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And this would be him in 1851

1851 England Census
Name: Thomas Keating
Age: 17
Estimated birth year: abt 1834
Relation: Son
Father's Name: Michael Keating
Mother's name: Ellen Keating
Gender: Male

Where born: Otford, Kent, England
Civil Parish: Otford
County/Island: Kent

Country: England
Street address: Dunton Green
Occupation: Ag lab
Condition as to marriage: Single

Registration district: Sevenoaks
Sub-registration district: Sevenoaks
ED, institution, or vessel: 3b
Household schedule number: 3
Piece: 1613
Folio: 84
Page Number: 1

Household Members:
Name Age
Michael Keating 72 - Dealer in fruit, born Ireland
Ellen Keating 55
Jane Keating 20
Michael Keating 18
Thomas Keating 17
James Golds 7
John Withers 50

Sue, you mentioned the baptisms of the children as K(e)ating prior to the 1869 marriage

Surrey, England, Baptisms, 1813-1912
Name: Ellen Louisa Kating
Birth Date: 28 Nov 1865
Baptism Date: 16 Feb 1868
Archive Provided Parish: Croydon, Holy Saviour
Parish as it Appears: Croydon, St Saviour
Father: Thomas Kating - labourer, 3 Bensham Cottages
Mother: Eliza Kating
Reference Number: 7406/1/2

Baptised the same day is Michael.

ALSO baptised with them is George Henry WESSON, mother Eliza of 3 Bensham Cottages. He was born 9 Feb 1858.

I can't make my mind up whether or not Thomas Keating and Thomas Donovan are the same person.

Thomas Keating's father was Michael, a fruit dealer (also confirmed in 1841 census when he is an orange merchant). On the 1869 marriage Thomas Donovan's father is allegedly also Thomas Donovan, a labourer.

Did Eliza have a brief split from Thomas Keating, marry a Thomas Donovan, and then get back with Thomas Keating in time for the 1871 census?

Or (more likely) did Thomas Keating give false details on the 1869 marriage to cover something up (perhaps already married)? Invented a father with the same details as himself? Is this why Eliza isn't with him in later census - did she find something out about him?

Hi MarieCeleste

Thank you so much for all your help, and yes, sorry I did mean Thomas Donovan married Eliza Wesson.

I too can't make up my mind if Thomas Keating and Thomas Donovan are the same person but it does seem a little odd that only TK appears until 1871 and then neither of them appear after that. I can't find a death for either of them, and Eliza says she's married in every census until 1911 when she calls herself a widow. I did find a Thomas Kating going to American in 1872 which would tie up with the dates, but obviously I don't know if it was him.

I think I can be certain though that Eliza is Jane Maria Donovan's mother because both JMD and Michael Donovan were married (in 1889 and 1890) from 72 Foster Rd which is where Eliza was living, with Michael in 1891. Would you agree?

Thanks again.

I would be confident that Eliza is Jane Maria's mother.

Will check out that US record later.

That's great.

Thanks very much.
Sue

I've only just caught up with this thread, which is of interest to me as my partner is descended from Mary KEATING, sister of the Thomas KEATING in the 1871 census as posted earlier: Thomas was her 2x great-grand uncle. I believe that the 1881 census show 'CATIN' which is clearly a variant spelling, as previously suggested: the family name appears elsewhere as KATON. As Thomas KEATING was born at Dunton Green, the tie-up seems fairly conclusive.

I think it disposes of the theory that "it's not Keatings changing to Donovans, but the other way round" as Thomas's father and siblings are all recorded as KEATING in earlier records. Is the answer simply that Thomas and Eliza were not legally married at all, so the children were recorded in her maiden name? I have examples of his happening parts of my tree.

Further to my last post, I have now caught up with the fact that Eliza's maiden name was WESSSON, so that disposes of my own hypothesis too! It does seem highly probable that Thomas KEATING and Thomas DONOVAN were the same person. I have drawn a complete blank on what happened to Thomas after 1871, as apparently has everyone else.

Michael
Thanks for your comments. I'm still trying to pursue various theories concerning the Keatings/Donovans, but have nothing further to add at present.
It's interesting though frustrating! I assume your partner's ancestor didn't happen to have a Thomas Donovan handily staying with her at any time?

I'm afraid not, Sue. What I find intriguing is that in the 1861 census, Thomas is living at King Street, Croydon with his brother Michael KEATING, a bricklayer's labourer, together with the latter's wife Jane and their children Ellen, Michael & Mary. Michael and family then seem to disappear completely after this date, and I can find no immigration or death records for any of them. As this coincides with the period when Thomas decided to become DONOVAN (if he did), I am wondering if the two are connected. No answers, though!