Welcome to The Briercliffe Society Forum

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?

Hi,
I think Mary and Martha could easily have been used for the same name, probably a bit of poetic licence, depending on what name was the fashion of the time. As for the name Mary Crabtree, could her mother have married again to William Halstead, or could Mary have been fathered by another man out of wedlock? Perhaps in later life she felt as though William Halstead was her father and therefore named him as such at her second wedding. Do we know what relation Henry Halstead was to Mary-----half brother maybe????
Hope this helps, although it doesn't answer your questions.

_________________
Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

I'd agree with Gloria on possible reasons for the varying surnames. Could she have been Mary Martha? I have a John William who appears on various documents as either John or William.

I'll give Moh a nudge as this is her file we are referring to I think

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

Have you looked for any version of Mary/Martha on the 1841?

_________________
Mel

Searching for lost relatives? Win the Lottery!

I too had this mystery and decided I was never going to totally solve it. My late friend in Wiltshire agreed with me and we 'put it to bed' for the time being.

_________________
Say only a little but say it well