52 ancestors Week 22 (May 27th -June 2nd ): Uncertain


Week 22 (May 27th -June 2nd ): Uncertain



From Amy Johnson Crow -Chances are you have at least one person listed in your family tree who you're not quite sure about. This would be a good week to write about him or her. Sometimes writing out what you know (or what you think you know) can help you discover things you're missing and things that don't add up the way you thought.

When I 1st saw this theme of "uncertain" back in January when I signed up the 52 ancestors challenge and got the full list of weekly challenges I was like this could be taken so many ways and linked to so many people, how am I going to choose someone to write about. Then in the middle of February I came across a website that had some of my ancestors in it but also some information I wasn’t aware of. This decided for me who I was using for this week’s theme of “uncertain”.



I decided to use my 3rd Great Grandfather Thomas Jackson, well linked to him as I know who he is. 

Thomas was born about 1805 in Down Ireland. I first came across Thomas via his daughter Mary Jane’s marriage certificate, as her father was listed as “Thomas Jackson, Farmer”.  Although this is helpful it doesn’t give much help when searching for Irish ancestors. I found his will online via his daughters married name of Lackey (listed as Leckey), and on it is listed his children (who are Mary Janes siblings) but no mention of a wife. So; the hunt began.

I found a baptism record for a Mary Jackson, with father named as Thomas and the mother was listed as Lucy Foly/Foley. Great I now have Thomas’s “wife” (or so I thought). I also found a couple of baptisms for named siblings with Lucy as named mother. However, to this day I can’t find a marriage between Thomas and Lucy.

A lady I have been in contact with for many years in the USA is also linked to this line; my 2nd great grandparents are her 3rd great aunt and uncle. We have helped each other a lot and shared sources and certificates etc. She had found a “wife” for Thomas as well; however, it was not Lucy Foley but Catherine Giddes/Geddes. This information came from an Ancestry tree and a Family search record. As with Lucy there is no marriage between Catherine and Thomas to be found. We found a record for a Catherine McKeane to Thomas Jackson but not Catherine Giddes/Geddes. So, there is a possibility and she had been married before.

Then, in February this year I came across a website with my ancestors named in it and the site had yet another different lady as Thomas’s “wife” – this time a Margaret with no known surname. I messaged the owner of the website about where they and they got the Margaret as “wife” and mother from, it was from a death certificate whereby Gardiner Jackson is listed as informant, and Gardiner was Mary Jane’s brother. So, this makes a lot of sense.

I have looked for a marriage between Thomas and Margaret and found 3 possible “wifes”. This means I have gone from no known wife to 1 “uncertain” “wife” to 3 names and 5 possible “uncertain” wives.

The only thing I am certain of linked to this is I have no idea of who the real “wife” was.

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