Hello to all.
I am still searching for a Mary Sophia JONES born about 1883, the 1901 census has Pontesbury as place of birth, but later the 1911 states Acton Burnell. Has anyone got access to Baptism records for these places, for I think that may be the only way to find her? Thanks Derek j
Thank you Mike, Just to know her whereabouts in 1891 would be a breakthrough,I've got little to go on .But thanks for your time and help, I will try the Archer software, Derek J
Hello Derek, I checked the Acton Burnell parish registers for you today whilst at the Shropshire Archives and unfortunately there is no record of baptism for a Mary Sophia Jones or similar. I am staying with my parents in Pontesbury for a few days so will try to see if I can arrange with the vicar to look at the baptism records for the 1880's for you.
Just a thought, but have you seen the 1891 census record for an Annie Sophia Jones? She is 7 years old and is stated to have been born in Pontesbury. She is to be found living with her grandparents Thomas and Mary at near-by Church Pulverbatch. I cannot see her in any other censuses and it's possible that she is your Mary Sophia. Maybe the census enumerator made a mistake when recording her name or perhaps Annie was a "pet" name (short for Mary Ann?). Worth looking into anyway.
I'll let you know how I get on with the Pontesbury registers! All the best, Jason Key.
Hi Derek, I checked the Pontesbury baptism registers for you for the years 1881 to 1891 but there was no record of a Mary Sophia Jones for that period. Could the family have been chapel-goers? The archives at Shrewsbury may hold records for non-conformist baptisms for Pontesbury. I was also wondering if you had the record for Mary's marriage to William Spragg which would hopefully give you the name of her father.
( Going back to the 1891 census and Annie Sophia Jones, there was a record of baptism at Pontesbury for March 23rd 1884 of one Annie Jones, daughter of Stephen and Anna Jones. They were farmers who lived at Hinton.)
I'm going to the archives on Wednesday and would be happy to look up the non-conformist records for you while I'm there.
Jason
Hello Jason, First of all many thanks for your help and interest in my long lasting query,sadly my grannies marriage cert has no mention of who her father was.I thought my answer would come in the 1911 census but that seems to have added to the query,one month after that census she died of TB at Dorrington. My mum was only three at the time and did not remember anything about her. Thank you once again Jason Your help has made me want to press on with my search. Derek J
Hello Derek,
Where did the marriage take place? Could it have been Mary Sophia's home parish?I was also wondering if the names of the witnesses at the marriage might give some clues? Are they family members ( a married sister?) or friends?
Regards, Jason
Ps It's possible that Mary Sophia did not know her place of birth, or was born somewhere else and raised at Pontesbury or Acton Burnell.
Bit of a later date but there's a Mary Sophia Jones registered in the Llanfyllin district in the December Quarter of 1885.
Also, have you seen the record for a Mary Sophia James registered at Atcham in 1881? Could James have been a mistranscription of Jones? (People were notoriously unreliable when giving their ages back then!)
Unfortunately I can't get to the library today or else I would have gone on Ancestry to see if these two girls are in the post 1891 censuses to rule them out.
Jason
Hi Jason, They married at Shrewsbury register office in1902. The witnesses at her marriage were Emily HAMMONDS and a Joseph WALTON maybe friends, there is no mention of her father on the cert, and I now do not think she knew where she was born,.One hunch that I have is in 1891 there was a Mary JONES age 7 living as a lodger with a BRYAN Family at Laburnum cottage, Withington, which is just down the road from where she was in 1901 Pimley Manor Uffington..Thanks Derek J
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Hello Derek
You may be aware that neither place is covered by the Family Search web site for the date you require.
Acton Burnell Baptisms only go to 1852
Pontesbury Baptisms only go to 1875
See FamilySearch: a Guide to the British batches created by Archer Software. This is a modern version of the Hugh Wallis IGI Batch Numbers and incorporates the earlier work.
The Acton Burnell Baptisms are at Shropshire Archives but according to their 2013 list they don't have the Pontesbury Baptisms for your date so you will need to contact the Parish.
Mike