I am a bit stumped

[George]

Kezia Morris Raynor born December 1st 1887, baptised Feb 5th 1888 to Edmund and Kezia Raynor nee Morris, father - publican of 2 Bottom of the Moor, Oldham.

In 1891, she appears aged 3 yrs with mum, dad and older sister Emma in Oldham.

After this I can find no trace of her.

Her father sadly died at the end of 1891, her mother remarried in 1893 to Abraham Hilton. Mum then died in 1894 aged 29 of a malignant intenstinal growth, intenstinal obstruction & exhaustion. It looks like it may have been cancer.

After contacting Oldham Cemeteries team, they told me that the mother is buried in Greenacres Cemetery, Oldham as Kezia Hilton but there is no child named Kezia Raynor in the same plot. As mum bought the plot when her 1st hubby died, odds are he is the plot with her.

In 1901 sister Emma (surname misspelt as Rayner) appears aged 16 with the step dad Abraham Hilton in Oldham, recorded under birth name of Emma Raynor. I am guessing that as Emma kept her birth name that her sister would have done this too.

I can find no death, marriage or census listing for this youngster, I have tried every misspelling I can think of.

I have tried to find a marriage for her sister, but have managed to rule out all the possibles.

I am baffled as to what became of her.

These ancestors do not like making things easy for their descendants do they?

George

[Phoenix]

My first thought was that the widower might not have been able to look after the younger girl and she was either adopted by a childless couple, or sent to Canada - though I suspect that second option might have occurred to you too.

[Olde Crone Holden]

Have you considered this marriage:

Keda G Rayner to Edward Nh J Thorniwill, Toxteth Park, 1902.

It has the look of a mistranscription, lol. Granted she would only have been 14 and out of area, but as she was an orphan.....

There is also a wild card - a Kezia HOLDEN (lol) who marries at least three times from about 1904, always in Oldham. Her maiden name appears to be Shipley though, although who can tell.(I have occasionally seen Hilton as a mistranscription for Holden, that's why it caught my eye).

I'll see if I can spot her in 1901....

OC

[Olde Crone Holden]

No, scrap the wild card Kezia Holden - she started life as a Hughes and married 4 times.

OC

[George]

I checked the british home child database but could not see her, as I thought maybe the stepdad kept Emma as she was 9 when her mum died and probably old enough to help around the house while Kezia was 6 at the time.

[Christine in Herts]

Her birth record appears on Lancs BMD (Lancashire Births Marriages & Deaths) - as Kezzia RAYNOR, MMN = MORRIS.

They have the 1893 marriage in Oldham, St. James, but there aren't any others showing up for a Kezia RAYNOR.

And no deaths showing either.

Christine

[Canadian Cousin]

A bit of a long shot perhaps, but have you traced Kezia (the mother) Morris's mother and/or siisters up to the 1901 census? I'm just wondering if Kezia (the daughter) might have gone to live with a married aunt or re-married grandmother; and if so, perhaps she was recorded under that family's surname (and Kezia, I'm sure, is easily mistranscribed).

If you've tried this already, please ignore.

HTH -

Tim

[George]

I have traced them barring two sisters Sarah b 1866 and Elizabeth b c1859, Sarah appears in service in 1881 in West Bromwich (this is where the family came from) while Elizabeth last appears in 1871 aged 13, As their names are so common I am having trouble narrowing down possible marriages.

George