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Any suggestions where I go from here?

Yes, although I did have to look it up in case I was reading it wrong! Thomas Cosway was a Whitesmith (similar to blacksmith apparently). The witnesses were what looks like Thomas Avent and Susan Woodley. Don't don't if Avent is correct though. It looks like a lower case 'A' written as a capital, followed by what looks like a 'v'. All a bit vague. Sorry

Oh and the Parish was St Mary Major in the County of Exeter in case that's any help

Hi Maria, Hopefully this might be a starting point. Thomas is a White Smith. Taunton would match birth place give for Mary Jane on other censuses. 1851. Name: Thos Cosway Age: 40 Estimated birth year: abt 1811 Relation: Head Gender: Male Where born: Twerton, Devon, England Civil parish: Taunton St James Town: Taunton County/Island: Somerset Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Disability: View image Registration district: Taunton Sub-registration district: Taunton St James ED, institution, or vessel: 1b Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 140 Household Members: Name Age Elizabeth Cosway 20 Henry Cosway 1 Thos Cosway 40 Elizabeth Cosway abt 1831 Crediton, Devon, England Daughter Taunton St James Somerset Henry Cosway abt 1850 Taunton, Somerset, England Son Taunton St James Somerset Thos Cosway abt 1811 Twerton, Devon, England Head Taunton St James Somerset

This is the Cosway family in 1841. The address in 1841 and 1851 is Cannon Street Ann Corway abt 1805 St James Somerset Ann Corway abt 1834 Somerset, England St James Somerset Charlotte Corway abt 1824 St James Somerset Cornalius Corway abt 1822 St James Somerset Elizabeth Corway abt 1830 St James Somerset Emma Corway abt 1833 St James Somerset Thomas Corway abt 1805 St James Somerset Source information: HO107/972/2 Registration district: Taunton Sub-registration district: Taunton St James ED, institution, or vessel: 3 Folio: 6 Page: 5

Fiona. Bit confused with your second post mentioning CoRway. Is that a wrong spelling? Also, I'm still none the wiser as to when Mary Jane was born. (Was wanting to get her birth cert but can't find anything on BMD that would be her that would tally with her age on the marriage cert). Hoping that makes sense!

This looks like wife Ann's death. Deaths Dec 1850 (64%) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COSWAY Ann Taunton 10 315

Sorry Maria, Not sure this is the right family yet, putting info on here while I do some fishing around. As for the Corway, quite often there are either mistranscriptions on censuses or it could be a case of it being upto the enumerator to deside how the name was spelt as sometimes the people in the house hold could not read or write. I'm looking at this family because Thomas Cosway is a Whitesmith and they seem to be the only Cosway family in Taunton, which seems to be where Mary says she was born on census info after she married. Fiona. Update. Also remember info given on any certificate is only as good as the person giving the info. My g grandfather claimed to be 26 on his married certificate, he was actually 29. Not sure why he made himself 3 years younger but could have been so he didn't look too much older than his wife. Also people under 21 have made themselves older so they didn't need consent.

No problem Fiona. You're doing a grand job. I'm new to this so it wouldn't have occurred to me to look at Corway. I had looked at Casways though and hit a brick wall again! Your help is much appreciated.

Seems like they told a few white lies all those years ago! Didn't know you needed consent at under 21 though

This looks like daughter Ann with another two children in 1851, looks like they stayed with another family for a bit after the death of their mother. Note there is a daughter Jane?? 1851. Name: Jane Cosway Age: 4 Estimated birth year: abt 1847 Relation: Lodger Gender: Female Where born: Taunton, Somerset, England Civil parish: Taunton St James Town: Taunton County/Island: Somerset Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Disability: View image Registration district: Taunton Sub-registration district: Taunton St James ED, institution, or vessel: 1b Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 120 Household Members: Name Age .....>Ann Cosway 13 ........>Jane Cosway 4 .....>Louisa Cosway 8 Chas Sydnaham 10 Elizabeth Sydnaham 29 John Sydnaham 62 Mary Sydnaham 60 William Sydnaham 31 Ann Cosway abt 1838 Taunton, Somerset, England Lodger Taunton St James Somerset Jane Cosway abt 1847 Taunton, Somerset, England Lodger Taunton St James Somerset Louisa Cosway abt 1843 Taunton, Somerset, England Lodger Taunton St James Somerset

Oh look where Jane is in 1871, Exeter registration district and she seems to have got a little younger. 1871. Name: Jane Cosway Age: 21 Estimated birth year: abt 1850 Relation: Lodger Gender: Female Where born: Taunton, Somerset, England Civil parish: St Mary Major Ecclesiastical parish: Exeter County/Island: Devon Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Disability: View image Registration district: Exeter Sub-registration district: St Sidwell ED, institution, or vessel: 14 Neighbors: View others on page Household schedule number: 51 Household Members: Name Age Ann Bable 29 .........>Jane Cosway 21 Mary Driscol 60 Hiram Newcombe 57 John Newcombe 28 William Newcombe 10 Henry Philips 46 Mary A Philips 34 Kate Reed 46 Eugine Sullivan 33 William Wood 16

Zena in Brum has just looked and could find no births for Mary Jane Cosway between 1845-1855 She may well have been lying about her age big time!

Maria, It might be that her name is Jane and the Mary bit was added later?? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Births Dec 1847 (>99%) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COSWAY Jane Taunton 10 397

Well the civil parish ties in with where she married. Bit of a lying little toerag re: her age eh? Maybe women really did lie about their age back then but then if there were people that were illiterate, stands to reason some of them got a bit confused with dates as well! Still can't find a birth cert though

Were you allowed to change your name like that? and if she were registered as Jane, why would they add the Mary in IN FRONT of her name rather than as a middle name?

Hi Maria, I can say for sure if Jane is Mary Jane but with father Thomas being a whitesmith, Taunton and then finding her a bit closer to the age on her marriage certificate and in the Exeter registration district in 1871 I think that family are well worth more investigation. Maybe a look at the parish records for Taunton. Fiona.

In 1901 Charlotte and Walter Reynolds are in the work house. Name: Charlotte Reynolds Age: 13 Estimated birth year: abt 1888 Relation: Inmate Gender: Female Where born: Exeter, Devon, England Civil parish: Exeter Ecclesiastical parish: St Matthew County/Island: Devon Country: England Street address: Occupation: Condition as to marriage: Education: Employment status: View image Registration district: Exeter Sub-registration district: Exeter ED, institution, or vessel: Exeter Union Workhouse Charlotte Reynolds abt 1888 Exeter, Devon, England Inmate Exeter Devon Walter Reynolds abt 1890 Exeter, Devon, England Inmate Exeter Devon

Not sure who they are. I'm getting confused. They did however have a daughter called Sarah Jane Reynolds (born 1881). There's a separate post about her. I've never looked at a parish register so I'm about to do that now. Not sure which one to look at but the Geneaologist says it has a big register I'm supposed to be going to bed, I have work in the morning but this is annoying me!

Mary Jane died in 1893: Deaths Sep 1893 Reynolds Mary Jane 42 Exeter 5b 51 Rose