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Hi all,

I have a problem and need some sharp eyes to help knock down a wall.

My gg/grandmother Mary Elizabeth Wright was born in Warton, Warwickshire in 1857, the daughter of Paul Wright and Sarah Slaney who were married in Birmingham 1853 (cert is ordered).

I've found mention of Sarah Slaney born c1834 in Warton, parent's Joseph and Mary Slaney. The info comes from census records 1841 and 1851 plus IGI baptism. See below.

SARAH SLANEY
Female


Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 24 NOV 1833 Polesworth, Warwick, England

Death:
Burial:



Parents:
Father: JOSEPH SLANEY
Mother: MARY



Extracted birth or christening record for locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.




1841 England Census
about Sarah Haney (mis-transcribed)
Name: Sarah Haney
Age: 7
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1834
Gender: Female
Where born: Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Polesworth
Hundred: Hemlingford (Atherstone Division)
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation: View Image

Registration district: Atherstone
Sub-registration district: Atherstone
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Enoch Haney 3
Hallan Haney 11 Mo
Henry Haney 11
Joseph Haney 45
Mary Haney 40
Mathew Haney 10
Richard Haney 5
Sarah Haney 7
Thomas Haney 20



Source Citation: Class: HO107; Piece 1130; Book: 7; Civil Parish: Polesworth; County: Warwickshire; Enumeration District: 16; Folio: 13; Page: 18; Line: 1; GSU roll: 464172.





1851 England Census
about Sarah Slaney
Name: Sarah Slaney
Age: 17
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1834
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Joseph
Mother's Name: Mary
Gender: Female
Where born: Warton, Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Polesworth
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View Image

Registration district: Atherstone
Sub-registration district: Atherstone
ED, institution, or vessel: 6a
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 76
Household Members: Name Age
Alice Slaney 7
Allen Slaney 11
Enoch Slaney 13
Joseph Slaney 58
Mary Slaney 53
Richard Slaney 15
Sarah Slaney 17


Source Citation: Class: HO107; Piece: 2064; Folio: 99; Page: 17; GSU roll: 87323.






By 1861, Sarah is already a widow as her husband Paul died the previous year. She has Joseph living with her. Her daughter Mary Elizabeth Wright is living with Sarah's sister Elizabeth Marshall.

Now comes the tricky part.

There's another Sarah Slaney born in Warton c1834 appearing in the 1861 census. This Sarah is unmarried and remains a spinster for the rest of her life.


1861 England Census
about Sarah Slaney
Name: Sarah Slaney
Age: 26
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Wharton, Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Shustoke
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage: View Image

Registration district: Atherstone
Sub-registration district: Atherstone
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 21
Household Members: Name Age
Mary Ann Berrick 16
Rosamann J Berrick 25
William Ebdell 15
Jane Mear 14
Sarah Slaney 26
Charles Smith 18
George Smith 45
Maria T Smith 49
Sarah Smith 16
Williams Smith 21



Source Citation: Class: RG9; Piece: 2191; Folio: 28; Page: 5; GSU roll: 542933.




There is no record for a second Sarah Slaney in earlier census records. If she's there, then she's been horribly mis-transcribed or she just materialized out of thin air in 1861.

I know that the marriage cert will determine if my Sarah Wright/Slaney is the daughter of Joseph and Mary Slaney but it is at least 3 weeks away. It will take at least this long to arrive in Australia with the xmas and new year break.

In the meantime, is there anyone up to the challenge of finding the second Sarah and cracking this mystery before the cert arrives?

I can't give you a medal..........................lol, but I'll bow to your brilliance!!!!!





Deb:)

[blah blah blah]

That's me saying what some will say I usually say, but in this case just marking the thread for future consideration, since I can't do it any kind of justice now and I'm the one who said Deb must put it here and promised to get to it. Now some meanie will probably solve the puzzle before I get a chance to even try ...

Oh, go to your bed, Kathryn. I promise not to even look pmsl

Okay, that was too embarrassing to even leave on the board, so it's been edited out.

... I stuck in my thumb and found ... your Sarah in 1841. Wot a clever girl I am ...

Is this some other Sarah Slaney in 1871?


Name: Sarah Slaney
Age: 26
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1845
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Warter, Warwickshire, England
Occupation: Nurse

Civil Parish: Upper Swinford
Ecclesiastical parish: Old Swinford and St Mary
Town: Old Swinford
County/Island: Worcestershire
Country: England
Registration district: Stourbridge
Sub-registration district: Stourbridge


... cos I can't find the imposter elsewhere.


But here she is in 1881:


Name: Sarah Slaney
Age: 48
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1833
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Warton, Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Kingsbury
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Street address: Cliff
Occupation: Cook Domestic

Registration district: Tamworth
Sub-registration district: Fazeley


Just checking to see whether her details are consistent.

Yep Kathryn, that's the right one!

So, oh brilliant one........lol, can you see her in 41 and 51?


Deb:)

The Sarah from 1871, occupation nurse is a cousin of my Sarah............so she can be discounted. Here she is in 61 just for reference:



CHILWELL, Joseph Head Married M 50 Graycer & Farmer Of 354 Acres Of Land Employin ###
Warton
Warwickshire
CHILWELL, Mary Wife Married F 45
Polesworth
Warwickshire
CHILWELL, Amelia Daughter F 9 Scholar
Warton
Warwickshire
CHILWELL, Sarah Daughter F 8 Scholar
Warton
Warwickshire
MEACH, Sarah Servant Unmarried F 17 House Servant
Polesworth
Warwickshire
MARTIN, Mary Servant Widow F 46 Dairy Maid
Middleton
Warwickshire
SLANEY, Sarah Ann Servant F 16 Housemaid
Warton
Warwickshire
BRADFORD, Thomas Servant M 14 General Servant
Leicester...
LAVEAMORE, William Boarder Unmarried M 65 Retired...
Polesworth
Warwickshire

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RG number:
RG09 Piece:
2191 Folio:
82 Page:
18

Registration District:
Atherstone Sub District:
1 Atherstone EnumerationDistrict:
7 Ecclesiastical Parish:


Civil Parish:
Polesworth Municipal Borough:
Address:
Polesworth, Polesworth County:
Warwickshire






Deb:)

Nudging for help.



Deb:)

Reporting for duty! Actually, can't, it's 8:30 and I've got 20 hours of work to do before 5 pm.

But I haven't been ignoring it! I've come back to the Sarahs Slaney from time to time, dithered over them ... I think my present hypothesis is that there must have been one of those stepfather thingies going on, either Slaney or whatever she was before that was a step-name. I don't know! But I haven't given up.

Alternative theory is that she and my grx2 grfather Reuben Cooper were shacked up somewhere in Havana ...

just a thought, but the two Sarah Slaney's in the 1861 census, could they be the same person? I have several ancestors who were recorded twice on the census night, i.e. at home and at place of work. Her employer possibly thought she was unmarried.

just realised that the Sarah of Joseph and Mary would not be Mary Slaney in 1861 as she was married. DOH!, so ignore me.

right I may have found something, unless someone else can blow my theory out.

There is a Jemima Slaney born c1834 in Warton, in 1851 her occupation is a Dairy Maid.

in 1861 I can not find her anywhere.

but she reappears in 1871 still a dairy maid.

and guess what her mother's name is???

Sarah!!!!

So could she have adopted Sarah as her first name in 1861 for some reason.

I like it. Only problem is, the imposter Sarah Slaney lived a long life, ... but now that you mention it, I couldn't find her in 1871, could I??


This is her in 1861 and 1881:


Name: Sarah Slaney
Age: 26
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Wharton, Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Shustoke
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Registration district: Atherstone
Sub-registration district: Atherstone


Name: Sarah Slaney
Age: 48
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1833
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Warton, Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Kingsbury
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Street address: Cliff
Occupation: Cook Domestic

Registration district: Tamworth
Sub-registration district: Fazeley

(getting a little old for dairymaid-ing I guess)


This is Jemima in 1871:


Name: Jemima Slaney
Age: 36
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Wharton, Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Nuneaton
Ecclesiastical parish: Attleborough
Town: Nuneaton
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Registration district: Nuneaton
Sub-registration district: Nuneaton


Question is, is Sarah Slaney the dairymaid in the 1851?

... Oh, that's right. Deb could never find her there.

But Jemima Slaney is:


Name: Jemima Slaney
Age: 18
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1833
Relation: Servant
Gender: Female
Where born: Warton, Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Clifton Campville
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Registration district: Tamworth
Sub-registration district: Tamworth


In Tamworth. Where Sarah Slaney is in 1881. And her 1851 occupation is ... dairymaid.

By Jove. D'you think?

I'd had the same notion about a Leah Slaney I'd started to follow around, but I think that one fell through.

Now, we do have a Jemima Slaney marrying in 1882. Possibly a tad late for someone born c1834.

UH oh.

marriages:

Henry Coggins 1882 Jul-Aug-Sep Aston Warwickshire
Lewis Gallimore 1882 Jul-Aug-Sep Aston Warwickshire
Jemima Slaney 1882 Jul-Aug-Sep Aston Warwickshire
Charlotte Tomkins 1882 Jul-Aug-Sep Aston Warwickshire


1891 census:


Name: Jemima Gallimore
Age: 56
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: Levis
Gender: Female
Where born: Marton, Warwickshire, England

Civil Parish: Sutton Coldfield
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England

Registration district: Aston
Sub-registration district: Sutton Coldfield
ED, institution, or vessel: 5

Louis Barratt 19
Jemima Gallimore 56
Levis Gallimore 57
Richard Winder 30


Uh oh. Kaboom?

For ref, this is understood to be the death of the imposter/dairymaid Sarah Slaney:


Name: Sarah Slaney
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835
Year of Registration: 1887
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
Age at Death: 52
District: Tamworth
County: Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire
Volume: 6b
Page: 229

Woo hoo. This looks really promising!!!

I actually did look at Jemima thinking that Sarah may have been using a middle name. I did a search of all children aged between 3-10 in Polesworth. I think there were about 12 kids in all back then.

Was Jemima's father William? I can't remember. If so, then she's another cousin of my Sarah Wright/Slaney.

I have to go to work right now, but I'll come back later and check.




Thanks detectives Marple and Holmes..............aka Kathryn and Siobahan.......................lol

There are postems to a couple of marriages at FreeBMD:


Marriages Jun 1855
GALLIMORE Margaret Tamworth 6b 380
SLANEY Henry Tamworth 6b 380 Postem available
WHITE Sarah Tamworth 6b 380
WITHENSHAW David Tamworth 6b 380

03/03/2006 Have a Henry Slaney b.1830, wife Sarah, b.1835 as my g.g.gparents. Trying to trace the parents of Henry. Any connection with this marriage known please? [email address]
09/07/2006 Ancestors of Henry and Sarah White now to hand. [email address]


Ditto to this one:

Marriages Mar 1851
Slaney Henry Birmingham 16 391


I wonder ... A Henry Slaney marriage to a Sarah in Tamworth in 1855 ... what's the chance that the imposter Sarah Slaney was really a Slaney by marriage?

Nah ... here's that one -- Sarah White, I assume -- in 1861:


Name: Sarah Slaney
Age: 26
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1835
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: Henry
Gender: Female
Where born: Fazeley, Staffordshire, England

Civil Parish: Tamworth
Town: Tamworth
County/Island: Warwickshire
Country: England


And 1861 is one year we do have our imposter Sarah in.

Sarah and Henry a buried in the Warton Cemetery, as far as I'm told (haven't visited the cemetery myself). I was thinking that the death ref for Sarah Slaney in 1887 might have been Henry's wife Sarah White, but if she died in Tamworth, why would she be buried in Warton?

I'm just going to check my tree and come back with some death dates and see if this Tamworth death ref ties in with another Sarah Slaney in the family. There's another SIL or aunt by that name.






Deb:)





O.K. The death ref for 1887 fits in with the death of Sarah White/Slaney, therefore NOT the death of the imposter! It's looking more and more like she was actually Jemima.



JEMIMA SLANEY
Female


Birth:
Christening: 08 JUN 1834 Polesworth, Warwick, England

Death:
Burial:



Father: WILLIAM SLANEY Family
Mother: SARAH



Extracted birth or christening record for locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.





By jove.............................I think you've cracked it ladies..............................yeah!!!!!!

ooooh I am glad my theory wasnt ruled out, it looks very likely that it is her doesnt it? Especially as Jemima has vanished from the 1861 census and this imposter Sarah appears and then vanishes again when Jemima reappears in the later census' and also the same occupations.

Glad to be of help. I just wish I could solve my elusive ones.

nononono, you guys.

Jemima Slaney got married late in life:


Henry Coggins 1882 Jul-Aug-Sep Aston Warwickshire
*Lewis Gallimore* 1882 Jul-Aug-Sep Aston Warwickshire
*Jemima Slaney* 1882 Jul-Aug-Sep Aston Warwickshire
Charlotte Tomkins 1882 Jul-Aug-Sep Aston Warwickshire


1891 census:

Name: *Jemima Gallimore*
Age: 56
Estimated Birth Year: abt *1835*
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: *Levis* (Lewis, of course)
Gender: Female
Where born: Marton, Warwickshire, England


So she didn't die as a Slaney spinster. No Sarah Slaney for you. And no kudos for anybody. ;)


-- oh, I get it -- your correspondent may have been mistaken about his Sarah Slaney dying a spinster.

Is the Sarah Slaney death that now appears to be Sarah White, wife of Henry Slaney, the one he was claiming as her death? Or did he just say "she never married" because he wasn't aware of that late-in-life marriage?

It looks like that *could* be the case -- not aware of her dual identity, not aware of her late marriage. I mean, it's not like we should be taking him as authority, given as how he's obviously wrongly claiming that your Sarah Slaney is that other Sarah Slaney ...

I wonder whether he's the one who left the postems at FreeBMD! It's probably uncool to be talking about another GR member ... but if we sort out his person, it will be a kindness. ;)

Kathryn,

Everything you said is spot on. The other member is waiting on my cert to arrive so that he can amend his tree.

He has done an enormous job researching this family. My Sarah has always been the sticking point because of the confusion between her and her cousin Jemima/Sarah.



Siobhan,

You've saved what hair is left on my head............................lol. Thank you for thinking "sideways" and spotting Jemima.



Both of you are brilliant............................BIG thankyou.




Deb:)