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Hi , Freebmd have the marriage of Mary Reinford as Sept 1864 to Thomas Hopkins in Liverpool. but no where can I find her birth. On the 1881 census it states that she was born in West Kirby Cheshire.
Can you please help
Sheila

You could try Ancestry.co.uk

How old was she is 1881?

Have you tried looking with the phonetic search on - just in case she has been mistranscribed.

Was she a widow when she married Thomas Hopkins? In which case her birth would be under a different name.

Hi Mark, I did , but got nowhere. Did you find her ??? and I was looking in the wrong place??
Sheila

For reference, is the 1881 you refer to?

1881 England Census
about Mary Hopkins
Name: Mary Hopkins
Age: 38
Estimated birth year: abt 1843
Relation: Wife
Spouse's name: Thomas
Gender: Female
Where born: West Kirby, Cheshire, England

Civil parish: Toxteth Park
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Street Address: 10 Ho 10 CT Shelley St
Condition as to marriage: Married

Employment status: View image
Occupation: Tailor Wife

Registration district: Toxteth Park
Sub-registration district: Toxteth Park

Thomas Hopkins 40
Mary Hopkins 38
John Hopkins 16
Mary Hopkins 15
Caroline Hopkins 12
Amy Hopkins 10
Sarah Hopkins 6
Thomas Hopkins 4
William Hopkins 1

Hi on the 1881 census Mary was 38 and Thomas was 40. I have not idea if she was a widow or not I had not thought of that. but Mary was about 23 when she wed Thomas their first child was born in 1865
Sheila

Poss Birth Name: Mary Rainford
Year of Registration: 1844
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Wirral (1837-1974)
County: Cheshire
Volume: 19
Page: 328 (click to see others on page

T hank you Ninja lady, it could be. can I be very cheeky and ask if you can find the birth place for Thomas Hopkins. it was in Ireland according to the 1881 census. Mary is my OH 1x greatgrandmother and he knows nothing about them at all
thanks again
Sheila

Snap Michele - was just about to post these two possibles - more likely than West Derby


Births Dec 1844 (>99%)
RAINFORD Mary Wirral 19 328

Births Jun 1846 (98%)
Rainford Mary Wirral 19 414



With regard to Thomas Hopkins - without a specific place in Ireland it would be difficult to trace his birth.

Do you have the marriage certificate - knowing his father's name might help a little but Ireland isn't my strong point!! You could have a look on the Family Search Beta site - they hold Irish Civil Registration records on there.

1861 England Census
about Mary Rainford
Name: Mary Rainford
Age: 16
Estimated birth year: abt 1845
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Joseph
Mother's Name: Ann
Gender: Female
Where born: West Kirby, Cheshire, England

Civil parish: West Kirby
County/Island: Cheshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage: View image

Registration district: Wirral
Sub-registration district: Woodchurch
ED, institution, or vessel: 4
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 16
Household Members: Name Age
Joseph Rainford 48
Ann Rainford 50
George Rainford 23
Mary Rainford 16
Ellen Rainford 14
Joseph Rainford 11
Samuel Rainford 8
Robert Rainford 5

Here is the family in 1871 - Mary's year of birth is now c1845 so she could be either of the two Wirral birth registrations.

1871 England Census
about Mary Hopkins
Name: Mary Hopkins
Age: 26
Estimated birth year: abt 1845
Relation: Wife
Spouse's name: Thomas
Gender: Female
Where born: West Kirby, Cheshire, England
Civil parish: Toxteth Park
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mathew
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England
Registration district: West Derby
Sub-registration district: Toxteth Park

Thomas Hopkins 50 ....tailor....born Ireland
Mary Hopkins 26 ...born West Kirby
Jean Hopkins 6 ...born West Kirby
Mary Hopkins 5 ...born Birkenhead
Ellen Hopkins 3 ...born Liverpool

Deleted census info - safc posted the marriage details which confirms that Michele has posted the correct census information for Mary Rainford.

1851 England Census
about Mary Rainford
Name: Mary Rainford
Age: 6
Estimated birth year: abt 1845
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Joseph
Mother's Name: Ann
Gender: Female
Where born: West Kirby, Cheshire, England

Civil parish: West Kirby
Ecclesiastical parish: West Kirby
County/Island: Cheshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View image

Registration district: Wirral Street Indexed
Sub-registration district: Woodchurch
ED, institution, or vessel: 12, 15, 16, and 17
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 31
Household Members: Name Age
Joseph Rainford 58
Ann Rainford 59
Sarah Rainford 11
Ann Rainford 9
Mary Rainford 6
Ellen Rainford 4
Joseph Rainford 1

Sorry Ninja Lady I/we know nothing about Thomas, and no I don't have his and Mary's GRO Marriage certificate. I do have his daughters Ann's mis transcribed as Amy's marriage lines that was how we know that Thomas was a tailor
Sheila

I don't understand the 1871 census , who do you think the children are other than Mary there are not his
Sheila

Hi Sheila

I think Jean may be a mistranscription for John. He is actually a male on the original.

Will look at Ellen - could she be Caroline under a middle name?

Groom's Name: Thomas Hopkins
Groom's Birth Date:
Groom's Birthplace:
Groom's Age:
Bride's Name: Mary Reinford
Bride's Birth Date:
Bride's Birthplace:
Bride's Age:
Marriage Date: 29 Aug 1864
Marriage Place: St. Paul Church, Liverpool, Lancaster, England
Groom's Father's Name: John Hopkins
Groom's Mother's Name:
Bride's Father's Name: Joseph Reinford
Bride's Mother's Name:
Groom's Race:
Groom's Marital Status: Single
Groom's Previous Wife's Name:
Bride's Race:
Bride's Marital Status: Single
Bride's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M01091-8
System Origin: England-EASy
Source Film Number: 1656375
Reference Number: It 3 p 205
Collection: England Marriages, 1538–1973

I am sorry I went away but a good "cuppa' sometimes helps. On the 1871 census Thomas is head of the house aged 50 that would mean he was born in1821 in Ireland. ---- IF Mary was 26 and the dates tally for her .Thomas her father was born in 1841 . So is this Thomas in the 1871 census her grandfather and Jean, Mary ,and Ellen, her children. There seems to be a mystery there.
Sheila

I think its more likely to be a mistranscription of some sort and he should be listed as 30 as the relationship for Thomas is Head and Mary is listed as Wife.

Its possible that the enumerator misheard 30 and wrote 50, or perhaps the person who transcribed the enumerators notes misread his handwriting and wrote 50 instead of 30 on the final copy.

Jean is definitely a male on the 1871 so I would be confident to say that this is actually the John from the 1881.

Name: Mary Rainford
Gender: Female
Event Type: Christening
Birth Date:
Christening Date: 01 Dec 1844
Marriage Date:
Banns Date:
Death Date:
Burial Date:
Event Date:
Birthplace:
Christening Place: West Kirby, Cheshire, England
Marriage Place:
Banns Place:
Death Place:
Burial Place:
Event Place:
Father's Name: Joseph Rainford
Mother's Name: Ann
Principal's Marital Status:
Principal's Residence: , West Kirby, Cheshire, England
Spouse's Name:
Spouse's Marital Status:
Spouse's Residence:
Spouse's Father:
Spouse's Mother:
Age:
Image Number: 99
Digital Folder Number: 4018394
Film Number: 1656757
Collection: England, Cheshire Parish Registers, 1538-2000