From: Gordon Dyson <geedee@fsmail.net> > Good Morning Listers, > Ann SCARGILL, born 1836, was my Maternal Gt.Grandmother, her parents > were Christopher SCARGILL and Hannah WINTERBOTTOM, married Barnsley > 1831. Christopher is not in the 1841 Census, so presume he died > before then. >From LDS Ancestral File, Hannah was the dau. of Danniel > WINTERBOTTOM and Ann GAUNT, they had George, 23 Jan 1795, Timothey, > 26 Nov 1796, and Hannah, 23 Jan 1798, all born Barnsley, but their > marriage seems to be at Silkstone, 29 Apr 1799 ( after 3 children > born). Danniel was born about 1779 at Darfield, and Ann, about 1781 > at Silkstone. If Ann was born 1781 and first child George born > 1795,...... she was only 14 ? They would seem to have their 3 > children when Ann was only 14, 15,and 17 - did they have to wait until > she was 18 before they could marry ? Or are the dates in Ancestral > File, Members submissions, and not to be trusted ?< Ancestral File is even more unreliable than LDS private patron submissions in the IGI. I wouldn't accept anything in it without supporting evidence from other, more reliable sources. "About" birth dates are notoriously unreliable, since it usually simply means that someone has made a wild guess. It was not, however, especially unusual (and still isn't!) for a couple to have two, three or more children before marrying, even in the 18th century. Can anyone check > the Silkstone Marriage Register please, for a WINTERBOTTOM and GAUNT > Marriage. ? TIA, Gordon.> The marriage appears in the IGI on the date you give, but the all- numerical batch number indicates it is a private submission and, therefore, unreliable. Since the date seems to be precise, it may well be that someone has looked at the marriage register. What is very probably fiction is the birth dates! -- Roy Stockdill Professional genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Newbies' Guide to Genealogy & Family History: www.genuki.org.uk/gs/Newbie.html "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE