Delving into the family history on and off for about 20 years has left me hopelessly addicted to the following clues, hunches and inevitable red herrings that are all needed to piece together the bare chapters of someone's life. Unable to resist people's 'brick walls' or an innocent query re the origin of grandparents and those before, there's nothing better than trying to find the unfound.
This is my sudoku, my multilevel crossword, my jigsaw where most of the pieces are missing and there's definitely no picture to start from.
So - to satisfy this addiction, each week I intend to choose someone at random from the 1881 census (checking that their story hasn't already unfolded on ancestry.co.uk) and uncover, piece together what I can from internet sources their untold story.
The puzzling and the unfolding story will be told in this blog.

Wednesday 8 August 2012

Third protagonist - John Waters

John married Sarah Jane Tolley in the Droitwich registration district (which includes Martin Hussingtree) Sept qtr 1880. 

 In 1871 Sarah was living on Strand Lane, Martin Hussingtree with husband Henry born about 1840 in Salwarpe Worcestershire, a bricklayer and son William H age 1. (Ancestry had them transcribed as Solley). There was a marriage registered in Sept qtr 1869 in the Droitwich district between Henry Tolley and Sarah Barton (no Jane though). Checking for a birth for Sarah Jane Barton brings up a birth registration in the Droitwich district June qtr 1847 which would match Sarah's age. There is a death registered for Henry Tolley of the right age in Droitwich district Sept qtr 1879.

 10 years previously in 1861 Sarah Jane had been a house servant for Romney family at Middleton Cottage, Salwarpe. The head of the family was the curate at St Martin Hussingtree. (Salwarpe is just across the fields fropm Martin Hussingtree.) In 1851 Sarah was with her family on Martin Green, Martin Hussingtree: father - James Barton born about 1819 Hindley, Worcestershire, a labourer; mother- Jane born about 1820 Wichbold Worcestershire; sisters - Isabella 1846, Caroline 1849 and Mary 1851; brother (described as son-in-law to James so perhaps a stepson) - Thomas Hardman 1843 Oddingley Worcestershire; and her grandmother Mary Barton born about 1791 place of birth unknown.
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