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Great Grandmother Ellen Field nee Ray/Reay

changinman1

master brummie
Hi I’m hoping that someone has some info on my gt grandma name as above , I have her death certificate which states she’s died on 12th July 1932 aged 67, widow to my gt grand dad George William Field but I cannot find any birth certificate what so ever for her , it’s a complete mystery , hopefully someone will be able to help me piece together my family tree, thanks very much
 
I have just done a search on GRO for girls born surname Ray and Mother's maiden name Houghton - I found a Caroline who died aged 5, Jane, but I cannot find any other girls. I began to wonder if she was adopted - until 1926 this was often done unofficially. So it can be hard to trace. I wondered if William or Caroline had a sibling who might have died soon after having Ellen? They might then have taken her in.
 
Ah, the name REAY - but is it really RAY? My maternal great grandfather James LONGMORE married Mary REAY at Edgbaston in 1831, but all the children that were born after the start of civil registration in 1837 have different spellings of their mother's maiden names on their birth certificates - READ, REED, REID, etc., making it almost impossible to go further back on that line. Since many were illiterate at that time, we can't be certain what the real surname was.

Maurice :)
 
Lyn - it's on Ancestry
Just gives her father as William. That is who she is on the census with. Mother Caroline and I found a marriage of William Ray and Caroline Houghton.
 

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thanks jan thats what i was after...just to see if ellen was down as ray or reay...i will see what i can find out assuming she was born brum also noted she could not write her name

lyn
 
jan is that ellen on the 1881 census..with brother alfred and henry ..mother caroline...looking at the marr cert for her would you say her dad williams occ is spur maker because on the 1881 i think it says william ray occ something sadler

lyn
 
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I thought it was them - yes. Spur maker on marriage cert and I thought 1881 says "spur maker ...saddler" - not sure but looks like field!!
On 1871 Ellen is down as Nelly and William is a spur rowel maker
 
No I can't either - I've found the following Ray/Houghton births and one baptism at St Pauls for Daughter Elizabeth in August 1853.

Born 13 Aug 1853, bapt 29 Aug 1853 St Pauls Birmingham - Elizabeth daughter of William & Caroline RAY, Warstone Lane, Spur Maker.

RAY, JANE mmn HOUGHTON GRO Reference: 1856 M Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 37

RAY, WILLIAM mmn HOUGHTON GRO Reference: 1858 M Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 179

RAY, GEORGE WILLIAM mmn HOUGHTON GRO Reference: 1859 D Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 180

RAY, CAROLINE mmn HOUGHTON GRO Reference: 1861 S Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 186

RAY, THOMAS mmn HOUGHTON GRO Reference: 1863 J Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 190

RAY,
ALFRED mmn HOUGHTON GRO Reference: 1869 J Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 124

RAY, HENRY mmn HOUGHTON GRO Reference: 1871 D Quarter in BIRMINGHAM Volume 06D Page 125
 
thats what i thought jan unless of course unless of course she was williams second wife who was also a caroline
 
thanks bewdley...births pretty much same time apart until we come to a gap of 6 years between 63 to 69..nothing for 66..could it be possible that ellen was not registered the reason i ask that is i would have thought that already having 5 children it may have been very hard to take on someone elses child...especially in those days...quite a mystery

lyn
 
I have just done a search on GRO for girls born surname Ray and Mother's maiden name Houghton - I found a Caroline who died aged 5, Jane, but I cannot find any other girls. I began to wonder if she was adopted - until 1926 this was often done unofficially. So it can be hard to trace. I wondered if William or Caroline had a sibling who might have died soon after having Ellen? They might then have taken her in.
Hi does this help B8B04C6B-7A77-4265-8344-61EF8843287A.jpeg
 
I’m not too good at this , someone in the family said that she came from money and her family disowned her when she married my gt grandad mmm
thanks jan thats what i was after...just to see if ellen was down as ray or reay...i will see what i can find out assuming she was born brum also noted she could not write her name
 
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