how that happened.

Ven

[Ruskie]

PS
I don't do emoticons. I don't know how that happened.

Ven

I think three question marks does that one. 
Test:
Added: Yep. It does. 

[larkspur]

Venelow, yes I had checked if she could have been a widow when she married William in 1820.
 There is a marriage at Caunton 2-9-1811 for a Thomas Raworth and Mary North. But this couple are having children from 1812 to 1824 in Caunton, Thomas was a blacksmith.
Another marrriage at Bingham 12-9-1808 Thomas Roworth and Mary Easton, but again the couple are baptising children in Bingham until 1824.

[venelow]

Thanks for explaining the emoticon business Ruskie.

Ven

[MarieC]

Yes, sometimes you just have to let a brick wall be.  I have one that I've done all I can to  break down (including posting on Rootschat) with no result.  He had a common name and lived in London.  He went bankrupt and disappeared from his family, never to be sighted again.  It was almost 30 years before his wife described herself as a widow.  I've bought several death certs which seemed possible, but none of them are him.  The trail went cold, and though I continue to keep an eye out for him and put his name into various sites, I suspect that unless something unexpected turns up, I will not find him.