I am researching a branch of the Shoesmith family. My husband is the grandson of Ralph Shoesmith who was the son of Arthur Shoesmith(87 in your family record). My problem is trying to trace Arthur's mother, the wife of Jude Shoesmith(37 in your family record). The family tree states that Jude married Mary Crabtree in 1847. I have obtained a copy of the marriage certificate from the G.R.O and that states that Jude married Mary Crabtree at the church of Briercliffe on July 12,1847. Jude was a bachelor and Mary a spinster, both minors. Jude's father was James Shoesmith but Mary's father was William Halstead, manufacturer, even though Halstead wasn't Mary's surname. One of the witnesses was Henry Halstead. In the 1851, 1861 and 1871 censuses Jude's wife is called Martha not Mary. I obtained copies of the birth certificates of two of Jude's children, Leah born October 1859(85 in the family tree) and Arthur born March 1866 (87 in the family tree) and on both certificates their mother is recorded as Martha Shoesmith formerly Bradshaw. Jude Shoesmith died in 1878 at 16 Lee Street, Burnley and in 1880 Martha remarried. She married John Holt in Poulton-le-Sands and this time her name is Martha Shoesmith, maiden name Halstead. She gives her father as William Halstead, deceased, manufacturer and again Henry Halstead is a witness. In the 1881 census Martha and John Holt were living at 16 Lee Street, Burnley with her children Zilpah, Arthur and Ernest Willie Shoesmith. Tufty I would love to know if anyone can explain these discrepancies and supply me with Jude's wife's real name! Was she Mary Crabtree, Martha Bradshaw or Marha Halstead?
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