Family History Research: Finding a Spouse for Matilda Grant - Part Two
In Part 1, we traced Matilda Grant through the available records on FamilySearch until we reached the 1861 England and Wales Census. At that point, Matilda was listed as a widow living in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. With no later records attached to her profile, the next step is to search beyond FamilySearch. Since we know she was living in Staffordshire and had likely married before the birth of her children, Staffordshire marriage records on Findmypast are a logical place to continue the search. I searched the Staffordshire Marriages and Banns collection on Findmypast using Matilda's name and an estimated marriage year of 1865, allowing for ten years on either side. This search returned one result for Matilda Wilford. The record showed that Matilda Wilford married William Jones on 11 January 1864 at St. Stephen, Willenhall, Staffordshire. Matilda was listed as a widow, age 50, living at Mosley Hole. Her father was recorded as Thomas Grant. His occupation is difficult to deciphe...