Is Sally another name for Sarah?

[Maiden Stone]

I've now read the list of children of Thomas & Betty, having found where my computer had hidden it.
I've also looked at Thomas Whitaker life events in Rochdale on LANOPC.
There were 2 Thomas and Betty couples having children baptised in Rochdale in 1790s.
2 marriages at St. Chad's, Rochdale might have been them:
6th Nov. 1788 Thomas Whitaker & Betty Redfearn
4th Jan. 1795 Thomas Whitaker, widower, this parish; Betty Shepherd, widow, this parish. Both made their mark. Witnesses Thomas and George Fletcher. Married by licence.

Burials of interest at St. Chad's:
*10th Nov. 1793 Betty Whitaker, wife of Thomas; abode Rochdale; occupation tailor
29th Nov. 1812 Betty Whitaker, wife of Thomas; abode Rochdale
There were other Betty Whitaker burials.
This may be burial of one of their children at St. Chad's: 8th Aug. 1792 Mary Whitaker, daughter of Thomas; abode Bank Yard; occupation tailor.  (She may have been the Mary baptised in July.)
*10th November was same day as daughter Elizabeth's baptism. 

[Maiden Stone]

May be marriage of daughter Martha at St. Chad's.
23rd March 1815 groom John Bingley Outram. Witnesses Mary Redfearn, James Whitaker. By licence.
A Martha Whitaker married on 30th July 1815 and another in 1822.

[Tabbicat26]

Sadie is another diminutive of Sarah.  I had a friend who was baptised Sadie to honour her grandmother and it was only when grandma died that it became apparent that her baptismal name had been Sarah and not Sadie!

[lmfamilyresearch]

I've now read the list of children of Thomas & Betty, having found where my computer had hidden it.
I've also looked at Thomas Whitaker life events in Rochdale on LANOPC.
There were 2 Thomas and Betty couples having children baptised in Rochdale in 1790s.
2 marriages at St. Chad's, Rochdale might have been them:
6th Nov. 1788 Thomas Whitaker & Betty Redfearn
4th Jan. 1795 Thomas Whitaker, widower, this parish; Betty Shepherd, widow, this parish. Both made their mark. Witnesses Thomas and George Fletcher. Married by licence.

Burials of interest at St. Chad's:
*10th Nov. 1793 Betty Whitaker, wife of Thomas; abode Rochdale; occupation tailor
29th Nov. 1812 Betty Whitaker, wife of Thomas; abode Rochdale
There were other Betty Whitaker burials.
This may be burial of one of their children at St. Chad's: 8th Aug. 1792 Mary Whitaker, daughter of Thomas; abode Bank Yard; occupation tailor.  (She may have been the Mary baptised in July.)
*10th November was same day as daughter Elizabeth's baptism. 

Hi Maiden Stone,

There was a reason I discounted the mother being Betty Shepherd but silly me didn't write down why and now I can't remember why (sigh).  Although now I am wondering if Thomas first married a Hannah, secondly married Betty Redfearn and then thirdly married Betty Shepherd.  It looks like the burial for a Betty, wife of Thomas Whitaker (tailor) on 10 Nov 1793 is Betty Redfearn.  It could be that the burial for Betty, wife of Thomas Whitaker on 29 Nov 1812 is Betty Shepherd. 

[Maiden Stone]

Occupations on marriage register might have helped. 1795 marriage was by licence. It doesn't seem to be in Lancashire Archives catalogue. I was hoping it would have occupation.
The possibility of Thomas marrying 3 times, twice to women called Betty, occurred to me. However there's no evidence. They are such common names, it's just as likely Thomas was a different man. The fact that baptisms of children of the 2 Thomas & Betty marriages were in churches of different denominations gives me pause for thought. You would need to investigate the history of that Non-Conformist church in Rochdale. Late 18th century C.of E. baptism registers might include children of non-Anglican parents, as there was a tax on births for a period and Anglican clergy were responsible for collection.

[lmfamilyresearch]

George, my Sarah's husband, and a couple of his siblings were baptized at Blackwater Street Presbyterian whereas some of his other siblings were baptized at Union Street Wesleyan (and it seems to switch back and forth).  A couple of George and Sarah's children were baptized at St. Chad's, the others were born in Canada. 

It would be so much easier if I had some clue to Sarah's parents.  The only thing I can go by is John's (ca. 1790) grandchildren calling Charles Garth (George Garth and Sarah Whitaker's son) "cousin".  The only John I can find born about 1790 is the one who has Thomas as a father (and who is a tailor).

A lot of the problem is that I can't even say for sure when Sarah was born.  Her death/burial record says she was 57 years; her gravestone says 58 years; her marriage certificate calls her a spinster and doesn't indicate whether she was full age, a minor or had parents consent; I can't find the 1851 Canada Census for the Montreal area (there are several areas in Canada that don't have the 1851 census available); and she died before the 1861 census was taken.

[Maiden Stone]

May be marriage of daughter Martha at St. Chad's.
23rd March 1815 groom John Bingley Outram. Witnesses Mary Redfearn, James Whitaker. By licence.
A Martha Whitaker married on 30th July 1815 and another in 1822.

Imo Martha who married John Outram was a daughter of the Thomas Whitaker and Betty Redfearn marriage. Unless the Mary Redfearn witness was merely a friend.
Btw there were several Redfearn tailors but that may be coincidence.

[rea1]

My Great Aunt was always called Sally but on her birth and baptism certificates it was Sarah. Always baffles me why names were changed, my mum was Marie Blanche, known as Blanche, dad was John known as Jack. Why not give them these names in the 1st place.😊