Different parents same person?

Question

I have an ancestor that has the last name of parents on marriage register, yet on death record there are completely different parents. This is the same person yet how do I know who the real parents are. This is for Susannah Tanner born in St. Mary's County, Maryland in 1768 (as of yet I have no record of birth other than marriage register in Madison County, VA She married William Breeding on 8/18/1860. I found this record while at the Historical Society in Rockingham County, VA. Her parents are listed as John and Catherine Tanner. Yet I just recently found her death record and her parents are listed as Jno and Elizabeth Sawner. Susannah has been my brick wall for almost 15 years now. She is my (4) Great Grandmother. She is buried in Page County, VA which fits in with all of the family. I do not have her entered yet on WIKI. Still working on adding but she is on Family Search with William..

I have not been able to locate any records in St Mary's County of a Sawner or Tanner. So very flustrating when you know she is an ancestor.

Any Clues as to how I can determine this?

Answer 1

Generally speaking, the marriage record is the one most likely to be correct, as the parents were named by the bride herself.  In the death record, the parents are named by somebody else - surviving spouse or children, perhaps?

However, this is not always true. Tanner and Sawner are not so very different, when you allow for transcription errors, handwriting interpretation, etc.  Have you seen the original records in each case?  If not, I would suggest that would be the first thing to do.

The records at familysearch give the name as Breeden rather than Breeding, and the death in 1860, rather than the marriage.

You say you have only found the death record recently, the marriage c 15 years or so ago.  I would perhaps concentrate on the names given at death for a bit longer, see what turns up.

Margaret

Edited:  When you are ready to put your information in Wikitree, Susannah already has a profile here, Tanner-430.  Profile manager still active, perhaps you could contact him and share information?

Comments

I began working with the person who wrote the book on the Breeden family when I 1st started this. I found the marriage register of Susannah Tanner and William Breeding married 8/16/1794 in Madison County, VA at the Rockingham Historical Society.My mother and I made the trip to Rockingham to record information as far back as we could go.  I contacted him when I had info to pass on and corrections to make, to this day some of the info is wrong, even with my grandparents and mother. The actual register in Rockingham shows the exact wording that was on record. I know the spelling is different but it's like that all thru this family's history. So I cannot merge his file with mine. I also know that she was born 1768 in St Mary's County, MD as this was part of the Register and her last name was Tanner when she got married (not even sure about John and Catherine Tanner has parents they were not listed only that last name of Tanner) , she was listed as single. Her death is listed as 5/18/1860. Which I believe to be true. (sorry for listing the dates wrong on my 1st question).

I didn't think I had added Susannah and William to my profile yet but I had. Her profile is Tanner-1812. I did reject his match due to our differences and some of his unmatched and unproven sources in the past . This is also the reason I have not merged with some of the others looking at Susannah and William because most "ideas" came from the same source which might or might not be true. The idea of Sawner, Tanner, Sanner and Danner is a great idea but I cannot match her to anyone yet. I did find her on some Native American rolls but can't place her in the right place. Soooo very flustrating! I will see if I can find the Sanner book and any other ideas anyone might have.

Thanks for the ideas. This has been a brick wall for so many of us.

Ruth

Answer 2

Something isn't right with your post...b. 1768 and married 1860.  I see online where other people have questioned the Tanner/Sanner/Sawner and thought maybe they were all Sanner.  There was a John Sanner in St. Mary's MD.  For example, in St. Mary's County, Maryland Oaths of Fidelity, 1778, I do see a John Sanner, Jr., but no John Tanner.  If you have access to a book called The Sanner family in the United States: John Sanner and his descendants; George Ludwig Sanner and his descendants; Jacob Sanner and his descendants by Wilmer Mackey Sanner (1968) you might see if there is a listing for John Sanner with the Breeding/Breeden tie in.  

edited: I see where Susannah died in 1860.https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XRSG-KVH