A couple of months ago I asked the list to help find records for the family of my gt. grandmother, Mary Ann Couzens (surname can be spelt in many different ways) born 1868 in Johnston, and had some really useful help.  One of the “left-over” mysteries concerned her older sister Hannah born about 1864. In the 1871 census Hannah was living with her parents, and in the 1881 she was a dairymaid on a farm. After that she vanished.  I could not even find a birth record for her.  Now however, I have found her and thought that I would let you know how, as it might help others with similar quandries.   In the 1911 Census, their aunt Esther O'Connell was recorded as having a 19 year old niece called Ethel Maud Walters born in Mumbles living with her. So wanting to know who Ethel was and how she fitted into the tree, I looked for her in the 1901 census. There she was with her mother Anna Cooze and step-father Joseph Cooze living in Cardiff.   So now who was Anna Cooze?  I soon discovered that she had married as Anna Walters in 1900.  So now who was Anna Walters?  The 1901 census had other children from what must have been a first marriage living with her, and they were all born in Furzy Hill.  Using that information I back tracked to the 1891 census, discovering that her first husband was John Walters.   So then I looked for a marriage of John Walters to an Anna.  The only one that fitted was an Anna Maria Couzens, who had a birth record in 1864 in Haverfordwest, but did not appear in either the 1871 or 1881 census.  I had no idea who she was or how she was related to my family tree, so I ordered her birth certificate which arrived yesterday, and low and behold she was a sister to my gt grandmother Mary Ann.   I now conclude that Hannah must have been a mis-transcription of Anna - perhaps they were trying to sound posh, and sounding a non-existent H before her name. Megan 

On 22/5/12 09:50, "Megan Roberts" <[email protected]> wrote: > A couple of months ago I asked the list to help find records for the family of > my gt. grandmother, Mary Ann Couzens (surname can be spelt in many different > ways) born 1868 in Johnston, and had some really useful help.  One of the > ³left-over² mysteries concerned her older sister Hannah born about 1864. In > the 1871 census Hannah was living with her parents, and in the 1881 she was a > dairymaid on a farm. After that she vanished.  I could not even find a birth > record for her.  Now however, I have found her and thought that I would let > you know how, as it might help others with similar quandries.   In the 1911 > Census, their aunt Esther O'Connell was recorded as having a 19 year old niece > called Ethel Maud Walters born in Mumbles living with her. So wanting to know > who Ethel was and how she fitted into the tree, I looked for her in the 1901 > census. There she was with her mother Anna Cooze and step-father Joseph Cooze > living in Cardiff.   So now who was Anna Cooze?  I soon discovered that she > had married as Anna Walters in 1900.  So now who was Anna Walters?  The 1901 > census had other children from what must have been a first marriage living > with her, and they were all born in Furzy Hill.  Using that information I back > tracked to the 1891 census, discovering that her first husband was John > Walters.   So then I looked for a marriage of John Walters to an Anna.  The > only one that fitted was an Anna Maria Couzens, who had a birth record in 1864 > in Haverfordwest, but did not appear in either the 1871 or 1881 census.  I had > no idea who she was or how she was related to my family tree, so I ordered her > birth certificate which arrived yesterday, and low and behold she was a sister > to my gt grandmother Mary Ann.   I now conclude that Hannah must have been a > mis-transcription of Anna - perhaps they were trying to sound posh, and > sounding a non-existent H before her name. Megan  Well done Megan Just shows what persistence and a bit of lateral thinking can do. You'll have to change your name to Megan Jane Marple-Roberts! Gerry Lewis