arc tbc -Stuck with Great-Great-Grandparents

[Trillian711]

I'm in need of help/suggestions for tracing one set of my great-great-grandparents. The names are Thomas HUDSON and Mary Matilda LEWIS. I have found them (along with my great-grandfather William) on the 1911 census living in Ashbourne, Derbyshire and on the 1901 census living in Cheadle, Staffordshire. I also have their marriage certificate from 1897 - again in Cheadle. However, I haven't been able to trace either of them before this on either census records or birth records. This is what I have to go on:

Mary Matilda LEWIS was born around 1873 (calculated from census and marriage certificate). Both census records have her being born in Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire. Her father is named as Mathew WARD (deceased) on the marriage certificate and he was a Seaman. I'm assuming her parents weren't married. I haven't been able to find a Mary Lewis born in Ashton at the right time. There's a Mary Matilda LEWIS born in the right year in Bethnal Green (although I'm fairly sure this isn't her looking at the census records for 1881 and 1891) and there are at least nine possible Mary LEWIS's born in Lancashire at the right time - but not particularly near Ashton.

For Thomas, I have him being born in 1872. His place of birth is different on both census records, Hanbury Woodend and Uttoxeter, both in Staffordshire. His father is listed on the marriage certificate as William JOHNSON, a chimney sweep. Again, I'm assuming the parents weren't married. There are around five possibles born in Staffordshire but none are registered in the two possible places (or seem to be particularly close enough to make sense).

Basically I'm stumped as to a way of narrowing things down without having to pick birth certificates at random to order. It's made harder as it's likely that the family moved around a lot (my grandmother remembers travelling all over the country and there are family stories are that there is Irish and/or Romani ancestry from that branch, however true that might be) which means that there is a possibility that a birth could be registered anywhere.

I would be really grateful if anyone has any suggestions of how I might go about figuring some of this out.

[SRD]

It's a hard grind but you could try working out the descendant families of those early records you do have to see them through to 1901/1911, if one of them is obviously missing it might refer to your family and it would help reduce the number of certificates you need to see by ruling out certain lines of investigation.

[Northern Lass]

who are the witnesses on the marriage info you have

also where are they living on marriage doc any address

1911 Old Hill Sturston? Derbyshire
Thomas Hudson head 39 married Bricklayers labourer b Uttoxeter Staffordshire
Mary Matilda Hudson wife 39 married 14 years 13 children born - 4 still living 9 died b Ashton under Lyne
William Hudson son 9 b Cheadle Staffs.
Kathleen Hudson dau 4
John Thomas Hudson son 2
Frederick Hudson son 7 mths
all others born Ashbourne Derbyshire


1901 Jake? Street Cheadle Staffs.
Thomas Hudson Head 28 married joiners labourer b Hanbury wood end Staffordshire Blind in one eye
Mary M Hudson wife 24 hawker B Ashton under lyne lancs.

[Maths girl]

Mary Matilda Lewis could have been married previously and hence the different surname to her father -- rather than parents not married -- have you investigated births of Mary Matilda Ward and marriages for Ward and Lewis?

[Northern Lass]

what does the marriage certif say? is she spinster on there?

[Trillian711]

Thanks for the comments. In reference to the questions:

Mary is listed as a spinster on the marriage certificate. The address on there is Ashbourne Road for both Mary and Thomas (I'm assuming that's in Cheadle) and the first witness is an Elizabeth Holland (I've tried searching her but no one obvious jumps out) The second witness is James Coxen - parish clerk.

I'm definitely going to try the suggestion of looking at the descendants of each of the possible Mary's and Thomas'. Hadn't thought of that. Hopefully something will come from it, or at least narrow it down a bit.

[BC Wench]

Is this a Brickwall or have you solved it?
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