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It's not so much confirming this women is his mother. It is the fact that if she is widowed how is she continuing to have children. It seems to me something suspicious is going on.

I think you need his BIRTH cert to gain his Parents actual names. Seems the only logical way of doing it. I have spent most of the afternoon sifting through families who have the same names and dob's, same parents etc ... and still haven't convinced myself of the correct family. My lot, however, are VERY distant rellies, so I'll not loose sleep over them... and won't be buying a cert ! Good Luck Dancer x

I have been trying to located Bernard Sowden a Farmer in the census but have been unsuccessful. His son Matthew William Sowden married Nellie Littlejohns in 1899 in Sussex. On the marriage certifcate, Bernard is down as deceased. Matthew was born in 1876 in Hull in Yorkshire. I have found what I believe to be his mother and siblings in the 1891, 1881 and 1871 census. The problem is she is down as Widowed in all of these census which would mean she was widowed when Matthew was born. The problem is although she is widowed she has continued to have children, as in each census she has children under 10 years old. So my question is what on earth is going on. The details of his assumed mother are: Caroline Sowden born c1840 in Ingoldsby in Yorkshire. Your advice would be appreciated. As I cannot get my head around this one.