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I am trying to find a Birth record and details of a mother for Sarah Jane Lewis born 1872 Plymouth Devon. She married Charles Thomas Foster on 9 July 1899 in Islington London. On the marriage certificate her father was William Lewis deceased. I have all the details going forward from her marriage but nothing on her parents. The birth date of 1872 Plymouth Devon is consistent on all the census records following her marriage in 1899 and her age at marriage given as 27 The occupation for her deceased father William is given as a Gardner on the marriage certificate. Any help with finding her parents would be much appreciated Thank you.

A William Lewis, age 19, died in Plymouth in the last quarter of 1971, I would check him out.

I found him on freebmd.

Thank you I will check that out

Look for Sarah on censuses prior to the marriage

‘Deceased’ (at marriage) fathers sometimes didn’t exist…….invented to save face

“Deceased’ in 1899, if she was truthful could mean he died any time up to the day of the marriage

Opps. I misread the OP, I muddled up the dates. Thinking I was looking for a death too early.

I couldn't find a birth either, maybe she didn't go by the name Lewis in the early days.

1891 Looks like Sarah jane was a servant in Islington

Birth registration didn't become compulsory until 1874, even though civil registration was introduced in 1837, so she may not have been registered.

Thanks. The Servant in 1891 Census is not our Sarah. It is possible that if her father is the one who died in 1871 he may not have been married and the birth for Sarah was under her mother's surname and that her mother later married and Sarah started using a Stepfather surname. I need to do a bit more detective work on this. Thanks again to everyone

The marriage entry from PRs on Ancestry shows Sarah's address at marriage was 123 Andover Road in case that helps.

Probably the burial of the 19 year old William posted by nameslessone

Devon Burials
Ford Park Cemetery, Plymouth, Ford Park Cemetery, Devon, England

First name(s) William
Last name Lewis
Birth year 1852
Age 19
Death year 1871
Burial year 1871
Burial date 23 Dec 1871
Residence 25 York Street Plymouth
Home parish St Andrew
Parish Ford Park Cemetery
Place Plymouth, Ford Park Cemetery
County Devon
Denomination Non-Denominational
Grave type Common
Memorial reference Section AH, No.29, Row 70
Archive Plymouth & West Devon Record Office
Archive reference 2595/9
Country England
Record set Devon Burials
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Parish Burials
Collections from England, Great Britain
Devon Family History Society
© Devon Family History Society

If her parents weren’t married, she would have been registered under the mother’s name……………. IF she was registered

There is certainly no birth registration with the name Lewis in Plymouth to fit

There some birth registrations for the forenames in the relevant period. Find them on freebmd, then cross-refer with the GRO to find out if any of them were illegitimate

She wasn’t at the Andover Road address in 1891

Who witnessed the marriage?

Thanks everyone

BTW, in 1901 her birth year is shown as 1871

What was her stated age when she died? When was that?

The names of witnesses to the marriage aren't helpful -

Rosinar (?) Foster (Charles's sister) and Richard Keane.


FOSTER, ROSINA mmn BESSENT
GRO Reference: 1865 J Quarter in ISLINGTON Volume 01B Page 194

FOSTER, CHARLES THOMAS mmn BESSANT
GRO Reference: 1871 S Quarter in ISLINGTON Volume 01B Page 364



Richard Keane was a boarder at 123 Andover Road in 1901:

Richard Keane
in the 1901 England Census
Name: Richard Keane
Age: 32
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1869
Relation to Head: Boarder
Gender: Male
Birth Place: London, England
Civil parish: Islington
Search Photos:
View blank form
Ecclesiastical parish: St Anne
County/Island: London
Country: England
Registration district: Islington
Sub-registration district: Upper Holloway
ED, institution, or vessel: 65
Neighbors:
Piece: 169
Folio: 63
Page number: 6
Household schedule number: 36

He and another boarder are in the household of Mary Cantwell, 46, widow, (nee Hall) and her two sons George E (16) and Edward (10).

Re Sarah Jane's death, to find out her age -

She's alive in 1921, but Charles is a widower by 1939, both records in Islington.

The only Sarah Foster who died in Islington in that time span is this one - but born c1864:

Deaths Jun 1928 (>99%)
Foster Sarah J 64 Islington 1b 200


1921 - with apparently wrong YOB's for Sarah and Charles - but 1921 has lots of mistranscriptions, as we know -

.Sarah
Foster
1891 [probably supposed to be 1871 ]
Plymouth, Devon, England
Islington
Islington
London, Middlesex

with Charles 1869, William 1901, and Mabel 1903.

FOSTER, WILLIAM CHARLES mmn LEWIS
GRO Reference: 1901 M Quarter in ISLINGTON Volume 01B Page 222

FOSTER, MABEL mmn LEWIS
GRO Reference: 1903 J Quarter in ISLINGTON Volume 01B Page 209

Supposing the age at death is correct-ish - and that it's the correct death (that's certainly the only Sarah Foster whose death is registered in Islington 1921-39)-

that would make the woman in Islington in 1891, rejected earlier, a strong possibility for being the correct woman.

Sarah Jane Lewis
in the 1891 England Census
Name: Sarah Jane Lewis
Gender: Female
Age: 24
Relationship: Servant
Birth Year: 1867
Birth Place: Plymouth, Devon, England
Civil parish: Islington
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
Residence Place: London, Islington, London, England
Registration district: Islington
Sub registration district: Upper Holloway
ED, Institution or Vessel: 39
Neighbors:
Piece: 146
Folio: 143
Household Members Age Relationship
Watson Lurr 54 Head
Maria Lurr 48 Wife
Sarah Jane Lewis 24 Servant
Jane Eliza Manning 24 Servant
Annie Maria Brown 28 Servant
Mary Jane Wright 26 Servant




????
LEWIS, SARAH JANE mmn BUTTERS
GRO Reference: 1864 J Quarter in ST GERMANS Volume 05C Page 42


Marriages Dec 1862 (>99%)
Butters Eliza Truro 5c 303
Lewis William Truro 5c 303


Sarah Lewis
in the 1871 England Census
Name: Sarah Lewis
Age: 7
Estimated Birth Year: 1864
Relation: Daughter
Gender: Female
Where born: Cawsand, Cornwall, England
Civil parish: Maker
Ecclesiastical parish: Maker
Town: Kingsland
County/Island: Cornwall
Country: England
Registration district: St Germans
Sub-registration district: Antony
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Household schedule number: 216
Piece: 2228
Folio: 76
Page number: 33
Household Members Age Relationship
Charlotte Milton 45 Head
William Lewis 27 Boarder - labourer, Exeter
Eliza Lewis 28 Wife Of Boarder (Boarder)
Sarah Lewis 7 Daughter


Eliza Lewis
in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1837-1915
Name: Eliza Lewis
Age: 33
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Death Registration Place: St Germans, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Death Date: Jun 1874
Inferred Death Place: Cornwall, United Kingdom
Volume: 5c
Page: 27


???
Deaths Sep 1875 (>99%)
Lewis William 33 St Germans 5c 25

Sarah Jane Lewis
in the 1881 England Census
Name: Sarah Jane Lewis
Age: 16
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1865
Relationship to Head: Granddaughter
Gender: Female
Where born: Cawsand Rame, Cornwall, England
Civil Parish: Rame
County/Island: Cornwall
Country: England
Street Address: Rame Road
Education:
Employment status:
View image
Registration District: St Germans
ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Neighbors:
Piece: 2279
Folio: 83
Page Number: 7
Household Members:
Name Age
Eliza Bulters 66
Susan Bulters 34
Richard Bulters 25
Sarah Jane Lewis 16
Emma Lewis 13


Perhaps she lied about her age because Charles was a lot younger than she was??
And then her correct age came to light at her death ???

Cawsand is approx 10 miles from Plymouth. Maybe it was easier to say she was born in Plymouth, as almost nobody in London would have heard of Cawsand.

Thank you. We are aware of the details and family for Sarah Jane born 1865. We are taking a fresh look

Possibly the above William Lewis in 1861 ??

William Lewis
in the 1861 England Census
Name: William Lewis [William Thomas Lewis - name correction submittted by an Ancestry user in 2020]
Age: 18
Estimated Birth Year: 1843 [1842]
Relation: Son
Mother's Name: Mary Ann Lewis
Gender: Male
Where born: Exeter, Devon, England
Civil parish: Exeter St Edmund
County/Island: Devon
Country: England
Registration district: Exeter
Sub-registration district: St David
ED, institution, or vessel: 15
Neighbors:
Household schedule number: 81
Piece: 1399
Folio: 86
Page number: 14
Household Members Age Relationship
Mary Ann Lewis 54 Wife
Mary Lewis 21 Daughter
William Lewis 18 Son - GARDENER <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Elizabeth Lewis 11 Daughter
Henry Lewis 8 Son
Charlotte Lewis 10 Granddaughter
George Lewis 8 Grandson


On Sarah & Charles's marriage cert it says her deceased father William was a gardener.



William Thomas Lewis
in the Devon, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1920
Name: William Thomas Lewis
Baptism Date: 21 Aug 1842
Baptism Place: Exeter, St Edmund, Devon, England
Religion: Anglican
Father: John Lewis
Mother: Mary Anne Lewis