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Illegitimacy and Oxfordshire Dead Ends

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  • Illegitimacy and Oxfordshire Dead Ends

    Hi everyone. My research is mainly focused on the Cuddesdon area. I've hit a few brick walls and wondered if anyone could help?

    Marietta WOODWARD was born abt. 1859 in Garsington. She took the name of her mother, Eliza WOODWARDS (and took the 's' off, for some reason), and not of her supposed father, Charles QUARTERMAN. Charles and Eliza may have never gone on to marry each other. So it is likely that Marietta was illegitimate. Would the father still be on the birth certificate if the parents were unmarried? Does anyone know anything about the family? These two are very elusive – I have virtually nothing for them after childhood - they must have hidden when the census man came round!

    Eliza's father, John WOODWARDS, was born bet. 1806-1811 and he married Jane HOLDER, born bet. 1798-1801. They both died in Headington in 1858. I have their children – does anyone know anything of their birth or parentage?

    Charles' father, William QUARTERMAN, was born abt. 1801 and his wife was Hannah WARDEN, who was born abt. 1811 and died in Reading in 1881. Likewise, does anyone know anything of them?

    I have a William BRYANT, born abt. 1816 in Cuddesdon. I have lots about him, but am, again, trying to trace backwards through the mire of pre-BMD. His father, Thomas BRYANT, was born between 1789 and 1791, and died in Headington in 1868. Thomas' wife was Sarah GARDNER, born between 1788 and 1796, died between 1851 and 1861. I have no parents for Sarah. Thomas is the son of another William BRYANT but I know nothing at all about him. Can anyone help?

    The final person in Oxfordshire for whom I have no parentage is Mary WEBB. She was born abt. 1806 in Burcott and died in 1853 in Wycombe. She married John LOVETT from Dorset. Again, I'd be extremely grateful if anyone could shed some light on her origins.

    Thank you.

    Laura

  • #2
    Originally posted by cooksferryqueen View Post
    Marietta WOODWARD was born abt. 1859 in Garsington. She took the name of her mother, Eliza WOODWARDS (and took the 's' off, for some reason), and not of her supposed father, Charles QUARTERMAN. Charles and Eliza may have never gone on to marry each other. So it is likely that Marietta was illegitimate. Would the father still be on the birth certificate if the parents were unmarried?
    Hi Laura,
    Normally an unmarried father's name would only be on the birth certificate if he went along with the mother to register the birth, or if the mother pretended she was married to him. But in the first few decades of civil registration it seems that some registrars allowed the mother to put the father's name down even if she wasn't married to him and he wasn't there. The best way to find out would be to get a copy of Marietta's birth certificate. Where have you got Charles's name from? Marietta's marriage certificate, presumably?
    KiteRunner

    Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
    (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

    Comment


    • #3
      In theory ( lol) if a birth cert has a mother and a father recorded and they have different surnames, then there should be TWO index entries in the GRO records to direct people to the certificate.

      Here's an example.....On the cert the mum is Miss Ward and the father is Mr Morgan:

      Births, First Quarter, 1870
      Morgan Simon William M District Kensington Volume 1a Page 96
      Ward Simon William M District Kensington Volume 1a Page 96

      Obviously, if the child had been called plain William Ward or Morgan it wouldn't have been obvious from the index entries for the same Vol and Page number than the two refs were for the same cert!!

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      • #4
        There has been the odd example where the father's name was written in and crossed out, so I think it would be worth getting the birth certificate anyway, to check. But I couldn't see it on FreeBMD when I searched earlier - I think the nearest I could find was a Marietta Woodward in 1857 but in Worcester district.
        KiteRunner

        Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
        (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

        Comment


        • #5
          I think this is the birth reg

          Woodwards Maritta Headington Vol 3a page 546 (I looked on the image and that seems to be the way her first name is spelt on there)

          I've been trying to find this family (the Woodwards) and I'm getting confused. You said that Marietta's grandparents, John and Jane died in 1858. There is a strange entry on FreeBMD for Q/E March 1858 that says "Woodwards Jane John" but the image shows just John in Headington. I don't think that's him though because I think they're here in 1861

          RG9, piece 889, folio 63, page 29

          John Woodwards Head age 50 Agrl Labourer born Garsington
          Jane wife age 63 born Oxon Wheatley (I think that's what it says)
          Eliza daur aged 23 unmarried b Garsington
          Maritte grand daughter age 2 b Garsington

          Jackie
          Jackie

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          • #6
            I think Eliza (Woodward without the 's') married William Rogers in Q/E Sep 1867 (Headington) Vol 3a page 851 and they're all here together in 1871

            RG10, piece 1433, folio 63, page 26

            Jno Woodward 62 Ag lab
            Jane wife 75
            Willm Rogers son in law 40 shepherd
            Eliza Rogers wife 34
            Martha Woodward dau 12 (I presume this is Marietta)
            Sidney Woodward son 10
            Ada Rogers dau 5
            Ernest Rogers son 4
            Elizabeth Rogers dau 2
            William Rogers son 1

            Everyone born Garsington

            Jackie
            Jackie

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            • #7
              Gosh, my head's spinning! Thanks for the tips, everyone xxx

              Comment


              • #8
                John Woodward of Garsington married Jane Holder at Cuddesdon 28 Oct 1827

                William Quartermaine of Denton married Hannah Warden at Cuddesdon 5 Sep 1825

                Thomas Bryant married Sarah Gardner 8 Dec 1814 at Oxford St Aldates. They are both described as "Lodgers"

                John Lovett married Mary Webb at Dorchester 8 Jun 1828
                Grampa Jim passed away September 2011

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi everyone,

                  I don't actually know how we know that Charles Quarterman was Marietta's father. That part of the tree was done years ago. I imagine that Marietta herself said so (my great-aunt remembers her clearly) or her daughter, Annie, who died in the '70s. There was certainly a Charles Quarterman in the area at the time. Marietta's younger brother was also illegitimate - I don't know if he was Quarterman's as well, or if our Eliza got about a bit!

                  It's interesting that the birth certificate reads Maritta but her grave definitely says Marietta (I know, I've seen it!)

                  It's good to see what happened to Eliza. And thank you for the marriage details, Grampa!

                  Thanks, all.

                  Laura

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    When you're looking for Sarah's ancestry, it may be helpful (or depressing!) to realise that that surname is a bit changeable in Oxfordshire. I have some and the name changes a lot from one generation to the next! (see my footer) - including GARDE/INER.

                    Christine
                    Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Bear in mind that many (most) people's names are recorded differently at different times. Official documents were filled in by officials and often illiterate (or barely literate) people supplied the information. People were not as obsessed as we are today with ensuring the "right" spellings.

                      I have a Myra/Miriah/Maria for example. No idea how she pronounced her name or what her parents really intended to call her!
                      ~ with love from Little Nell~
                      Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        It's possible that Marietta's mother claimed maintenance from Mr Quartermain. I think these records would be in the quarter sessions papers at the relevant records office, though of course he may have had an informal arrangement with her.
                        ~ with love from Little Nell~
                        Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Thanks! Names are tricky, aren't they? I might try a few variants on Gardner, see if I find anything that way.

                          What are the quarter sessions papers?

                          Laura

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                          • #14
                            borobabs or brenmac i think the username is, has holder's in her tree

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by cooksferryqueen View Post
                              ...

                              What are the quarter sessions papers?

                              Laura
                              I think Nell's busy today...

                              Quarter Sessions are the courts that meet quarterly. They dealt with things such as Settlement Orders - where parishes were trying to make sure they didn't have to shoulder the financial burden of people who had no good claim on them.

                              I have a (faint) hope that something might turn up about my John STRATFORD, b Tingewick, Bucks, but living before long in Wigginton, Oxon. If I could find a Settlement Order, it should explain his connection to Wigginton (if there is one - and I have a strong suspicion that there is): that would be the basis for him not appearing to have grown up in the parish where he was baptised.

                              Christine
                              Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

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