I am looking for a Martha Ann ? the wife of George William Sykes. Martha Ann ? was born in Ashton Under Lyne, Her husband George William Sykes was born in 04 - 05 - 1854 in Mirfield Yorkshire his Parents were William and Ann Sykes, the only marriage I have found for a George William Sykes is to a Martha Widdowson Jan - Mar - 1867 in Sheffield Vol 9c Page 324.
Hoping you can help me yet again.
My very best wishes.
Fred Wheatcroft.
Hi Barry, thank you very much for your very kind reply. all I have found out about this marriage is that on the 1891 they had six children and their mother is named as Martha A Sykes.Martha was born in Stalybridge Ashton Under Lyne age 35 this would give her birth about 1835.
311 Waterloo Road, Manchester.
George W.Sykes, 37, commercial traveller drapery goods, born Mirfield, Yks.
Martha A. Sykes, 36, born Staleybridge, Lancs.
Thomas Sykes, nephew, 22, born Manchester.
Herbert T. Sykes, nephew, 22, born Manchester.
James A. Sykes, nephew, 20, born Manchester.
Annie G. Sykes, niece, 17, born Liverpool.
Frank Sykes, nephew, 16, born Liverpool.
Maud Sykes, daughter, 12, born Manchester.
Emma Wilson, 17, gen. domestic servant, born Manchester.
IN 1881 at 35 Garnett Street, Cheetham, Prestwich, Lancs.
George Wm. Sykes, 36, Commercial traveller, born Mirfield, Yks.
Martha Ann Sykes, 35, born Ashton, Lancs.
James Albert Sykes, son, 9, born Manchester.
Frank Sykes, son, 5, born Liverpool.
Maud Sykes, dau, 2, born Manchester.
As you can see, the ages of George and Martha are both wrong, ten years seem
to be have added to both.
In 1871 at King Street, Huddersfield, Yks., George W. Sykes, 16, born Mirfield, is apprentice draper to Samuel Chapman, master draper.
I could only find one baptism in Liverpool for a Frank Sykes.
Baptised 22 April 1875, parents - Edward Brooks Sykes and Martha Ann.
Maud Sykes was baptised 10 Nov 1878 at Manchester, parents - George William
and Martha Ann.
In 1881 Frank is their son but by 1891 he is their nephew, same for James.
I'm not quite sure what is going on here. Need to find out who the children
belong to.
We none of us can find a marriage for Martha Ann & George William. I think they may not have been married.
In the 1891 census which you quoted, only one of the children - Maud, was a daughter. The rest were nephews and nieces. The GRO gives Maud's mother's maiden name as Schofield.
10 Aug 1866, Maud Ann Schofield married Edward Brookes Sykes, in Ashton Under Lyne.
They are on the 1871 Census with their children,the ones that are with George and Martha in 1891.
Edward died 12 Jun 1876.
Edward and George are brothers. Their parents are William & Ann Sykes. He is a butcher.
They live in Royds Nook, Mirfield.
In 1851, Edward is there - aged 5. By 1861, Edward is not there, but George William is there aged 6.
It looks like George William took on his dead brother's wife and family. They would have been unable to marry in a C of E because of the consanguinity rules in the book of common prayer. It was not until the 1920s that parliament passed a law permitting a man to marry his dead brother's wife.
Dave
Edit. The act was in 1921. Perversely an act ofas early as 1907 permitted a man to marry his dead wife's sister, which was also earlier forbidden.