Find Ancestors

That's right. Grace is very interesting. From the age of about 20 she is in Exeter. She lived with a Samuel Coles. Had an illegitimate child .. Charlie Sanders (my ggrandfather), married Francis Hole in 1888 and had another child Maud Hole. Two other children appear out of the woodwork - William and Eliza .. older than Charles! I have also found newspaper articles on Grace whereby she had about 3 or 4 children, all illegitimately, in the early 1870's, and all died. I believe she was a prostitute (especially as the area she was in was the very poor area of Exeter). She was charged for being drunk and disorderly and all sorts! I'm just now trying to establish the first 20 years of her life.

My ggrandfather took on the name Coles when he married (as Charles Sanders Coles), but Samuel wasn't his father as he died before Charles was born. Coles was definitely carried forward as that was my grandfather's, mother's and my maiden name (my mother never married!) ... I feel like it's a stolen name!!!!

However, I'm enjoying finding out about Grace - and feel excited that I may be getting somewhere now with her parentage.

Thanks for your help
Julia

Julia - Can you tell me in what year Mary married Francis Hole please.

No, sorry, ignore that. I've just realised it was Grace who married him, in 1888.

safc .... just shows you should never read anything too quickly. Still struggled to find them - then on checking your post, I realise that the spellings on both names are different! Thanks again

Ah, thank you safc. No idea why I could find that one .. blind!

????

Marriages Mar 1841 (>99%)

Pasmore James Tovington 10 413
Saunders Mary Darch Torrington 10 413

Thanks for replies. My typing error Reggie - it's formerly!

ChristinaS - it was that page I requested the certificate from, and the one that arrived had the Passmore info on it.

So - I think I can safely assume this is my family? I have actually found a newspaper (North Devon Journal) dated May 1899 stating that '...Mary Passmore's application for a separation order against her husband, James Passmore, fisherman, of ..." - so I need to get hold of that full article. According to the article they were married.

She eventually married Francis Hole in Exeter, her maiden name was listed as Sanders and her father (Samuel?) as a Seaman - could be the fisherman link there. I don't have the certificate with me at present, so I might be remembering his first name wrongly. It might have been James.

Anyway, thanks for this. Very helpful.

Julia

Would have posted this quicker if I could work out how to do so properly.

England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
about Grace Sanders
Name: Grace Sanders
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1852
Registration District: Torrington
Inferred County: Devon
Volume: 5b
Page: 488

Oh heck, I didn't think to check the birth, and look at the full info for the Page...................thanks ChristinaS

It's obvious now........................

I agree with Reggie. A birth registration for Grace Sanders born Torrington in 1852 has the same vol. and page no. as the one for Grace Passmore.

The registrar may have known that the couple named on the cert were not married, and taken it upon himself to record the birth under the mother's name

On a birth cert, no surname is recorded for the child.................

Until 1875, there were no penalties for not registering births, so the child you are researching may not actually have been registered

Can you check the wording on the cert in relation to the mother.

Does it say 'formally', as per your post.......or 'formerly'?

When/who did Grace marry?

What name did she use and who did she name as her father?

Hello
I have been looking for the birth of my 2xG grandmother, Grace Sanders - who was born in N. Devon and moved to Exeter where she married and had children. The first 20 years of her life have been a mystery.

However, I applied for her (what I think is the correct) birth certificate on 5b 488 Torrington Dec Qtr 1852. On receiving it, I became a bit confused as the child that was born was Grace Passmore - father James Passmore, mother Mary Passmore formally Sanders, in Riddlecombe, Ashreigny, nr Bideford. Dates and areas all match up, but the names have left me confused.

Is it normal for a child to take on the mother's maiden name for any reason? I have found no marriage whatsoever of James and Mary - can't even find them in the 1851 or 61 census.

What I thought would answer my questions, has churned out more - such fun!!!

If anyone has any reasoning or advice they could give me, I'd be very grateful.

Thank you
Julia