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I have found a bapt entry for John Couchman Taylor ,29 march 1816 Elm Cambridgeshire ,son of Mary Taylor.no father shown .
Mary Taylor married Simon Muffin 1820 Elm .
I have unable to find of any more of John ,wonder what happened to me
Barbara.

There is the possibility he took on the step-fathers name. There is this one on 1841 census:

John Muffin
Age 20
Estimated Year of Birth 1821
Relationship to Head of Household
Occupation
Address
District Wisbeck, Walsoken
Parish Elm
Administrative County Cambridgeshire
Birth Place Cambridgeshire
Birth County Cambridgeshire

I can't read his wife's name, but there is a child William (1), the child appears on the 1851 census in the same area, but visiting another family - in the notes it says he is a soldiers son. Can't see John Muffin 1851.

The wife's name in the 1841 census is Sarah - that is if she is the wife as the 1841 census doesn't give relationships.

Kath. x

Hi Flip
Thank you ,I will try to follow this up .
Barbara

John Muffin's place of birth is given as Walsoken - which is very close to Elm where Mary got married.

Kath. x

There is this birth which could be the young William Muffin on the 1841 census with John and Sarah:-

Name: MUFFIN, William
Registration District: Wisbech
County: Cambridgeshire
Year of Registration: 1840
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
Mother's Maiden Name: Not available before 1911 Q3
Volume No: Help 14
Page No: Help 157

Kath. x

Thanks Kath, wish GR had family transcripts!

Can't see either of them 1851/1861, just William in 1851.

Barbara, do you have Mary Muffin on the census? She appears right up to 1881, recorded as a widow from 1851 & no sign of Simon in 1841 either.

I wonder if this could be John's wife Sarah in the 1861 census. I know the age is completely wrong but think it may be mis-transcribed as she is said to be 12 but is also said to be married:-

EDIT - maybe not as it also says she is a scholar!!

GOODMAN, John Head Married M 36 1825 Drayman
St Edmund
Lincolnshire
GOODMAN, Mary A Wife Married F 27 1834
Walsoken
Norfolk
MUFFIN, Sarah Ann Cousin F 12 1849 Scholar
Elm
Cambridgeshire

Address:
2, West Parade, Wisbech St Peter, Wisbech


RG number:RG09
Piece:1048
Folio:38
Page:38

Kath. x

I looked at that one as well, but the original definitely says she is 12 and there is nothing in the marital status box, looks like the enumerator only entered info about the married ones for that page.

On Findmypast it looks like there is a "ditto" mark underneath the "married" for the wife above Sarah - that's why I originally thought the age might have been mis-transcribed, but I guess not as she is a scholar.

Kath. x

HI Flip & Kathleen
Yes I have my 3x GGrandmother Mary Muffin nee Taylor ,on census up to 1881 ,she died 1882 Elm ,Simon died 1831 aged 40 .Simon had a brother william Muffin b 1796 who married a Sarah Ashton 1819 Elm .
John Muffin b 1821 is not John Couchman Taylor.
John Couchman Taylor is buried in the same grave as his step father Simon Muffin in Elm Churchyard ,I have visited the grave but was unable to see the year of death ,but must have been after 1831,no other names on head stone
Many thanks to you both
Barbara.

Was John buried under the name of Taylor or Muffin?

Just as I'd caught up with the John Muffin we were tracking, had him 1871 with a new wife in the Isle of Wight! Oh well, red herring!

Hi Christopher,

Are you saying that John Muffin on the 1841 census born c.1821 is not John Couchman Taylor just because of his year of birth?

If so the year of birth is only estimated from the age on the census which is 20. However on the 1841 census an age of 20 could mean anything up to 24 years and 11 months because ages were rounded down to the nearest 5. This would mean that his year of birth could be as low as 1816.

Kath. x

hi
I have not taken the yob from the census ,
I have a copy of his bapt 1816 Elm ,mother Mary Taylor ,so he must have been born about that time ,bapt are not rounded down as on the 1841 census [not always ]
He was buried as Taylor not Muffin .
Cannot find him on any census ,this is what is so confusing ,he was definately not living with his Mother ,on any of them .
Tried death but also drawn a blank .
Thank you for your interest .
Barbara

You're right, he was not with mother on any census, but he would have been around 25 by the time of the 1841 census.

I think you may need to go back to the actual parish records, if he was buried with stepfather at Elm his burial will be in the records. Familysearch has many gaps in their transcripts, as I've found many times in the past. They are especially bad at deaths!

Check before Simon's death as well, just because he may be recorded under him on the gravestone it doesn't mean he died later - may just mean that the headstone was erected/inscribed at a later date.

Other thing, just because he is recorded on the headstone doesn't necessarily mean he is buried there - it is just a memorial and can refer to anyone. I've come across a number of headstones referring to family members who I know aren't buried there. However, if he died in the parish they should have a record of his burial even if it is in a public grave.

Also, try the local records office, they often have monument inscriptions taken years ago when grave stones may have been easier to read.

Wish you luck,
Flip

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941
about Mary Muffin
Name: Mary Muffin
Probate Date: 5 Apr 1882
Death Date: 24 Mar 1882
Death Place: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England
Registry: Peterborough

Just wondering if you have Mary's Will?...

Chris :)

Thank you for all of this ,much appreciated .
Yes I do have a copy of Mary's will leaving what little she had to her two sons

I need all the luck I can get .

Barbara.

Whoops ,made a clanger ,she actually named a nephew in her will
Barbara

Just to add if you want another check on the gravestone, or any other names relating in Elm, there is a lady called Zoe on Records Board who is offering look up's there this weekend.

Chris :)

(thread called Headstones)

Chris ,
many thanks ,will definately try this
barbara