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Hi, can anyone help me find Jane Maria Donovan, born about 1870 in Croydon, Surrey, on the 1871 and 1881 census? She married Charles Bailey in 1889 and they appear together on the 1891 censuses onwards. I'm also trying to find out who her parents were, but can't find her registered birth. Any help welcome.

Thanks, Sue

Hello Sue, there was no pressure on parents to register births before around 1874 so many went unrecorded, there's a chance she may have been one of them.

Her father (if known to her) should be recorded on her marriage certificate.

Marriage Record Name Jane Maria Donovan
Year of Marriage 1889
Quarter of Marriage Apr-May-Jun
Registration District Croydon
Registration County Surrey
Spouse's Surname Only available for records after 1912
Volume Number 2A
Volume Page 370



Marriage Record Name Charles Bailey
Year of Marriage 1889
Quarter of Marriage Apr-May-Jun
Registration District Croydon
Registration County Surrey
Spouse's Surname Only available for records after 1912
Volume Number 2A
Volume Page 370

Yes, I should be able to get her marriage certificate when funds permit, but I was hoping to find out more about her siblings, if any, etc from the census records.

Not always easy is it?

S

Jusr in case you might need this in the future I did find this Jane with no birth place and there was also a Johanna Donovan in the same home b 1876 again with no birthplace

1881

Name: Jane Donovan
Age: 9
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1872
Relation: Boarder
Gender: Female

Civil parish: St John Hampton
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street Address: Hamstead Green Sisters of Providence
Education:

Employment status:

View image
Occupation: Scholar

Registration district: Hampstead
Sub-registration district: Hampstead
ED, institution, or vessel: 10
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 168
Folio: 33
Page Number: 7

That's interesting K, thank you very much. I'm not sure if I can tie it in at present, but will certainly bear it in mind.

S

Hello again.
I'm not sure if this is the way to continue with an old thread, but I'll try. As you can see I have been looking (though spasmodically) for Jane Maria Donovan for a couple of years now. I strongly believe that the family of Thomas Keating/Kating (in 1871, Calin) became Donovans for some reason. but I cannot prove it. I think that the Jane Maria Kating baptised in Croydon, parents Thomas and Eliza, was married as Jane Maria Donovan. Does anyone agree?
Thanks very much

So you believe this baptism and marriage are you same lady >


Name:
Jane Maria Kating
Birth Date:11 Nov 1870

Baptism Date:22 Dec 1870

Archive Provided Parish:Croydon, Holy Saviour
Parish as it Appears:Croydon, St Saviour

Father:Thomas Kating
Mother:Eliza Kating


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

Name:
Jane Maria Donovan
Age:18
Birth Year:abt 1871

Marriage Date:16 Jun 1889

Archive Provided Parish:Croydon, Holy Saviour
Parish as it Appears:Croydon, St Saviour

Spouse:Charles Bailey
Spouse Age:23

Father:Thomas Donovan

Spouse Father:Charles Bailey

Just to add a little to the records posted above, in case it helps trace them, the address on the 1870 baptism looks like Beasham?? Lane and Thomas was a labourer.

On the 1889 marriage Jane Maria's address was 72 Foster Road, Croydon and father Thomas was a farmer. Witnesses were George Russell and Francis Wilkinson.

Sue - you have done exactly the right thing continuing on this thread, keeps all the info in one place and much easier for us to help.

Hi

Thanks for replying to this, and yes that is what I'm saying. Jane Maria had siblings Michael and Ellen Louise, all christened as Kating, and all married as Donovan. Her mother Eliza married Thomas Donovan, only appeared to show in censuses as Keating (or different spellings) until 1901 when she was named as Donovan. I don't understand it, and perhaps I'm wrong, but I can't see them anywhere else.

The address in Bensham Lane, and then Foster Road. In 1891 Michael (Donovan) was still living at 72 Foster Road, and also there was an Eliza Keating. Thomas I'm sure was never a farmer (in Croydon?) but perhaps a labourer, and George Russell and Francis Wilkinson appear on quite a few certificates at the time, so I'm thinking they were probably Register staff.

Sue

Sue, have you got Eliza and Thomas plus the children together on a census?

Just thinking aloud, but if Eliza and Thomas weren't married (or at least until much later?) then that could account for baptisms in mother's name and marriages in father's name if that's what they were later known as.

Do you have the marriage record for Thomas and Eliza?

Thomas and Eliza are on the 1871 census (as Calin) with George (Eliza's illegitimate son from before her marriage), Ellen, Michael and Jane, all on a separate page and transcribed on Ancestry as Calore. Thomas Keating and Eliza Wesson were married in 1869. Ellen and Michael were born before this, and Jane Maria afterwards. All 3 siblings were baptised as Kating.

Eliza (Thomas' wife), Michael and Jane are on 1881 as Keating. Ellen Louisa marries as Donovan in 1888, Jane Maria marries as Donovan in 1889 and Michael marries as Donovan in 1890. I can't find Ellen's marriage cert on line, but Jane and Michael show their father as Thomas Donovan.

I'm possibly clutching at straws, but I really do think it's the same family.

Sue


it all does seem to hang together.


It might help if (when?) you can afford one of the birth certificates to see what is on there.



I found a family like this when helping someone a few years back.


It turned out that they had changed their name after one census, and also moved away from their "home" village.

I found them on 3 censuses under the new name, then the father died .................. and they appeared on the next census under their original name.


We could only conclude that father had done something wrong, and so changed his name.

1881 census

Name: Jane Keating
Age (Original): 10
Gender: Female
Birth Year: 1871
Birthplace: Croydon, Surrey, England
Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Scholar
Address: 55 Forster Rd
Event Place: Croydon, Surrey, England
Disability:
Record Type: Household
GS Film number: 1341192
Affiliate Publication Number: RG11
Piece/Folio: 815 / 40
Page Number: 32
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Eliza Keating F 43 Croydon, Surrey, England
Son Michael Keating M 14 Croydon, Surrey, England
Daughter Jane Keating F 10 Croydon, Surrey, England

Looking at the image for the 1891 that is the clincher as there is a Thomas Wesson lodging with Eliza Keating (head of her own household) and they're all living at 72 Foster Road with (son) Michael Donovan and his family.

On 1881 & 1891 Eliza is married but where's Thomas Keating?

It's also possible that Thomas Keating and Thomas Donovan are two different people and the latter being the real father (just another theory). As regards Thomas Donovan being stated as a farmer on Jane's marriage - is it beyond the realms of possibility that there were farms in the Croydon area back then?

Sue, you said Eliza Wesson and Thomas KEATING were married 1869 - not according to this record:

England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915

Name: Eliza Wesson
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1869
Registration district: Croydon
Inferred County: Surrey
Volume Number: 2a
Page Number: 268

Records on Page:
Name
Thomas Donovon ?????
Sarah Pike
James Varnham
Eliza Wesson


ADDED:

Surrey, England, Marriages, 1754-1937

Name: Eliza Wesson

Age: Full Age
Marriage Date: 9 May 1869
Archive Provided Parish: Croydon, St John
Parish as it Appears: Croydon

Spouse: Thomas Donovon - labourer
Spouse Age: Full Age

Father: James Wesson - labourer
Spouse Father: Thomas Donovon - labourer

Reference Number: 2888/1/3

Both of full age and from Croydon, neither previously married. Both made their mark.

Witnesses: Ebenezer Whittaker & William Joseph Kilmister.

It appears it's not Keatings changing to Donovans, but the other way round.

Just putting that 1871 here for clues, the name on the image looks as though it's written as Catin which is probably phonetic for Keating and as they were illiterate then they wouldn't be aware of spelling.

1871 England Census

Name: Thomas Calin
Age: 36
Estimated birth year: abt 1835
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Eliza Calin
Gender: Male
Where born: Dunton Green, Kent, England

Civil Parish: Croydon
Ecclesiastical parish: St Saviour
Town: Croydon
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England
Registration district: Croydon
Sub-registration district: Croydon

ED, institution, or vessel: 21
Household schedule number: 269
Piece: 842
Folio: 124
Page Number: 58

Household Members:
Name Age
Thomas Calin 36
Eliza Calin 32
George Calore 13
Ellen Calore 5
Michel Calore 4
Jane Calore 4 Months

Everyone born Croydon except Thomas

I know I'm straying from the Donovan/Keating conundrum but just hunting around for clues. I think the 3 year old George listed here as son of James and Jane may actually be Eliza's son and be the 13 year old George with her in 1871.

1861 England Census
Name: Eliza Wesson
Age: 21
Estimated birth year: 1840
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: James Wesson
Mother's name: Jane Wesson
Gender: Female
Where born: Croydon, Surrey, England

Civil Parish: Croydon
Ecclesiastical parish: St James
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England

Street address: 5 Bensham Cottages
Condition as to marriage: Single

Registration district: Croydon
Sub-registration district: Croydon
ED, institution, or vessel: 19
Household schedule number: 245
Piece: 450
Folio: 25
Page Number: 52

Household Members:
Name Age
James Wesson 53 - Farm labourer
Jane Wesson 43
James Wesson 23
Eliza Wesson 21
Elizabeth Wesson 19
Joseph Wesson 16
William Wesson 14
Ellen Wesson 12
Emma Wesson 4
George Wesson 3 ***
Paul Wesson 1

Going by the age and birthplace I'd say this is Eliza's partner from the 1871 census:

1861 England Census
Name: Thomas Keating
Age: 26
Estimated birth year: 1835
Relation: Brother
Gender: Male
Where born: Duncan Green, Kent, England <<<
Civil Parish: Croydon
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
County/Island: Surrey
Country: England

Street address: King Street
Occupation: Bricklayer's labourer
Condition as to marriage: Single

Registration district: Croydon
Sub-registration district: Croydon
ED, institution, or vessel: 8
Household schedule number: 82
Piece: 448
Folio: 78
Page Number: 24

Household Members:
Name Age
Michael Keating 27 - bricklayer's labourer, born Ireland
Jane Keating 28
Ellen Keating 6
Michael Keating 4
Mary Keating 1
Thomas Keating 26 ***
Susan Simpson 27
Harriet Redford 18
George Mitchell 26