Family history update

Family history update

This one's for the Hirons side of my family, or more specifically the Pinks. I had an email through Genes Reunited this morning from someone who has a connection to one of Maria Mercy Southon's brothers. Maria was Nanna's grandmother through the Pink side.

In the email, it was incorrectly (but fortutiously) suggested that Maria's father was still alive in 1891, even though there was no sign of him in the census record. I'd assumed he'd died in 1888, but luckily my contact's mistake proved to be correct after all. After some fiddling with spellings, I discovered our Frederick was alive and well in 1891, with a brand new family to boot! In 1881, he'd just been widowed, but the old rogue remarried two years later and - despite being in his late 40s/early 50s - had fathered three more children by 1891. He'd hidden from view because his name had been mistranscribed as Southam instead of Southon (a close look at the original census image proved it was Southon).

It's fired my enthusiasm for family research again - a shame, because I really should be working - and I've just ordered another certificate - his marriage certificate from 1854 to Maria's mother. There's no sign of either in the census record before 1881, but the marriage record was present, so hopefully it'll cast light and help us push this branch of the family back another generation or two...