Genealogy Chat

I have been trying to find Ellen Early for a number of years. Used a lot of sites but cannot find anything about her birth using different spellings of her name. She married my great grandfather Edward McFarlane in 1863 aged 20. I can trace her after that but not before. I know her father is William Early because I have their marriage certificate.
There is a census record from 1851 which says father is William but all the other information doesn't add up.
Can anyone suggest anything else I can try.
Thank you

Welcome to the boards, elben.

For helpers' info, as you don't mention where they married:

Marriages Jun 1863 (>99%)
Early Ellen Stockton 10a 151
MCFARLAN Edward Stockton 10a 151

Born in Wales, apparently:

Ellen McFarlan
in the 1871 England Census
Name: Ellen McFarlan
Age: 27
Estimated Birth Year: 1844
Relation: Wife
Gender: Female
Where born: Wales
Civil parish: Hartlepool
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity
Town: Hartlepool
County/Island: Durham
Country: England
Registration district: Hartlepool
Sub-registration district: Hartlepool
ED, institution, or vessel: 18
Household schedule number: 76
Piece: 4916
Folio: 65
Page number: 15
Household Members Age Relationship
Edward McFarlan 27 Head
Ellen McFarlan 27 Wife
Thomas McFarlan 6 Son
William McFarlan 4 Son
Mary McFarlan 2 Daughter



I assume this is the 1851 you mention:

Ellen Earley
in the 1851 England Census
Name: Ellen Earley
Age: 8
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1843
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: William Earley
Mother's Name: Mary Earley
Gender: Female
Where born: Newport, Shropshire, England
Civil Parish: Bilston
Ecclesiastical parish: St Leonard
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England
Street Address:
Occupation:
Condition as to marriage:
Disability:
View image
Registration District: Wolverhampton
Sub-registration District: Bilston
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Neighbors:
Household Schedule Number: 151
Piece: 2021
Folio: 716
Page Number: 42
Household Members:
Name Age
William Earley 30 - Ireland, furnace labourer
Mary Earley 27 - Ireland
Ellen Earley 8
William Earley 5 - Newport, Shropshire
Mary Earley 3 Mo - Bilston, Staffs.
John Lemmon 22
Mary Brinnon 60
William Brinnon 27
Benjamin Brinnon 20


You say "all the other information doesn't add up.".
What other information is that?
I know Shropshire's not in Wales

1881 says she was born in Newport, Wales:

Ellen Mc Farlen
in the 1881 England Census
Name: Ellen Mc Farlen
Age: 36
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1845
Relationship to Head: Wife
Spouse: Edward Mc Farlen
Gender: Female
Where born: Newport, Wales
Civil Parish: Escomb
County/Island: Durham
Country: England
Street Address: 68 Albion Street
Marital status: Married
Education:
Employment status:
View image
Registration District: Auckland
ED, institution, or vessel: 15
Neighbors:
Piece: 4916
Folio: 56
Page Number: 48
Household Members:
Name Age
Edward Mc Farlen 36
Ellen Mc Farlen 36
Mary A. Mc Farlen 12
Margaret Mc Farlen 8
Eg??ard Mc Farlen 3
Matthew Mc Farlen

???

Ellen Harley
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Ellen Harley
Registration Year: 1843
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration District: Newport
Inferred County: Monmouthshire
Volume: 26
Page: 115


HARLEY, ELLEN mmn LEE
GRO Reference: 1843 S Quarter in NEWPORT Volume 26 Page 115


??
Sister Mary (as listed in 1851):

HEARLEY, MARY ANN mmn LEE
GRO Reference: 1851 M Quarter in WOLVERHAMPTON Volume 17 Page 347

What was the father’s occupation?

Did he witness the marriage?

This birth is also shown on Ancestry - but I don't see any such birth on the GRO site or GRO Index. Must be some strange mistranscription of the Newport, Monmouthshire birth above.

Ellen Harley
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Ellen Harley
Registration Year: 1843
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration District: Newport
Inferred County: Shropshire
Volume: 18
Page: 1135


Page number is impossible for Newport, Shropshire.

‘Shropshire’ is Ancestry’s inference - and they’re Americans

'Newport' is a district in Monmouthshire, as per GRO info

Newport Shropshire was 'Newport S' until 1935