Who is Mrs Rat?

[JBee]

In the 1861 census have Abraham Clegg and his wife Elizabeth and children Sarah Ann 2 and Isabella 8 months living in Oldham. However there's a Mrs Rat as mother in law.

I have no idea who this woman is as Elizabeth's parents are James & Ann Andrew living at a different address.

I checked on the lancbmd site that the children's mother's maiden name is Andrew which fits in with my tree and her parents


http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/8767/LANRG9_3007_3011-0558/14597394?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.u k%2f%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3fdb%3duki1861%26h%3d14597394%26ti%3 d5538%26indiv%3dtry%26gss%3dpt%26ssrc%3dpt_t566031 89_p48011155569_kpidz0q3d48011155569z0q26aidz0q3d4 47357486259z0q26pgz0q3d32771z0q26pgplz0q3dpidz0q25 7caid&ssrc=pt_t56603189_p48011155569_kpidz0q3d4801115556 9z0q26aidz0q3d447357486259z0q26pgz0q3d32771z0q26pg plz0q3dpidz0q257caid&backlabel=ReturnRecord

and this is her parents James and Ann Andrew in 1861

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/8767/LANRG9_3016_3020-0932/?htx=view&r=5538&dbid=8767&iid=LANRG9_3016_3020-0932&fn=James&ln=Andrews&st=r&ssrc=pt_t56603189_p48011155527_kpidz0q3d4801115552 7z0q26aidz0q3d440600607611z0q26pgz0q3d32771z0q26pg plz0q3dpidz0q257caid&pid=14647573

So who is this mystery woman lol!!!

[Mary from Italy]

Bear in mind that "mother-in-law" may mean stepmother.

[JBee]

Thanks Mary - never thought of that will investigate.

[Uncle John]

Is Abraham pulling the enumerator's leg and having a go at his m-i-l perhaps?

[kiterunner]

In 1851 Abraham is the son of James Ratcliffe 35 and his wife Ann 40:
http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/8860/LANHO107_2213_2213-0036/?htx=view&r=5538&dbid=8860&iid=LANHO107_2213_2213-0036&fn=Abraham&ln=Clegg&st=d&ssrc=&pid=13388643

So I guess the 1861 was supposed to say Ratcliffe but the enumerator missed part of it out.

There is a James Ratcliffe / Ann Clegg marriage in 1840 at Prestwich St Mary.

This is the family in 1841:
http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/8978/LANHO107_544_545-0462/?htx=view&r=5538&dbid=8978&iid=LANHO107_544_545-0462&fn=James&ln=Ratcliffe&st=d&ssrc=&pid=5554481

[kiterunner]

According to Lancashire OPC, Abraham's marriage cert says his father was James Clegg, a spinner. But I wonder whether he was giving his stepfather's first name and the vicar assumed the surname was the same as Abraham's? There are so many possible baptisms for Abraham that I haven't managed to figure out which one is his. I guess either Ann is actually his mother and the census has it wrong, or his mother died when he was very young, his father married Ann, his father died, then Ann married James Ratcliffe, all within a few years.

Looking at Lancs OPC again, they have the marriage, 19 Apr 1840, and Ann was a widow. Her father's name is given as Jas Whittaker, weaver. There is a John Clegg / Ann Whittaker marriage 26 May 1828 at St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich, both of Oldham. And these could be Sarah and Abraham's baptisms:
10 Aug 1834 St Peter, Oldham, Sarah Clegg, daughter of John and Ann of Jackson Street, spinner.
5 Feb 1837 St Peter, Oldham, Abraham Clegg, son of John and Ann of Jackson Street, spinner.

So, it looks as though Ann was actually Abraham's mother, not mother in law or stepmother.

[JBee]

Thank you so much Kite - After Mary suggested a step-mother etc I did find James and Ann Ratcliffe with Abraham and his sister? Sarah? but couldn't work out the relationship with James and Ann Ratcliffe.

Abraham Clegg and Elizabeth Andrew married at the same church St Mary the Virgin, Prestwich in 1857

I was also trying to find Abraham after 1861 as his wife Elizabeth and their oldest daughter Sarah Ann Clegg are back with her parents James and Ann Andrew although saying married not widowed in 1871. They had 4 children Sarah Ann b1858, Isabella b1860 Eliza b1862 and John William b1866 but think 3 of them died before 1871 as there's a death for an Isabella in 1862 age 1, an Eliza in 1865 age 3 and John William in 1867 age 0 all in Oldham which would fit.

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=uki1871&h=18093325&ti=5538&indiv=try&gss=pt&ssrc=pt_t56603189_p48011155569_kpidz0q3d4801115556 9z0q26aidz0q3d447346004843z0q26pgz0q3d32771z0q26pg plz0q3dpidz0q257caid