my wifes gg grandparents - any pointers please

[garstonite]

Olive Watkins born 30th April 1907 Garston ,Liverpool
parents
Thomas Watkins and Mary Jane Husk Lloyd
10 children - the early children born in Ludlow - all on Familysearch
BUT
Their marriage is
sept qtr 1887 in Ludlow - Thomas Watkins PREECE to Mary Jane H Lloyd

am I right in presuming although Thomas Watkins was named as the father of the 10 children - he was actually born Thomas Preece - OR - was he born Thomas Watkins and then his father died - mum re married to a Preece and he took his surname ?
any pointers please ?:)
added
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NN77-F1J

[kiterunner]

FamilySearch has the baptism of Margaret Watkins Preece 24 Nov 1890 at Ludlow, daughter of Thomas Watkins Preece and Mary Jane.

So this is them on the 1891 census (to get Thomas's year and place of birth):


4 Water Side, Ludlow, Shropshire
Thomas Watkins Head M 27 General Labourer Salop Ludlow
Mary J Do Wife M 24 Laundress Do Do
Margaret Do Daur 6 mo Do Do

Of course it would help if we had his father's name from his marriage cert, but I will try and trace him back now.

[kiterunner]

This could be him in 1871:
Old Gate Tce, Ludlow, Shropshire
Thomas Watkins Head Mar 27 Labourer Stoke Herefordshire
Elizabeth Watkins Wife Mar 26 Labourer's Wife Weobley(?), Herefordshire
Thomas Watkins Son 7 Scholar Ludlow Salop
John Watkins Son 4 Scholar Ludlow Salop
Henry Watkins Son 1 Ludlow Salop

[garstonite]

thanks Kate - that is exactly the family I have noted down ...because I can't see any other that fits ...but where does the Preece come in to it at the marriage ?......cheers

[kiterunner]

Ah, FamilySearch has the baptism of a Thomas Preece 18 Sep 1863 at Ludlow, son of Elizabeth Preece. I haven't found a marriage between Thomas sr and Elizabeth yet though.

[kiterunner]

Ah, Shropshire BMD lists the marriage of Thomas Wilkins and Elizabeth Preece at St Lawrence, Ludlow, in 1865. On FamilySearch it has Elizabeth Preece, daughter of Thomas Preece, marrying Thomas Watkins, son of John Watkins, 19 Mar 1865 at Ludlow, both age 20.

[kiterunner]

And on the GRO index they are Thomas Watkins and Elizabeth Preece, Jan-Mar 1865 Ludlow vol 6a p 801 (FreeBMD didn't come up with it because the page no for Elizabeth has been transcribed as illegible.)

[garstonite]

Brilliant - thanks very much Kate - explains a lot ....feel a bit happier now ...