Find Ancestors

My grandmother, Mary Corry, Nee Wilding, B 1855(give or take 4 years) father James Wilding, farmer. She was born in Preston, Lancs. Her aunt, Elizabeth Wilding, married Thomas Corry and they informally adopted mary about 1870. Elizabeth was born c. 1817 in Penwortham, Lancs. They were Catholics. I can find no record, tho', of Mary's birth or baptism. Can anyone help, please? Mary Hart

Have you sent for her birth certificate?


England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915
about Mary Wilding
Name: Mary Wilding
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1855
Registration district: Preston
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8e
Page: 425


Lancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1855
Surname Forename(s) Sub-District Registers At Mother's Maiden Name Reference

WILDING Mary Longton Preston SPENCER LONG/8/100

Possible marriage for her parents, but you do need her birth certificate


Marriages Sep 1850 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spencer Mary Preston 21 525
Wilding John Preston 21 525

Ref

1871 England Census
Name: Mary Wilding Corry
Age: 16
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855
Relation: Niece
Gender: Female
Where born: Preston, Lancashire, England
Civil parish: Sale
Ecclesiastical parish: St Anne
County/Island: Cheshire
Country: England
Registration district: Altrincham
Sub-registration district: Altrincham
ED, institution, or vessel: 20
Household schedule number: 22
Piece: 3685
Folio: 73
Page Number: 7
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas Anthony Corry 45
Elizabeth Corry 54
Mary Wilding Corry 16
Mary Ann Beswick 35
Margaret Darbyshire 22

Mary,

Something doesn't quite seem to add up to me.

You say that Mary Corry nee Wilding your grandmother was born c1855. That seems a very long gap for just 2 generations. Is it possible that she was your great or even your great great grandmother?

Also presumably the lady married so when, where and who was that to?

These children all have the same mothers maiden name 'Spencer'


1861 England Census
about John Wilding
Name: John Wilding
Age: 10
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1851
Relation: Son
Father's Name: John Wilding
Mother's name: Mary Wilding
Gender: Male
Where born: Penwortham, Lancashire, England

Civil parish: Longton
Ecclesiastical parish: Penwortham
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Registration district: Preston
Sub-registration district: Longton
ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 114
Piece: 3124
Folio: 90
Page Number: 27
Household Members: Name Age
John Wilding 46
Mary Wilding 46
Thomas Wilding 11
John Wilding 10
James Wilding 8
William Wilding 4

BUT, their father is 'John', Ginns, when it should be 'James' ???

Dea x

Dea,

I noted that as well. I suspect that the OP, Mary has "Skipped" a generation or two but we won't know that for sure until she responds to my earlier questions.

Thank you everyone. Firstly, mary Wilding Corry, my gdmother was (informally) adopted before by her aunt, Elizabeth Corry nee Wilding, before the 1861 Census. She married Alexander W. Crabtree in 1890 and gave her age as 32, and her father's name as james Wilding, farmer, deceased. My mother , Mary M. Crabtree was born in 1892. I was born in 1930, when my mother was 38!
Mary Wilding Corry died in 1923. As she lived w. her aunt from the age of 6, or possibly earlier, it may be she confused his name, I don't know.
I'm most grateful for the info on Mary's possible birth registration, as this has eluded me for months! Also for info on the Wilding ancestry, which I'll follow up. Mary

I apologise for doubting that Mary Wilding Corry was your grandmother but the time gap between the generations was larger than is usual. It was obviously caused by the ladies in your family's habit of marrying and having children later in life than was common.

I note that in the census records following her marriage Mary's age was reduced in successive records. I am assuming that this was probably done to seemingly reduce the age gap between Mary and Alexander who was born in 1867. The convention at the time was that a husband was usually expected to be older than his wife. I also note that when Mary died in 1923 that her age recorded at the time of her death was most probably accurate to within one year. I see that she left a fairly large estate when she died and that Alexander survived his wife by 32 years.

Wishing you good luck in your quest to discover more details about her birth and parents. Be aware that simple spelling or transcription errors can sometimes cloud issues.

Mary - you say above that Mary was informally adopted by her aunt 'before' the 1861 census yet she is not living with her aunt on the 1861 ???

Do you know where she was in 1861?

Dea x

Sorry, I made a mistake- should have written 1871 Census, not 1761! Thank you for putting me right. I have all Mary Wilding Corry's life history from 1871 onwards, but have got to get the birth cert. suggested. She and her aunt and the Corry family were devout Catholics, but not sure if that makes things easier or not!