My great grandparents marriage certificate ( a certified copy) shows John George Wren (age 22) married Sarah Barker (age 17) at the Parish Church, Parish of Lyons, Durham, on 26 Dec 1881, registration district Houghton le Spring. Residence for both is given as Easington Lane. The certificate was corrected in the margin to give the bride's name as Sarah Ann Barker. Censuses give J G Wren's birthplace as Lumley and Sarah's as Easington Lane.

I followed up the best match (from FreeBMD) for Sarah Barker and got a copy of her birth certificate. The best match Sarah was born 9 April 1865 at Brick Garth, Hetton-le-Hole, but the certificate shows no middle name. How important is that middle name? There are a few Sarah Ann Barker's born near the right time, but in the wrong part of Durham. On google maps I find Brick Garth, Easington Lane, Houghton le Spring, which gives some reassurance I have the right person. Her parents are given as Thomas Barker (a name that appears in a tree produced by my dad many years ago) and the mother's maiden name is given as Sarah Cram - my dad did not know the mother's name.

My concern is there were lots of Sarah Barkers born in Durham around the same time, and many Thomas Barkers as potential parents too. So how do I best confirm I have the right one? Suggested strategies from people with experience of doing this kind of thing will be very welcome.

Tom Swailes

I have come to the conclusion that our ancestors sought only to confuse us with middle names! Many use them intermittently, some don't have them on their birth certificate but use them all their lives. I could go on. I feel it is wiser not to look for the whole name every time, similarly, the birth place in census is often confused with other children, or they may identify a village in one census but a town in another.

In my experience, census taken nearer the birth are likely to be the most accurate for place of birth. I looked for a Sarah Barker in 1871 born in Co. Durham between the ages of 6 to 8. 1871 census has only one Sarah Barker that fits the info you give, living at 12 Thomas Street, Spennymoor.
Thomas Barker head Mar 29 coal miner DUR Wingate
Sarah Barker wife Mar 25 DUR Leadgate
Sarah Barker daur 6 DUR Easington Lane
Nicholas Barker son 2 DUR Spennymoor

There is a marriage in 1864 Houghton 10a page 519
Thomas Barker – Sarah Cram is also listed (freebmd have error but GRO page shows page 519)

It appears to me that you are on the right track, do not let the 'phantom' middle name deter you!
regards

The FreeBMD transcription error had caught me out, as I ordered a marriage certificate from GRO for Thomas Barker and the wrong spouse - a Sarah Laws. They wrote back to say "they're on the same page, but not married to each other". Unfortunately they didn't say who they WERE married to!

The census info is a great help, many thanks for that. There is a Nick Barker in the tree my dad drew up too. Now I can get the marriage certificate and also Sarah Cram's birth certificate (FreeBMD says b Durham June 1847 qtr) and if she was born Leadgate , then she's my gg grandmother.

Best Regards

Tom Swailes

1851 – HO107/2393 ed 46 folio 425 page 46
Public House, Brickgarth, Easington Lane
John Cramm head Mar 35 miner & publican NBL Gosforth
Sarah Cramm wife Mar 32 NBL Gosforth
John Cramm son 12 coal miner NBL Gosforth
Robert Cramm son 11 coal miner DUR Jarrow
William Cramm son 8 NBL Seghill
George Cramm son 5 NBL Seghill
Sarah Cramm daur 3 DUR Leadgate
Martin Cramm son 1 DUR Hetton le Hole
Elinore Tolinson servant u 16 servant DUR Gateshead

1841
HO107/821/11 ed13A folio 3 page 1
Fawdon Square, Fawdon, Northumberland
John Cram 26 coal miner yes
Sarah Cram 25 yes
John Cram 4 yes
Robert Cram 3 months yes

FamilySearch/IGI shows christening of Sarah Cram, Lanchester, 29 Aug 1847 parents John and Sarah Cram, unfortunately the FreeBMD scan of Sarah Cram's birth registration is missing a page number, 'though the expected page range is given as 71 to 122. There's a marriage for her possible parents John Cram and Sarah Thompson at All Sts Newcastle-on-Tyne 15th Feb 1836 (IGI) but no John/ Sarah marriage matches from FreeBMD. I'll have to do quite an extensive trawl of the earlier censuses to put the Cram family together, and there are lots of Cram's in the north east, so it's a winter-time job I think!

Thanks, that's definitely the family in 1851 and Leadgate's the right birthplace for Sarah. I hadn't tried searching for Cramm. The marriage I'd found for a John and Sarah in Newcastle may be a bit too early.

Hi,
I can't help with your family tree but I can give you some info about the area. I lived in Easington Lane,Co.Durham between 1954 - 1963 (I'me 63). My father was the village policeman. Brick Garth is one of its main streets.It's still there and is a row of terraced bungalows.
We always called the church ''Lyons church'( I was in the choir)- because it was built on land originally owned by Elizabeth, the Queen Mother's family. Her name before she married George V1 was Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.While I was in the choir she sent us a carriage clock to auction for the church funds.The vicar was hoping for a large cheque !! Her family owned some coal mines around the area at one time.
If you need any more local knowledge my e-mail address is
elaine.abbot@yahoo.co.uk

Baptisms Gosforth:

John Cram 6 Aug 1837 s/o John and Sarah
Robert Cram 37 Oct 1839 s/o John and Sarah

Janis

Janis

Many thanks for this. It confirms the date for the marriage of John and Sarah Cram looks reasonable after all.

Tom

Hi everyone, The Hetton Le Hole & districts Local History Group are very keen to help members, and/or send/receive information on the area. If anyone is interested our email address is hettonlhg@talktalk.net
We are currently in our first issue of a newsletter named Hetton Le Hole Herald if anyone wishes to subscribe for these please let me know. Judith Richardson