>I am researching the LAVENDER family of Portsea & WORTHINGTON of Ropley. > > I would be grateful for any suggestions to help me (and a fellow > researcher), resolve this problem. Bear with me while I set out the twists > & turns of this story. > > Edward LAVENDER was a tailor who married Elizabeth NOBES at St Thomas > Portsea in 1843. > > I am interested in Lydia LAVENDER, their daughter born in 1851. > > Lydia had 2 children, Edward Albert & Robert Henry (or Henry Robert) in > 1874 & 1875, whose father on their birth certificates is shown as Henry > WORTHINGTON of HMS Crocodile.. > > However, Lydia didn't appear to officially marry any WORTHINGTON, but a > Michael WORTHINGTON did marry a Sarah LAVENDER (dau of Edward & Eliz > LAVENDER on the certificate) in 1872 at the Parish Church of Portsea. > Michael WORTHINGTON was on the same RN ship (HMS Crocodile), as William > LAVENDER, son of Edward & Eliz LAVENDER. > > However, this SARAH LAVENDER does not appear to exist (except for 1871 > census) on the censuses or in the BMD records. In 1871 coincidentally, > LYDIA is missing from the census. > > Lydia is a widow on the 1881 census, living with her 2 boys, with her > parents, & gives her surname as WORTHINGTON. > > On Michael WORTHINGTON's death cert, Lydia is named as wife. After > Michael's death, she has her 2 boys baptised (records from Porsmouth > record office) which shows Michael WORTHINGTON as the boys' father. > > However, on the boys' marriages, they give their father as Robert Henry or > Henry Robert. Also note that Michael WORTHINGTON (from Ropley) has a > brother ROBERT. > > My fellow researcher seems to think Lydia changed her name to Sarah, & > then changed back because of a scandal. I haven't found another marriage > for her, so bigamy doesn't seem on the cards. NB She did marry again > later. > > As a point of interest, there was another Sarah LAVENDER, possibly a > cousin, who by then was married and living in India with her soldier > husband. > > Any suggestions welcome. > > Penny Courtney > >