ARC TBC.....Mary Ann Ray or Bradley?-

[Northern Lass]

I think it connects here
https://www.tribalpages.com/tribe/brows ... =704833027

connected up with note but really would need birth certifs for John smith
marriage father is a Joseph
1871 brother william next door.

[Northern Lass]

My first posting on the message boards, so forgive me if it's in the wrong place.

I'm searching for my great great grandmother Mary Ann.
She was born around 1849 in Sedgley Staffs (according to later censuses). She married my GG Grandfather John Price on 21st June 1868 and I have her in the censuses afterwards as Mary Ann Price.

The problem is this: I have their marriage certificate and she is called Mary Ann Ray (spinster). I can find a few Mary Ann Ray's born at the right time in the right area and there a few people on Ancestry with Mary Ann Ray (or Rea) in their trees, who have chosen one or other of the Mary Ann Ray's and gone from there.

However, on the birth certificate of their son James Henry Price, the mother's name says "Mary Ann Price formerly Bradley". I'd had the Bradley name in my tree long before I found the name Ray/Rea. But she wasn't called Bradley when she married John, and she was described as spinster, so I assume she hadn't married previously.

Now, this might give me concern that one or the other was the wrong John Price, but on marriage certificate, the place for Mary Ann's father's details (name, surname, rank or profession) are left blank, and the "In the presence of" has the names.. "Noah Bradley" and "Jane Ray". So, I'm leaning to thinking that perhaps her father was Noah Bradley but that he wasn't married to Mary's mother (Jane?) although why they would be together 20 years after "the event" is a mystery. This has been bugging me for ages now - I think my next move has to be to get the birth ceftificates of all the Mary Ann Ray's born in the area around that time and see if there are any clues on any of them. However, if anyone has any advice on this matter, I'd love to know.

Many thanks.

Do you have the birth certificate info you could detail and post here please I can add to Bcc then