Hi everyone I have a REAL puzzler this time and I've got a theory but would like to see if anyone can confirm or put me right.
It starts so easy. My GG Grandfather was Enoch Monks born in 1844 in Manchester. I found his birth on Lancs BMD. The MMN is given as Monks. On the 1851 census he is living with his mother and her family and they all have the surname Monks. I assumed until now, that he was illegitimate and didn't look too deeply but researching on freereg.org.uk threw up something unexpected.
I found Enoch's marriage to my GG Grandmother, Emma Moore in 1870. It was his second marriage - I can't find anything at present regarding his first other than it was in 1866 to Pheobe Hawley and she died 6 months later - possibly complications of childbirth. It shows the right age for him and that he was a widower so it all fits, however, it says that his fathers name was James Monks and he was a Warper. I've searched marriages for James and Sarah but nothing fits perfectly. The best I can come up with is a marriage between James Neville and Sarah Monks in 1840 at Manchester Registry Office. There is then a death of a James Monks in 1848 age 49 as I have Sarah (re)marrying John Hampson in 1860.
So did James Neville marry Sarah Monks in 1840 but keep her surname and why would he do this?
Thanks
It starts so easy. My GG Grandfather was Enoch Monks born in 1844 in Manchester. I found his birth on Lancs BMD. The MMN is given as Monks. On the 1851 census he is living with his mother and her family and they all have the surname Monks. I assumed until now, that he was illegitimate and didn't look too deeply but researching on freereg.org.uk threw up something unexpected.
I found Enoch's marriage to my GG Grandmother, Emma Moore in 1870. It was his second marriage - I can't find anything at present regarding his first other than it was in 1866 to Pheobe Hawley and she died 6 months later - possibly complications of childbirth. It shows the right age for him and that he was a widower so it all fits, however, it says that his fathers name was James Monks and he was a Warper. I've searched marriages for James and Sarah but nothing fits perfectly. The best I can come up with is a marriage between James Neville and Sarah Monks in 1840 at Manchester Registry Office. There is then a death of a James Monks in 1848 age 49 as I have Sarah (re)marrying John Hampson in 1860.
So did James Neville marry Sarah Monks in 1840 but keep her surname and why would he do this?
Thanks
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