Mary Jane Howard - birth approx 1848/9

[lynne99]

I have been looking for the birth of my great grandmother
Mary Jane Howard.
According to 1851 census she was living with her father Richard and mother Elizabeth (nee Cowley) and aged 2 years. This gives a dob 1848/9. All her siblings were registered at birth and the boys , all older than her were baptised St Peter's. There were 3 girls that I know of Sarah Ellen b1846 and Margaret b1851 when the family were living in Gascoyne St. I cannot find baptisms for any of these girls but I have found their births on Free BMD (except for Mary Jane) and got Sarah Ellen's birth certificate in case that helped. It didn't
I have even looked in catholic baptisms with no luck. Both parents were baptised St Peters. I have all other info about her but really need help on this please.
Lynne

[dickiesam]

Hi Lynne,
It is possible that Mary Jane's birth was not registered. Prior to 1870 it was the local Registrar's job to seek out births in order to register them via information gleaned from doctors, midwives, infirmaries, priests, etc, and he was paid 'by the each'. Later it became the parents' responsibility to register a birth within a time limit of, I understand, 6 weeks.

[lynne99]

Thanks Dickiesam I understand that, but why were ALL the others registered and not her. Also, where is her baptism??

[Alison C]

FreeBMD has the following birth registration:

Births Sep 1848
HOWARD Mary Jane
West Derby
Vol 20
Page 943

I can't see a corresponding death before 1851. Could this be her?

Alison

[lynne99]

Thanks Alison C.
I've already rung GRO and had that checked. (A while ago now)
HOWARD Mary Jane W Derby 20 943 ? 1. S1848 20 943 W Derby - father is not Richard Howard and mother is not Elizabeth and mothers' maiden name is not Cowley. So unfortunately that does not look like a match. I have also checked
20 1149 W Derby - fathers' surname is not Howard, mothers' forename is not Elizabeth and mothers' maiden name is not Cowley.
There are also 3 Marys in Liverpool sept 1/4 1848 but the man at the GRo got fed up with me before then.

[MaryA]

A couple of points, you can actually request from the GRO - online - the birth certificate for Mary Jane Howard, father Richard, mother Elizabeth, giving the year 1848 and they will check both the year before and the year afterwards to find the correct entry. All you need to do is answer the question "Is the GRO Reference known" with a NO and you can then enter your criteria. If it is not found then you can be fairly sure that she wasn't registered using the details that you have.

Could they have changed their place of worship? Have you checked the Record Office resources for churches in the vicinity of where they were living or only those online?

Alternatively you have all the details from the boys - older than Mary Jane and also for a sister older than Mary Jane. You don't have details for her or the younger sister? Is it worth considering that it is a different Elizabeth who is mother of these two girls?

[lynne99]

Mary A. What a brilliant idea. I will send for the certificate with the details I know.
As for it being a different Elizabeth - I have traced Elizabeth Cowley from her birth to her marriage to Richard Howard in St Peter's 18 April 1838. Also have census 1841 and 51. Richard her husband died in 1854 and Elizabeth remarried to John Maddison at St Peter's on 7 May 1856. She died 1881 in Liverpool. She is on the 1881 census with her daughter Sarah Ellen and her husband John Roberts at 42 Gascoyne St. She lived in Gascoyne St from 1842 until her death.

[lynne99]

Sent for certificate as you suggested. Fingers crossed.

[MaryA]

Elizabeth remarried to John Maddison at St Peter's on 7 May 1856.

Well her father's name on that certificate would put paid to my thought, but it's always worth thinking around and about, not just straight.

Fingers crossed for that cert too.