In the 1891 census, Francis Newton (my great grand father) had married a woman named Hannah. No record could be found of the marriage but from the census it was known that Hannah had been born in Clowne Derbyshire in about 1863. In the 1991 census, Francis and Hannah's eldest child was 8 years old so the marriage would have been about 1882.
In the 1871 census, only one Hannah has been found who was born in Clowne around 1863. She was the illegitimate child of Martha Morton and was christened on the 6th April 1862 in Clowne. The birth was registered in Worksop.
In the 1861 census Joseph and Hannah Morton were living with their daughter Martha (14) and their son Thomas (2). Harriet aged 16 was working away as a domestic servant
In the 1871 census Joseph Morton (56), a widowed agricultural labourer, was living with his unmarried daughter Martha Morton (25), his unmarried son Thomas Morton (12), and his granddaughter Hannah Morton (
. All members of the household were born in Clowne. This ties in with Hannah Newton in the 1891 census.
In the 1881 census Hannah Morton (18) is living with her uncle Thomas Morton on High Street in Clowne as his housekeeper, he is 4 years older than her, both were born in Clowne.
All the information matches what is known of Francis’ wife so I think I have found her.
Unfortunately this record was found in the Derbyshire Church of England Parish Registers:-
The marriage of William Newton (bachelor) residing in Stanfree to Hannah Morton (spinster) residing in Clowne was recorded on 15th January1883 at St Mary and St Laurence Church, Bolsover, Derbyshire. Both bride and groom were recorded as being of full age. The groom's father was William Newton and the bride's father was Joseph Morton. (Deceased).The witnesses were Charles Tempril and Elizabeth Highfield. The groom and the first witness “made their mark”. The marriage was registered in the first quarter of 1883 at Chesterfield (Vol 7b; page 917) .
The date is right and all the bride’s information matches what is known. The groom’s father’s name and the groom’s residency are correct but the groom is named William instead of Francis. The record doesn't give the exact ages of the bride or groom.
Francis put his mark on the certificate, so he would not have been able to read that the wrong name had been written. No record of a Francis Newton getting married has been found.
I have think that the groom’s name was a mistake and this was the marriage of Francis Newton. Has anybody else come across wrong names being used in records, rather than just misspell?
