Re-examining Assumptions

One thing we need to do on a periodic basis when doing our genealogy and family history research is to re-examine our assumptions when it comes the "hmmm, is this the same person?" situation.

For over 10 years I had a note associated with my 2nd great-grandfather George Warrener of Cayton, Yorkshire, England. This note was concerning a possible second marriage after his first wife, Mary Ann Kay, died in 1876 in Stockton, County Durham, England. This possible second marriage was to Jemima Halliman (nee Jordan) in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, England in 1899:

England and Wales, marriage certificate for George Warrener and Jemima Halliman (nee Jordon), married 26 Dec 1899; citing 10a/155/131, Dec quarter 1899, Stockton registration district; General Register Office, Southport.

There were a few details in the marriage registration that just didn't fit at the time when I was first looking at the record:

1. He was listed as age 64 years (born about 1835) when I have him recorded as being baptized in 1829.
2. His occupation was a coal dealer yet I'd only seen him recorded in his later years as working as a foreman in a brick yard.
3. The occupation of his deceased father, William Warrener, was listed as "farm bailiff". In all the records I had for William he was always an AgLab.

None of these were showstoppers per se but at the time I just couldn't convince myself that the George Warrener that married Jemima Halliman was the same person as the George Warrener that married my 2nd great-grandmother May Ann Kay. 

Of course, that was before I started on my current project of reviewing family members that might be found in the 1939 England and Wales Register that was taken on September 29, 1939.

One of the names that was in the list to check was that of Elizabeth Warrener, the daughter of George Warrener and Mary Ann Kay. In her civil birth registration it was recorded that she was born on 15 May 1872. On July 24, 1899 she married John William Sadler:

England and Wales, marriage certificate for John William Sadler and Elizabeth Warrener; citing 10A/127/332, Sep quarter 1899, Stockton registration district; General Register Office, Southport.

In the registration she stated her father, George Warrener, was a coal merchant. But is this Elizabeth Warrener the daughter of my 2nd great-grandfather George Warrener?

This is where the 1939 Register comes into play. I found John W. Sadler and his wife Elizabeth recorded as living in Port Talbot, Glamorganshire, Wales:

1939 Register, Bedfordshire, England, RG 101, piece 7367I, image 012, line 29, 4 Greenfield Avenue, Port Talbot, Glamorganshire, Elizabeth Sadler.

One of the really nice details recorded in this 1939 Register is the date of birth of the person, or at least the date provided by the informant.

As you can see, Elizabeth Sadler has a date of birth of May 15, 1872. This is the same date as recorded in the civil registration for Elizabeth, the daughter of George Warrener and Mary Ann Kay. It would seem that the Elizabeth Warrener that married John William Sadler is the same Elizabeth Warrener that is the daughter of my 2nd great-grandfather George Warrener.

This also means that just a few months before George Warrener married Jemima Halliman she recorded her father as being a coal merchant. In his second marriage he states he was a coal dealer. So the occupation change seems to be valid.

This seems to have satisfied the second of my three concerns. What about the other two? Shaving a few years off your age when marrying someone almost half your age doesn't surprise me anymore. I've seen it many times by both partners in marriage registrations since I've been working on my tree since the first time I looked at this record in 2009. That's two concerns down, what about the occupation of his father?

The first time I looked at the marriage record I saw "town bailiff" but with more experience in deciphering writing I now see it as "farm bailiff". Additionally, William died in 1859. So George might have slightly inflated William's standing or William actually was a farm bailiff before he died.

One more point I need to make. I finally really looked at the record and paid attention to the participants. Not just the two being married but also the witnesses. That is when I noticed a "G. K. Warrener" as a witness. G. K. Warrener is most likely my great-grandfather George Kaye Warrener, the youngest son of George Warrener and Mary Ann Kay.

So after ten years from first ordering the marriage registration for George Warrener and Jemima Halliman (nee Jordan) I can finally add her and their son Walter Horsley Warrener, to my family tree.

There are several lessons from today's post:

• You always need to re-examine your assumptions and the associated records as you get additional facts and uncover newly found documents.
• As you improve your own knowledge in doing genealogy and family history research the records in your possession may provide additional clues. Take the time to re-read the documents.
• Don't be afraid to admit that you might be wrong in your initial conclusions. Make the corrections and document your reasons.