Elusive Mary

[julite]

For ages I've been trying to find Mary Hocknell. She married William Critchlow in Stoke on Trent in 1805. The 1841 Census suggests she was born in Staffordshire in 1786. I've trawled trhough births on FMP/Ancestry/FS - extending spelling/ birth range/location and checking possibilities wagainst deaths/marriages. Today I've hit a long range possibility - Mary Hinkinsal born in Burton on Trent in 1786. I've been unable to find any other people anywhere with this name - wondered whether the vicar misheard! William and Mary's first child was called Samuel - I can't find any close Samuels in William's Family, but Samuel Hinkinsal is given as the father on the baptism record.
Clutching at straws? And even if it is a mangling of Hocknell, as I can't find him anywhere else- still no further back with my Mary's roots..... Any ideas?

[julite]

Gro death info for 1843 indicates she was born c 1781 - but who knows how accurate this is!

[Elaine]

Don't know if this will help, earliest mention of a Hocknell in the Staffordshire papers is at Market Drayton

Staffordshire Advertiser 03 April 1802

[JudithM]

Don't forget 1841 ages were supposed to be rounded down to nearest multiple of 5 so age 55 on census date -6 June 1841 could mean a birth between 7 June 1781 and 6 June 1786

[Elaine]

and I had found this

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JM82-SM8

Mary Hocknel
England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
Name: Mary Hocknel
Gender: Female
Christening Date: 18 Feb 1781
Christening Date (Original): 18 FEB 1781
Christening Place: MARKET DRAYTON,SHROPSHIRE,ENGLAND
Father's Name: John Hocknel

wondered if it was a possibility looking at the map

[vera2013]

There was another child born, this time surname Hinkinson

Samuel 25/12/1788 son of Samuel and Mary.
FMP Staffs parish baptism browse page 162. Burton on Trent, St Modwen

Vera

[julite]

Thank you all for the observations/suggestions - I think I've checked out the all the Hockn*lls I can find. Most were born in Cheshire with a few in Shropshire , with an enclave in Adbaston in the south of Staffordshire- a number of the parishes are close enough for the families to have lived over the border in north Staffordshire. I hadn't found the Burton on Trent Samuel - hadn't tried changing the end of the name, Back to the drawing board!