‘The missing link’
Jane Cowdrey, although discovered in my family history many years ago, is the last of my gt grandparents to be properly researched. Partly due to her being ‘known’ of, but also because further back, she has some rather common Christian and surnames in her family line making confirmation more difficult.
However Cowdrey is not a particularly common surname and spelling is something of an issue – eg Cowdrey/ Cowderoy/ Cawdry and many other combinations. It is of Norman extraction, my line are from Wiltshire.
We know Jane Cowdrey married Stephen Harvey at St. Pauls, Kensington, Middlesex 27th March 1859, her father was given as John Cowdry, a farmer, but she, according to census entries as Stephen Harvey was from Wiltshire.
Her life following marriage is well documented on the Harvey page, census entries state her place of birth to be All Cannings, Wiltshire 1861, (aged 31), ‘Allings‘, 1871 (aged 40), Wiltshire, 1881 (aged 51) All Cannings, 1891( aged 61) Wiltshire, by 1901 she had returned to Wiltshire, widowed and living at Woodborough, place of birth All Cannings, (aged 71). So far no record of her 1851 or 1841.
Her ages tally giving a date of birth as 1830.
On 26th December 1830 at All Cannings, Jane was baptised to John and Jane Cawdrey of All Cannings. John was a labourer.
John Cawdry had married Jane Page at All Cannings on 15th April 1816, with consent of parents, so one, other or both were below the age of 21 at marriage.
John and Jane had the following children-
John 1818
Thomas 1820
Mary 1823
Rebecca 1826
Frank 1828
Jane 1830
Susannah 1833
Frederick 1837
Harry 1840
Albert 1844
In 1851, John was aged 58 ( birth c.1793) and Jane 53 (birth c1798)
In 1852 Jane gave birth to an Illegitimate daughter, Mary Jane Cowdrey. My mother Cynthia spent many hours trying to piece together the life of Mary Jane, At first we thought she may help in identifying ancestors, but with numerous name changes and a string of children, her life reads like the pages of a novel.
At last we believe we have figured her fascinating life which has a page of it’s own. The Search for Mary Jane
In 1861, John was aged 69 (birth c 1792) and Jane 63 (birth c1798).
