Hello Listers This is my first query to this list, I am hoping you will be able to help me. My 3xgreat grandfather had an illegitimate daughter, Ann Banting, who was baptised in Wherwell, Hampshire, England in 1826. Her mother was Charlotte Joyce. Charlotte married a man called Richard Newman, probably from the same village, and they had three more children, Hannah, George and William, before emigrating to Quebec in about 1836, taking Ann with them. Another child, Thomas, was born in 1837 (baptised in Hatley, Compton in 1838) and then in about1840 Charlotte died. Ann at that time was about 13 or 14 and her stepfather Richard was 30 years older. In the 1851 Census they are living in Hereford, Sherbrooke County, Quebec. Ann is enumerated as Ann Newman, spinster, presumably having used the name of Newman as a child of the family. Living with them is Ann's son George Thomas, aged 2. He was baptised in Compton Church of England Church in 1851 as George William, son of Ann Newman, an unmarried woman. At some point Richard and Ann married, their first child together (or at least the first acknowledged to be Richard's) being born in May 1852 in Stewartstown, NH. Three further children were born in NH before the 1861 US Census. Their three eldest children together were baptised in Hatley in 1857, Ann by now being described as Richard's wife. It seems likely therefore that Ann and Richard married between 1851 and 1857, but they could have married either in the Compton area in Quebec where they clearly still retained strong links, or in NH. The family moved to Canaan, VT in the mid 1860s and there were at least another three sons born in the 1860s. In the 1870 US Census the family is in Canaan, VT with 6 children, however Richard's wife is described as Mary and is 60 years old, compared to Ann's age of about 45. In the 1880 US Census Ann is widowed and living in Canaan with three of her sons, with another next door. I have not been able to find any evidence of Richard and Ann's marriage, and if anyone can help this would be appreciated. I am also curious as to whether it was lawful for a man to marry his step-daughter in Quebec at that time. It would not be permitted in the UK now, except where the child has not been brought up by the step parent as a child of the family. Ann died in 1904 and is buried in Piper Hill Cemetery, Stewartstown, NH, near husband Richard. Many thanks Prue Yorkshire, England

Hi Prue, I needed to read your story twice to understand it correctly. But, because it was the 1850's in Canada, it's entirely possible that it was a "common-law marriage." No records anywhere. And, because the couple left Canada and went to New Hampshire early on, I would still say they might not have officially married. And, if Ann BANTING / NEWMAN was 13 or 14 in 1840, and in 1851 she had a 2-yr-old son, then she "got pregnant" at maybe Age 20 or 21. Then during the 1850's and 1860's she had 6 more children with her step-father, with a total of 7 children before the 1870 census. It seems that the couple "separated" during the 1870's - for whatever reason, and Ann would have been in her 40's. For the life she had led, she might not have wanted to get re-married. Also, I'm not reading what happened to Ann's younger siblings, Hannah, George, William, and Thomas born between 1826 and 1840. Is there any chance that Charlotte died in childbirth with her 6th child? If Ann was 13 or 14, she would have become the substitute mother for her younger siblings, maybe Ages 10 to 3. If she "left the home" during the 1870's, her younger siblings would have been in their 30's or 40's. Did they remain close to her? Just my thoughts at 6 am New England time. Betty (near Lowell, MA, USA) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Prue Crossland" <pruecrossland@greetland.fsnet.co.uk> To: <QUEBEC-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 9:30 AM Subject: [QUEBEC] Marriage to mother and daughter > Hello Listers > > This is my first query to this list, I am hoping you will be able to help > me. > Ann died in 1904 and is buried in Piper Hill Cemetery, Stewartstown, NH, > near husband Richard. > > Many thanks > > > > Prue > > Yorkshire, England > > > > >