Hi everyone,
I have had this colossal brick wall for several years now, it's about my 3rd great grandmother, Mary Ann Symons.
For the majority of the census records leading up to her death in 1890 she consistently states that she was born in Falmouth in 1812, or thereabouts, apart from one census where her and her eldest son, Richard Marshall Foot, my great, great grandfather, give slightly different details.
The problem I have is with her baptism record, her parents are recorded as being Joseph and Martha, surname recorded as Semmens, but everyone else who is listed on the record sheet has a listed abode and for this couple, there is none and Joseph was recorded as having been a soldier.
The one thing that has evaded (and haunted!) me is trying to locate a marriage, or even finding them on a census. I'm not even sure if they were from Cornwall or elsewhere.
Additionally, Mary Ann Symons married John Richard Foot in about 1835/6 in Mylor/Flushing and he seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth (I know that he was deceased, due to the marriage record of his second son) after the birth of their fourth and youngest child in 1842, and by 1847 she was with another man (William Brooks - apparently no marriage record at all) and giving birth to the first of their three children.
If anyone could help me with this major conundrum, I would be supremely grateful!
P.s I have never been able to locate a death record for John Richard Foot, try as I might.
We welcome any query on Who When Where. If you have previously posted it on another forum (including the old WDYTYA forum), please state this in your opening post - this will save people redoing the research which has been done before: they can look at it and possibly go further with it.
Mary Ann Symons
Re: Mary Ann Symons
What was John Richards occupation on the marriage certs of his children? His father was in the Navy and a boatwright, was he similar?
Re: Mary Ann Symons
His occupation was a carpenter on both of his son's respective marriage records, I believe that he was probably naval, too, owing to the fact that his father and grandfather were both seafarers.
Re: Mary Ann Symons
The Foot children baptisms from 1836 to 1842 record the father's occupation is "carpenter", as well.
Re: Mary Ann Symons
Mary Ann Symons married John Richard Foot c1835, then disappeared off the face of the earth around 1842, but you know he was deceased, "due to the marriage record of his second son." Presumably you mean that his son's marriage certificate records JRF as 'father, deceased.' And of course, he might have been. But it's not unknown for a father to be entered on a marriage certificate as 'deceased' to cover situations that would have been less acceptable than death! For example, that he'd left home, or was in prison, or in the next county with a new family. Possibly why Mary Ann didn't marry William?
Re: Mary Ann Symons
There are 2 trees on My Heritage ( look like copies) that give his date of death as 10 Nov 1842 plus a few more as just 1842. Nothing as to where and no provenance.
As Sdup26 says, as she hasn't married, he may have just disappeared. My 3xGrandfather did just that. Somewhere around 1883/4 as my 3xGrandmother had him deemed dead after 7 years and remarried.
As Sdup26 says, as she hasn't married, he may have just disappeared. My 3xGrandfather did just that. Somewhere around 1883/4 as my 3xGrandmother had him deemed dead after 7 years and remarried.
Re: Mary Ann Symons
Something interesting which might warrant further research:
Thomas Martin, witness at John Richard Foot & Mary Ann Symons 1836 nuptials, married Jane Greet (widow) in 1835 in Mylor. John Foot was one of the witnesses at the Martin/Greet marriage. Thomas Martin was also a carpenter (like John R Foot).
Jane Greet's maiden name was Simmons. She married Bennett Greet (ship carpenter) in 1825 in Mylor. One of the witnesses at their wedding was a Roger Simmons. Could Jane and Roger be related to Mary Ann Symons? Or is it just a red herring?
Thomas & Jane Martin baptised four children in Mylor -- one daughter is named Emma Simmons Martin (baptised 1842).
In the 1841 census, the Martin family (Thomas, Jane, Elizabeth) are living at Little Tregetreth Downs (sic), Mylor. (Is the address actually Little Tregunwith?) Anyway, their surname has been transcribed as "Morten" on FMP and Ancestry. Jane is recorded as "N" to "born in same county".
Thomas Martin, witness at John Richard Foot & Mary Ann Symons 1836 nuptials, married Jane Greet (widow) in 1835 in Mylor. John Foot was one of the witnesses at the Martin/Greet marriage. Thomas Martin was also a carpenter (like John R Foot).
Jane Greet's maiden name was Simmons. She married Bennett Greet (ship carpenter) in 1825 in Mylor. One of the witnesses at their wedding was a Roger Simmons. Could Jane and Roger be related to Mary Ann Symons? Or is it just a red herring?
Thomas & Jane Martin baptised four children in Mylor -- one daughter is named Emma Simmons Martin (baptised 1842).
In the 1841 census, the Martin family (Thomas, Jane, Elizabeth) are living at Little Tregetreth Downs (sic), Mylor. (Is the address actually Little Tregunwith?) Anyway, their surname has been transcribed as "Morten" on FMP and Ancestry. Jane is recorded as "N" to "born in same county".
Re: Mary Ann Symons
Wow! I'm definitely going to be doing some investigating tomorrow!
I think that you've quite possibly put some new life into this brick wall of mine and many thanks for what you've managed to find!
I think that you've quite possibly put some new life into this brick wall of mine and many thanks for what you've managed to find!
Re: Mary Ann Symons
After having had a search on FMP, thanks to the fantastic discovery of VALLMO9, I believe I might have just solved this!
I searched for Jane Simmons circa 1800 in Devon and the first result that I checked was spot on.
Father was Roger Simmons and mother was Jane, there were several other siblings born to this couple, all born in Crediton, except for one who I will mention shortly.
There was a sister born in 1809 by the name of Mary Ann, which got me thinking about the information my Mary Ann gave about herself in the 1881 census (she was never really consistent with the year of birth over the years), in most of the censuses she gives the place of birth as Mylor/Flushing/Falmouth (which makes sense, due to her growing up in the area), but in 1881 she gives her place of birth as Crediton, Devon.
By this point I thought that I'd maybe made a wall smashing discovery, and I then decided to search for Simmons births in Cornwall to Roger and Jane, which came up trumps, because they had a daughter called Margaret Lewis Simmons in 1815 in Mylor!
Could it be possible that I've been looking at the wrong Mary Ann?
I searched for Jane Simmons circa 1800 in Devon and the first result that I checked was spot on.
Father was Roger Simmons and mother was Jane, there were several other siblings born to this couple, all born in Crediton, except for one who I will mention shortly.
There was a sister born in 1809 by the name of Mary Ann, which got me thinking about the information my Mary Ann gave about herself in the 1881 census (she was never really consistent with the year of birth over the years), in most of the censuses she gives the place of birth as Mylor/Flushing/Falmouth (which makes sense, due to her growing up in the area), but in 1881 she gives her place of birth as Crediton, Devon.
By this point I thought that I'd maybe made a wall smashing discovery, and I then decided to search for Simmons births in Cornwall to Roger and Jane, which came up trumps, because they had a daughter called Margaret Lewis Simmons in 1815 in Mylor!
Could it be possible that I've been looking at the wrong Mary Ann?
Re: Mary Ann Symons
Well, you've convinced me you may be onto the correct Mary Ann Symons/Simmons. 
By the way, Roger Simmons is briefly mentioned in the Exeter Flying Post 05 May 1803. It pertains to a Leasehold notice relating to property lying at or near Bowden Hill, Crediton, now in the possessions of Roger and a handful of other named people.
Guess you know have to work out whatever happened to John Richard Foot.
By the way, Roger Simmons is briefly mentioned in the Exeter Flying Post 05 May 1803. It pertains to a Leasehold notice relating to property lying at or near Bowden Hill, Crediton, now in the possessions of Roger and a handful of other named people.
Guess you know have to work out whatever happened to John Richard Foot.