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I've received the following query.

I am the great great grandaughter of Thomas Holt who has a large stone in St James churchyard. I am trying so hard to find Sarah Jane his wife\'s maiden name and get stuck at all turns!! Can anyone help?

I think this is the stone referred to though there is no mention of Sarah Jane's death http://briercliffesociety.co.uk/Grave%2 ... 0Udall.htm

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Mel

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I've sent an email to the lady, Sheila, to ask if I have linked to the correct gravestone.

I also asked the obvious question - has she obtained a birth certificate for any of their children?

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Mel

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I have been corresponding with Sheila. The gravestone is correct.

She doesn't have any of the birth certificates though she does know the date of birth for the children. I think she will be buying a certificate to move on to the next phase of her research

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Mel

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I think it's quite possible that Thomas's wife was Sarah Jane Bolton, daughter of Hugh and Harriett Bolton.
1. There's a marriage on Lancashire bmd:
HOLT Thomas to BOLTON Sarah Jane at Rochdale Register Office or Registrar Attended. Records at Rochdale RM/5/109. It's the only marriage I could find of a Thomas Holt and Sarah Jane Unknown.
2. On the 1851 census, the Bolton family were living in the parish of Wuerdle and Wardle, Rochdale although they were a Bolton family (ie a family from Bolton!). In 1861 Thomas Holt plus wife Sarah Jane were living in the same parish.
3. One of the Holt children was called Harriet, as was Sarah Jane Bolton's mother.

If this is the case, maybe Sarah Jane was buried with the Bolton family?

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Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

Thank you so much for that. Sarah Jane is indeed Bolton and her Mother is Harriet. I am now stuck on whether she is Harriet Crompton or Harriet Tong! They both married Hugh Bolton, the right one is the Mill Manager at Hamer Mill. The tomb appears to be at St James churchyard and we are coming down to look again soon. "We are stuck with Thomas Holt married to Sarah Jane too. It gets a bit pricey paying all the time!, but I did get George Stephen Holt's birth certificate and found Sarah Jane Bolton on it. George Stephen was my great grandad. He was cast off by Thomas and went to be a pilot on the mersey. Son Stephen James married my Nanna in Greenock. Grampa had a sister Harriet or Etty Holt in Biekenhead, but i have lost the family too!
Am trying hard!!!!!

Thank you Mel for furthering my case!

When you say you're stuck with Thomas Holt, married to Sarah Jane, what is it you're stuck with?
I forgot to mention in my previous post that the marriage I found was in 1853.
I'll see whether I can find anything else when I have a minute.

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Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

I checked out the registers for Bolton Parish Church and I can see that there were 2 marriages of a Hugh Bolton in 1823 and 1829 to Harriet Crompton and Harriet Tong respectively.
If I had to put money on it I would say that the earlier one is more likely.
The family appear on the 1841 census in Little Bolton. They appear to have children as old as 15, although of course it isn't 100% sure they're Hugh's children because no relationships are shown.
Hugh Balton 35
Harriet Balton 35
Elizabeth Balton 15
Jonathan Balton 15
Ellen Balton 10
John Balton 8
Sarah Balton 8
Eliza Balton 4
Thomas Balton 2
On Lancashirebmd there is a record of the birth of a Thomas Bolton in 1839, whose mother's maiden name was Crompton.
Between 1837 and 1843 there are 'Bolton' births to a 'Tong' mother, but none of the names tie in with the family you're looking at.
Speculative but it might point you in the right direction

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Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

Thanks so much! I am stuck with Thomas Holt's father. It is his wife that would be Crompton family, not him.
By the family names I think his Dad might be James but I am not sure.
The Bolton Family sound right. It is all the family names, Harriet goes on down the line especially.
I am keeping rummaging on, it isn't easy!!!!!!
Sheila

Sheila
Sorry, I think I might have confused you when I mentioned Thomas. I didn't mean a connection between Thomas HOLT and the Crompton family.
What I was trying to say is that the Bolton family I found on the 1841 census had a daughter called Sarah - who I'm pretty certain is your Sarah Jane. They also had a son called Thomas, who was about 2 years old.
There's a registered birth in 1839 of a Thomas Bolton and his mother's maiden name was Crompton. I was putting this forward as a persuasive argument as to why I believe Sarah Jane Bolton's mother was a Crompton.
Hope that helps.
I'll have a go at Thomas later if I get a minute

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Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

I can see why you think Thomas Holt's father may have been James. On the 1861 census Thomas is shown as a stone mason-

1861 census - Charles St, Wuerdle & Wardle
Thomas Holt 25, head, marr, stone mason, b Rochdale
Sarah J Holt 25
James Holt 6
Elizabeth E Holt 4
John Thomas Holt 5 Months

1851 census - Hamer Bottoms, Wuerdle & Wardle
James Holt 44
Ellen Holt 37
Thomas Holt 16, son, stone mason, b Rochdale
Jacob Holt 14
Stephen Holt 12
Emma Holt 9
Harriett Holt 7
Maria Holt 5

The names Stephen, Emma & Harriett appear amongst James's children, as they do amongst Thomas's.
It all looks persuasive but of course Thomas's marriage cert would be conclusive.

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Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

I am almost sure you are right with James and Ellen, as all of the names are family names. Good on you. The search goes on!!!!!!!!!!!
Sheila

I think I am related to the Thomas Bolton born in 1839. I have just started to trace my family tree as I have his Christening mug, so I was very excited to find this post (thank you). Now trying to fill in the gaps between my Granddad Thomas Boulton born in 1904-1966 (believe my Great Grandad is John Edwin Boulton b1873) from Staffordshire.

I also have two other family Christening mugs that I can't find anything on the owners as of yet, they are Mary Akers October 15th, 1865 and Sarah Stockley Sideway 1864.

Welcome to the site.
If Sheila doesn't respond in a day or two, I'll give her a nidge and make her aware of the post.

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Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

Thank you for the welcome Mel. Looking forward to reading all the related posts.