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I am trying to find a marriage of Mary Ann BURGESS to a (possibly George) SPARKS but cannot find anything - it is possible that they were not actually married but I thought I would ask you guys to wave that magic wand of yours - if you can't find it , then it probably didn't happen!

M Spark(e)s is given as daughter on the death certs of both parents - John Burgess in 1877 and Sarah Burgess in 1882. They did have a daughter Mary Ann and I have found a Mary and George Sparks in the 1871 census living in the same street as another daughter, Eliza and her husband William Owen. This is Bethnal Green, London. The George and Mary Ann in the 1871 census have 5 boys aged from 9 to 1 in 1871.

Over to you .......

Gai

John and Sarah Burgess had a large number of children, mostly boys, andI haven't managed to trace many of them - yet. Other daughters are Maria (but she married someone called Porter in 1853) and Minnie (but she died aged just 3)

There's this one ????


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Marriages Sep 1870

Burgess Mary - Wantage 2c 523
Sparks Thomas - Wantage 2c 523

Thanks Michael. I did find that one but area is completely wrong. I am fairly certain that the George Sparks on the 1871 census is the connection - they all lived within a few streets of each other at that time in Bethnal Green - and both George and Mary give their birth place as Bethnal Green on that census. Of course, this may be an assumption too far but Wantage (near Oxford - right?) is a bit odd.

Gai

Mary Ann (Ann) married Walter Barnes 25 Dec 1862

father John Burges a baker
witness Maria Porter & John Burgess

address 14 South Borough place

Walter Barnes
Age: 20
Estimated birth year: abt 1843
Spouse Name: Ann Burgess
Spouse Age: 18
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 25 Dec 1863
Parish: St Jude, Bethnal Green
County: Middlesex
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Father Name: John Barnes
Spouse Father Name: John Burgess

Could this be parents marriage ?

Marriages Dec 1838

BURGESS John - Bethnal Green 2 12
ROBBINS Sarah - Bethnal Green 2 12

Does this correspond with Mary Ann's age ?

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Births Dec 1843

Burgess Mary Ann - Bethnal Gn 2 18

Michael - not those parents - mine are John Burgess and Sarah Ivermee - married 1837. The birth is right though I think.

Victoria - I THINK this is the marriage of another daughter, Ann Burgess. Certainly John Burgess was a baker and Maria Porter is the sister. I think Ann and Mary Ann are two individual sisters - not the same person!

Gai

You appear to have more information than you first posted.



This is Walter and Ann in 1881

Walter BARNES Head M Male 38 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Looking Glass Maker
Ann BARNES Wife M Female 35 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England
Walter BARNES Son U Male 17 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Tinman
George BARNES Son Male 14 Walworth, Surrey, England Errand Boy
Edward BARNES Son Male 12 Walworth, Surrey, England Scholar
Charles BARNES Son Male 10 Peckham, Surrey, England Scholar
Annie BARNES Daur Female 8 Whitechapel, Middlesex, England Scholar
William BARNES Son Male 6 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Scholar
Henry BARNES Son Male 4 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England Scholar
Mary BARNES Daur Female 2 Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England


30 Pitt Street
Census Place London, Middlesex, England

Which of these do you think is your Mary in 1881?

George SPARKS Head M Male 41 Bethnal Green Boot Maker
Mary SPARKS Wife M Female 38 Bethnal Green
George SPARKS Son U Male 19 Bethnal Green Riviter
John SPARKS Son Male 17 Bethnal Green Riviter
Charles SPARKS Son Male 15 Bethnal Green Riviter
Daniel SPARKS Son Male 5 Bethnal Green Scholar
William SPARKS Son Male 3 Bethnal Green
Julia SPARKS Daur Female 1 Bethnal Green
John GEE Lodger U Male 19 Clerkenwell, Middlesex, England Shoe Finisher
Harry HUMTHY Lodger U Male 19 Hackney, Middlesex, England Shoe Finisher


Dwelling 9 Preston St
Census Place London, Middlesex, England
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George SPARKS Head M Male 49 London, Middlesex, England Drover
Mary A. SPARKS Wife M Female 40 London, Middlesex, England
George SPARKS Son Male 18 London, Middlesex, England Labourer
Daniel SPARKS Son Male 17 London, Middlesex, England Printer
James SPARKS Son Male 10 London, Middlesex, England Scholar

Dwelling Crown Court No 1
Census Place London, Middlesex, England

Thansk Michael - I do have some information about Ann Burgess and her marriage to Walter Barnes. It is another daughter - Mary Ann Burgess - that I think is the informant on the parents death certs - M Spark(e)s. This would indicate either Maria, Mary Ann or Minnie (daughters whose name begins with M) married someone called Sparks. The 1871 census shows a Mary and George Sparks living in the same street as another sister - and very close to the rest of the Burgess family. I was trying to determine if this was indeed, Mary Ann Burgess.

Gai

Sorry - crossed posting! The first family matches with the ones I found in 1871. The address is common - I have other members of the Burgess family in Preston Street and they were all shoe-makers. I just cannot be sure that this is "my" Mary Burgess until I find the marriage. Perhaps I will have to try one of the children's birth certs instead.

Gai

Mary Ann Burgess
Age: 18
Estimated birth year: abt 1842
Spouse Name: George Parkes shoemaker 6 Hare Street
Spouse Age: 21
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 16 Jan 1860
Parish: St Matthias, Bethnal Green
County: Middlesex
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Father Name: John Burgess (dead)
Spouse Father Name: George Parkes (dead)

witnesses
John Burgess
Maria Porter
MAry Ann's address 3 barnaby Street

not sure how John Burgess can be dead if he is a witness! is there another John Burgess?

Hi Victoria - sorry was out all day today and just seen your reply.

This certainly looks like a possiblity. Mary An did have a brother John Burgess although her father John did not die until 1877! Curious! I will try to get a look at the actual certificate.

Thankyou.

Gai

OK. I am pretty certain now that Victoria has found the elusive marriage. Mary Ann gives her age as 18 but actually she is closer to 16 - perhaps that's why she said her father was dead. So, Parkes or Sparks ???

The marriage cert definately says Parkes. The 1871 census (and the 1881 that Michael found) indicates the name was Sparks and it is certainly Spark(e)s on both her parents death certs - one has the "e" ; the other doesn't.

Next request please: Can anyone find Mary and George in the 1861 census??

Gai

I have managed to find out some more info - so adding it now for completness - but I still can't find them in 1861 census.

I should have recognised the address (Preston Street) in the 1881 census that Michael found yesterday - Sarah Burgess (Mary Ann's mother) is living with them and I already had that along with a note of the Sparks but couldn't quite place them!

I have now discovered that Mary re-married in 1886 to a Richard Mead. Her surname for that marriage is Sparks, but it has been mistranscribed on Ancestry as "SHARKS" !! :) Witnesses at that marriage were William and Eliza Owen (nee Burgess - yes, another sister!) - who are my great grandparents so it all ties up quite nicely.

George Sparkes (with an "e" this time) died 1883 in Bethnal Green.

Anyway, thanks for all your help. Goodness knows what surname Iwill have been recorded in 1861 - I haven't found anything yet!

Gai

hello was your eliza burgess blind.the eliza i am looking for was born 1873 and was blind from birth she was the daughter of john and sarah burgess,eliza had two sons to my knowledege james and william does this tie in with your tree please

looks like the baptism of George and Mary's first child
born Nov 1861
address Moss's building

George Sparkes
Record Type: Baptism
Date: 26 Jan 1862
Father's Name: George Sparkes
Mother's Name: Mary Sparkes
Parish: St Mary, Whitechapel
Borough: Tower Hamlets
County: Middlesex

1861
George Sparks
Age: 21
Estimated birth year: abt 1840
Relation: Head
Spouse's name: Sarah
Gender: Male
Where born: Bethnal Green

Civil parish: Bethnal Green St Matthew
Ecclesiastical parish: St Bartholomew
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

View image

Registration district: Bethnal Green
Sub-registration district: Green
ED, institution, or vessel: 16
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 229
Household Members:
Name Age
George Sparks 21
Sarah Sparks 17
Mary A Sparks 1

I'm pretty sure that this is them, address Barnaby Street , which ties in with the marriage. Also living next door is the Burgess family JOhn the baker etc

Record
Sarah Burgess Jno abt 1817 St Georges Wife Bethnal Green St Matthew, Middlesex
View Record
Jno Burgess Sarah abt 1817 St Georges Head Bethnal Green St Matthew, Middlesex
View Record
Wm Burgess Jno,
Sarah abt 1842 Bethnal Green Son Bethnal Green St Matthew, Middlesex
View Record
Ann Burgess Jno,
Sarah abt 1846 Bethnal Green Daughter Bethnal Green St Matthew, Middlesex
View Record
Susan Burgess Jno,
Sarah abt 1848 Bethnal Green Daughter Bethnal Green St Matthew, Middlesex
View Record
Danl Burgess Jno,
Sarah abt 1850 Bethnal Green Son Bethnal Green St Matthew, Middlesex
View Record
Chas Burgess Jno,
Sarah abt 1852 Bethnal Green Son Bethnal Green St Matthew, Middlesex
View Record
Eliza Burgess Jno,
Sarah abt 1854 Bethnal Green Daughter Bethnal Green St Matthew, Middlesex
View Record
Caroline Burgess Jno,
Sarah abt 1856 Bethnal Green Daughter Bethnal Green St Matthew, Middlesex
View Record
Minnie Burgess Jno,
Sarah abt 1860 Bethnal Green Daughter Bethnal Green St Matthew, Middlesex

Well done Victoria! Sorry - haven't been checking this thread since I thought all had come to an end.

I figured out how the marriage was recorded as Parkes and not Sparkes - George made his mark and although Mary Ann signed her name, it looks rather laboured and practised - I pressume as neither of them could read, they wouldn't have known the vicar had misunderstood the name - andperhaps he was a little hard of hearing!

The 1861 census is interesting - and I am certain that what you have found is correct. I think that the names of wife and daughter may have gotten muddled up as George's wife WAS Mary Ann and their eldest daughter was Sarah. I will try and find the original of the census record. (The baptism you found, was for George, their second child)

Oooh - I like it when it all starts to make sense and order is eventually born of chaos! Thanks again for your help.

Gai