Ward family Nottingham

[PaulaCM]

Hi
I'm trying to find information about my 4 x great grandmother Mary Anne Ward.  From several census I know she was born in Nottingham in 1829.  On her marriage cert she says her fathers name is Thomas.  She married in Liverpool in 1849.  I don't know if she was a travelling lady or not, but I've been doing family history research for 11 years now with a lot of success, but I can't get any further with Mary Anne.  Any help or ideas very welcome.

[PaulineJ]

So what occupation does her father have?
What names witness the marriage?
Who is she with and where at each census?

[Milliepede]

Have you found her in 1841 before she married (who did she marry?)

There is a Mary Ward age 12 in 1841 born Notts with an Eliza Ward 50 - could be 60
plus William Norris 50 and Hannah Norris 55.

[PaulaCM]

Thanks Milliepede and Pauline J for your suggestions.

I've had a look at the 1841 census with Mary Ward in Blyth, Nottingham but it doesn't give any clues.  I wonder what, if any, relation the Norris's were to the Wards?  And do either of you know what the initials mean in the column for profession?  Looks like it says '2nd' next to Eliza.

I have no idea what her father did for a living.  She married Thomas Hand in Liverpool.  I found the marriage date, place and fathers name in an online list, but witnesses were not mentioned unfortunately.

[chempat]

This Mary is older than you said, but was not born in Liverpool, only the 2 youngest were:
1841 in West Derby Lancashire
Thomas Ward   45  leather dealer
Ann Ward   40
John Ward   15
xxxMary Ward   15
Sarah Ward   13
William Ward   10

Get the marriage certificate for Father's occupation.

[skyshot1990]

A Albert Ward 1898-1981 marriage my 1st cousin 4 x removed Rebekah... Rebekah Wilsher Settled in Nottingham along with many other Romani gypsy Wilsher/Wilshaw/Wiltshire/Wilshire. Not sure if Albert would be linked to your Ward's though.   

[Greg0220]

I have a Thomas Ward in the theatre business, so moved around a lot.

Lots of well known Ward actors going back to 1700.

This Thomas Ward was born 1799 in Liverpool to William Ward and Elizabeth Griffiths. His father was a prosperous hatter. A hat shop. Thomas made his acting debut in Scotland around 1816. The three children I suspect are his were born in Ireland between 1835 and 1839. I think in the 1840s he took over the hatter shop but it didn't turn out well.

He went to Pennsylvania around 1849 and acted and managed various theatres. In the 1860s he had a travelling drama company in the western u.s. and British Columbia. Some of this info was obtained in the book by Francis Courtney Wemyss who gives a bio of many actors and manager in the early American stage. You can read this book online and search by name.

[Greg0220]

I suspect my Thomas Ward is related to Thomas Achurch Ward

https://books.google.com/books?id=NfcTUoBuM9IC&pg=PA167&lpg=PA167&dq=thomas+achurch+ward&source=bl&ots=I8kExDGhNa&sig=ACfU3U3qMftlU2le5G3nN2Td7J6w4enGyQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwicuee3gpvgAhWnhVQKHa7nBpAQ6AEwAHoECAMQAQ#v=onepage&q=thomas%20achurch%20ward&f=false

[whiteout7]

Mary Ann Ward married to Thomas Hand in 1849, Liverpool, Lancashire?

Not very obvious on free bmd but there are these births at the GRO

HAND, MARY  ELLEN     WARD     
GRO Reference: 1849  D Quarter in LIVERPOOL 

HAND, GEORGE  THOMAS     WARD
GRO Reference: 1852  M Quarter in WEST DERBY 

HAND, ARTHUR  ALEXANDER     WARD     
GRO Reference: 1857  D Quarter in WEST DERBY & TOXTETH PARK 

HAND, WILLIAM       WARD     
GRO Reference: 1858  J Quarter in MELTON MOWBRAY

HAND, ALFRED       WARD     
GRO Reference: 1862  J Quarter in WEST DERBY AND TOXTETH PARK 

I'd look at their possible children to see if they married back into Romany families, then you might see some other family connections to other surnames