The riddle of Elizabeth Faraday

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The Riddle of Elizabeth Faraday

In 1808 Elizabeth Faraday married Oswald Allen on 22nd sept 1808 in Hawes, Yorkshire ^[1]This fact is accepted and is based on the parish record of the marriage. The riddle is to work out who this couple were and what happened to them.

The questions are based around these two people

1) Who was Elizabeth Faraday and what happened to her
2) Who was Oswald Allen and what happened to him.

Did Elizabeth marry Allen Oswald in 1808 and then marry Adam Gray in 1812, or are these the marriages of 2 different people, both called Elizabeth. If they are different people, what happened to them after they got married?

Around this period there were a number of people called "Elizabeth Faraday" and at least 3 people called "Oswald Allen". In order to be sure who they were, it would be ideal to construct a family tree of each of them.

Elizabeth Faraday

There were a number of Faraday families living in Yorkshire between 1700-1850. These included Robert Faraday who was born in Clapham, Yorksire in 1728. Some of the family moved to London, including James Faraday, the father of Michael Faraday, the famous scientist.

it would be useful to identify her parents. Based on the marriage in 1808, the possible date of birth of Elizabeth must be before 1792, assuming she was over 16. A number of possible births have been listed below, from both Yorkshire and London.

Possible births in Yorkshire

The following records have been found for births of Elizabeth Faraday between 1765- 1792 and there may be others.

• Elizabeth Daughter of Richard and Mary, born 1777, died 1785 Kirkby Stephens ^[2]. Can be discounted because died before old enough to marry.

• Betty Faraday christened 1789 daughter of James and Betty, Giggleswick, Yorkshire ^[3].

• Elizabeth daughter of James, christened 24 May 1795 Ingleton, Yorks ^[4] Can be discounted because born too late.

• Elizabeth Faraday born 28 June 1765 the daughter of Robert, Christened as Betty, in Clapham. She is the aunt of Michael Faraday. In 1800 she was still unmarried, described as a spinster on the deed of sale of Clapham Wood Hall.

Possible births in London

• Elizabeth Faraday, born about 1787 [source needed]. She may be the same person who later married Adam Greenhow Gray in 1812, in which case the 1841 census states she was between 50-54 in 1841 ^[5].

If this is the same person who married Oswald Allen, this could be helped by tracing the death of Oswald Allen between 1808 and 1812 (see below).

Oswald Allen

There are a number of records concerning people called Oswald Allen in Yorkshire.

These include

• Oswald Allen (1771-1862) who married Elizabeth Faraday in 1808 in Hawes and who the son of Leonard Allen (abt.1737-) and the father of Hannah (Allen) Smith (abt.1815-1898), born 1815 in Hawes, North Yorkshire.

• Oswald Allen, who married Francis Withers 10 Sept 1793 who has profile Oswald Allen.

The same man, Oswald Allen born 1773, then married Ann (Whaley) Allen (1780-) on 11th August 1828 ^[6].

• Oswald Allen who married Mary Metcalf in Aysgarth, Yorkshire, England in 1826

^[7]

• Oswald Allen (born 1804) who married Nancy

Possible death's for Oswald

There are 4 death records for people called Oswald Allen in Yorkshire, which need to be matched to these profiles.

• died 1848, York
• died 1843 Askrigg
• died 1856 Richmond
• died 1862 Askrigg

Possible children

• Hannah Allen was born in 1815 in Hawes, Yorkshire and has the profile Hannah Allen. She is thought to be the daughter of Oswald Allen and Elizabeth, but this is unsourced. Her date of birth is partly based on the 1861 census return, when she is known as Hannah Smith ^[8]. More details on her would be useful.

Other family members

As noted above, Elizabeth Faraday married Oswald Allen on 22nd Sept 1808 in Hawes, Yorkshire. The year before Thomas Faraday married Margaret (Armat) Faraday (abt.1786-) in Hawes. He may be a brother to Elizabeth. He is related to the Faraday's of Clapham, and an Uncle of Michael Faraday the scientist.

Sources

1. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NV8X-WX7 : 10 February 2018), Oswald Allen and Elizabeth Farraday, 22 Sep 1808; citing Hawes,York,England, reference , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 207,540.
2. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NR9V-47Z : 11 February 2018, Elizabeth Faraday, 03 Jan 1785); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 97,389, 97,390, 97,391, 97,392.
3. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBW6-YVN : 11 February 2018, Betty Faraday, 31 May 1789); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 919,138.
4. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JMG5-QZ9 : 11 February 2018, Elizabeth Farraday, 24 May 1795); citing , index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 844,557.
5. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1841," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MQJC-N38 : 13 December 2017), Adam Gray, St Bartholomew The Great, Middlesex, England; from "1841 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
6. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NFBB-1WB : 10 February 2018), Oswald Allen and Ann Whaley, 11 Aug 1828; citing York, York, England, reference 110, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,655,694.
7. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NJ4V-T8X : 10 February 2018), Oswald Allen and Mary Metcalfe, 04 Dec 1826; citing Aysgarth, Yorkshire, England, reference 218, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 467,729.
8. ↑ "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7HM-VHH : 13 December 2017), James Smith, Hawes, Yorkshire (North Riding), England; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.