What happened to Mary Ann Mossop?
Q My great grandfather Clement Mossop (1863–1943) had 11 children with his wife Jane Fox Graham (1863–1908) in Egremont, Cumberland. I have managed to find the birth, marriage, death records and some burial information for 10 of them, but the eldest girl (Mary Ann, born 1889) has proved very elusive. Can you help?
Jane Durbin
A Mary Ann appears with her parents in the 1901 census, but not in 1911. Since she may have moved out of the immediate area for work, expanding the search area may help to locate her, as may including misspellings of Mossop. The 1921 census lists an unmarried Mary Mossop, a cook, aged 31, living in Portland Square, Carlisle; could this be her?
Since there is no record of Mary Ann Mossop’s death, the most likely scenario is that she married. With all searches, consider the possibility that she may have been known by her middle name and recorded as Ann or Annie. I searched the General Register Office (GRO) index at www.gro.gov.uk/gro and noted several possibilities but was unable to find further details of any of the marriages online. Before purchasing certificates on the off chance of finding the correct one, look at other sources that may provide Mary Ann’s married name. Search local newspapers for a notice or report of her marriage. Many have been digitised and can be viewed via the British Newspaper
Archive ( britishnewspaper archive.co.uk); the same titles are available to ‘Pro’ subscribers to Findmypast ( findmypast.co.uk). Were any of her siblings’ marriages witnessed by someone named Mary Ann? Also, try looking for her in the 1939 Register, using just her first names and date of birth, while Clement’s will, proved in 1944, can be obtained via probatesearch.service.gov.uk. A mention of Mary Ann or any grandchildren might indicate her married name.
Finally, consider whether Mary Ann may have emigrated. Outward passenger lists (1890–1960) have been indexed and are available on Ancestry ( ancestry.co.uk) and Findmypast. Although they contain only limited information, the lists include five entries for Mary Mossop, born 1887–1893, all bound for Canada or the USA. Katherine Cobb