So Sarah Ellen's mum was Rachel Howarth, and Samuel and Gertie Howarth were her brother and sister-in-law.
Mary
I think you're right, my notes about all this were taken over the phone (my aunt lives in US) and were taken about 6/7 years ago, so are a bit sketchy. I think that Samuel and Gertie could have been the brother and sister in law. If I remember rightly he was left on the grandma's doorstep first (so Sarah and Samuel's parents), then went to Samuel and Gertie, then ended up with Arthur and Sarah, as they were in a better position financially!
So the theory about the indiscretion, doesn't really add up with Arthur Swain... could the father have been Sarah's father? Maybe?
Presumably the mother must have been called Nolan though?
Mother not NECESSARILY called Nolan - Nolan might have been the father's name. Good Irish name for a lieutenant!
OC
But as he was called John Nolan - would that not 'quash' the theory about a Swain being the father?
And the other bit that I can't understand is her coming back for John. My aunt told me that he remembers her coming back for him and seeing a brother! Surely this would quash the theory about one of the Swain / Howarth ladies being the mother??
I did have a look at female Nolans in Rochdale in the 1901 census; only one was born in Ireland, but she was living with her husband, and far too old to be John's mother.
Presumably we can rule Gertrude out as the mother, as she was around all the time John was growing up.
But what if Henry J Swain was the father?
It just seems an incredible coincidence that TWO Gertrude Walls marry significantly linked names in this family.
Also, the fact that John was passed round the family like a parcel makes me think that he had some blood connection with this family, otherwise they would have just dumped him in the workhouse, surely.
But as we have two marriages for a Gertrude Wall in consecutive years, and Henry J Swain didn't die in between them, presumably there were two Gertrude Walls?
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