I have a bit of a problem with the Alice Leaver marriage posted above and wonder if anyone has any suggestions.
Bannister Leaver had 11 children that we know of, but we don’t have an Alice. The births of the first 10 children are on the Haggate Chapel records and, as Alice would have been around number 5 or 6 I would have expected her to be there.
Alice's marriage took place in 1840 but there is no Alice Nutter on the 1841 census (or any other for that matter). Not is there an Alice Nutter death between the marriage in January 1840 and the census in 1841.
However John Nutter, weaver, of Lanehouse Briercliffe, does appear on the 1841-1891 censuses, but with wife Olive. In 1841 there are also 2 Leaver children in the household.
Bannister Leaver did have a daughter, Olive, of around the same age as I would expect Alice to be. She doesn’t appear on any censuses, nor is there a recorded death or marriage for her.
My problem is this: the only record of Alice is a marriage. On the other hand I have an Olive Leaver who fits all the criteria for John Nutter’s wife. Reinforced by the presence of 2 Leaver children in his household at the 1841 census. (one of them is still there in 1851, shown as aged 72 but this is a transcription error and should be age 12).
How possible is it that there’s an error on the marriage record and ‘Alice’ should actually read ‘Olive’? I can’t see it myself but I’m running out of ideas. Anyone any other ideas?
