Family Tree matching incorrect burials

Chris Nilsen

I have been researching an individual by the name of Mary Sidebottom in the 1851 UK census.

She was born in Stayley, Cheshire c1779 to 1780, based on an age of 71 on 31st March 1851 when the census was taken.

Here is the census:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SG5M-N4N

She died in 1857 at age 78 and buried 21st Sept. Which also suggests a birth year of 1779 or possibly 1778.

Here is the burial record:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7LZ-X3R

I am pretty sure she was Mary Knott who married William Sidebottom on 29th Oct 1804.

Here is the marriage:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3TW-FXT

So I searched for a baptism of Mary Knott 1778-1780 in Stayley, Cheshire.

The father was a John Knott from Stayley.

Here is the baptism record:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3PT-2Z4

This Mary Knott from Cheshire appears in the Family Tree with the ID number KGV2-3GZ. 

The Tree claims that she was baptised 1779 and buried 1785.

When you look at the burial record from 24th Jul 1785, all it states is father John Knott from Stayley.

It gives no age for the child.

It is possible the child could have been aged anywhere from age 0 to 21, to still be entered into the register as the daughter of John.

So yes this Mary Knott baptism from 1779 could be the one that relates to the 1785 burial, but it could just as well be any other baptism of a Mary Knott from say 1765 to 1785.

But I think things are further muddied when I discovered a burial of a Martha Knott on 30th June 1785 (just over 3 weeks before).

Once again the father was John from Stayley.

Here is that burial:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3PY-XL7

I searched for a baptism of this Martha Knott and found nothing.

But knowing that twin girls were occasionally given the name Mary & Martha after the famous biblical sisters, I wondered if both these burials are of twin sisters who have died as infants, neither of them being baptised.

There just seems no definite proof that the Mary Knott from 1779 is the one that died in 1785.

But there is a lot of evidence to suggest that this Mary Knott from 1779 is the one who married Wm Sidebottom and appears in 1851.

I know I could change this in the Family Tree but it seems a familysearch representative has linked this baptism and burial previously so I want to question what proof they had for this before I change it.

I know Bevlekias has added some sources to this ID. I have had email contact with her and her suggestion was to take it further by contacting familysearch.

Where do I go from here to prove/disprove this individual?

Thanks

Chris Nilsen

dontiknowyou

it seems a familysearch representative has linked this baptism and burial previously

When the contributor is FamilySearch that just means the profile was contributed in a previous generation of database. Nothing more.

I am pretty sure

When I feel "pretty sure", I keep separate profiles for the child and adult. Here, that would be any child Mary Knott and this adult Mary Sidebottom. When a relationship is uncertain, do more research. May I suggest you build out the tree of the family of John Knott from Stayley? This may help you resolve your own question objectively. Either that family is your Mary Sidebottom's family, or it isn't, but at this point you don't know.

dontiknowyou

Another suggestion would be to first fill out the profile of MQF6-3FV William Sidebottom. He has several historical record hints.

Chris Nilsen

It would appear that the only other child born to John Knott was a James Knott baptised on 7th Jan 1781 at Mottram. The mother was Sarah though not Sally, and the residence is Newton not Stayley. But these places are only about 2 1/2 miles away.

He appears in the Family Tree as ID number M3BD-YYT, which claims he died on the 27th July 1786.

There is another John & Sarah Knott who have nine children baptised in the range 1764-1782, but they appear in the Old Chapel-Presbyterian records in Dukinfield, so obviously non-conformists.

The most likely marriage that relates to Mary & James Knott, father John & mother Sarah/Sally is:

John Knott married Sarah Buckley on 1st Dec 1778 at Mottram.

This seems a bit close to the Mary Knott baptism on 4th May 1779.

I have done some research into William Sidebottom, which I am planning to upload to Family Tree and do some data matching.

Thanks, Chris.

Julia Szent-Györgyi

Sally is a nickname for Sarah, so those are nearly certainly the same person.