Greetings from New Zealand. I'm seeking any information about Mary REARDON who married William Page in 1838 while resident in Parkend, Forest of Dean. In particular I'm trying to find a birth record for her, although it's unclear whether she was born in Forest of Dean, or even in Gloucestershire. Her father is listed on her marriage record as Peter Reardon. There appear to be no records for Peter in the area. I'm especially interested in who Mary's mother might be. Thank you.

Could do with more background info i.e. when did they leave the Forest ? before the 1841 census

What names did other children have? i.e. family names.

If you look at GloucestershireBDM, the two children of William and Mary Page are registered in two different areas

PAGE Margaret
Mother's maiden name: REARDON
1838
Forest of Dean
Office: Westbury on Severn, Newnham

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PAGE Henry
Mother's maiden name: REARDON
1840
Forest of Dean, Monmouth Coleford

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GRO Index, lists the birth

PAGE Margaret
GRO Reference: 1838, S Quarter in WESTBURY ON SEVERN UNION, Volume 11 Page 453

and

PAGE Henry
GRO Reference: 1840 M Quarter in MONMOUTH Volyuem 26 Page 75.

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There is also on GRO INDEX a birth registered with the Mother's maiden name: REARDON in 1843 ... Question : Relative

On FreeREG: The surname REARDON appears quite a lot in Wales (Monmouthshire etc)

MORGAN, Sarah - mother's Maiden Surname: REARDON
GRO Reference: : 1843 D Quarter in MONMOUTH Volume 26 Page 72

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Searching for the name REARDON on the Forest of Dean Records and using the Soundex (by putting the symbol %) in the surname.

There are variations of spelling (21 of this surname in total)

Mostly spelt REARDON but these variations

1850
REHERDEN Dennis - burial: Chepstow
a few spelt REARDEN
RERDON George - 1842 - burial Ross on Wye

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Thanks for the reply. I hadn't come across the record for Sarah Reardon, so that is definitely one I'll look into further.

The Margaret Page you mentioned at the top of your reply is my great-great grandmother. Confusingly, she also married a Page (Thomas Page) on 17 April 1873, although she was a widow by then, having previously married someone by the surname of White.

Mary Reardon was born somewhere around 1816. I would dearly love to find a lead on where and when Mary was born. I believe her father Peter was a school master, as this appears on two other marriage records for Mary - one to George Morgan m. 31 December 1842 in St Briavels, and the other to John Tailor 22 July 1854 in Blaenavon, Monmouthshire.

Once again, thanks for taking the time to reply.

Just for background.

Freereg

Marriage at, St Peter, Blaenavon : 22 July 1854

John TAILOR, aged 44, (Widower) occupation: Collier
Groom abode: Blaenavon

(father: Samuel TAILOR, Collier)

Mary MORGAN, aged 35 (c1819) (Widow)
occupation: Washing
Bride abode: Blaenavon

(father: Peter REARDEN, Schoolmaster)

Witness 1: Hannah MARSHALL
Witness 2: William HAYWARD

Groom witness X, Witness 1 signs X Banns

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? Have you any census information

Thanks for the further info about her marriage to John Tailor. I can't seem to find any definite census information for Mary or her family. Possibly because Mary was known by several fairly common names and it's very hard to narrow down the exact person.

I'm beginning to wonder whether my Mary Reardon was the Mary Riordan born in 1816 in Monmouth to a Patrick (not Peter) Riordan. Do you have any thoughts on how likely it would be for Mary to alter her father's name on her marriage records to Peter, maybe to sound less Roman Catholic? Otherwise she may have been a migrant from elsewhere, as I simply can't find a record of a Mary Reardon (or similar sounding surname) born to a Peter Reardon/Riordan/similar name in the local area.

I did Google: PETER/PATRICK

Seems this is common in Scotland: Peter being the same as Patrick.

Don't belong to Ancestry, but Family Search has

1851 Census : Residence: Bakehouse Lane, Chepstow, Monmouthshire

Margret PAGE aged 13
Birthplace: Forest on Dean
Unmarried
House Servant
NIECE

William JONES - aged 45 - birthplace: Chepstow, Monmouthshire
Married: Sawyer

along with Sarah JONES: aged 41, Wick Abson, Somerset and Thomas WILLIAMS aged 46, born Somerset.

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There does appear to be connections with Chepstow, Monmouthshire or Wick Abson, Somerset. Could be Niece of William or his Wife, Sarah.??

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You could try putting your request on

Rootschat: : Gloucestershire and also Monmouthshire.

(just have to register)

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Margaret PAGE married Charles WHITE, 1856, Cardiff, District.

I did wonder whether the William Page below (born Wick & Abson) is perhaps related to Sarah Jones (also born Wick and Abson), making Margaret her niece through William..

Name: William Page
Age: 0
Birth Date: 1813
Baptism Date: 28 Aug. 1813
Baptism Place: Abson, St James, Gloucestershire, England
Parish as it Appears: Wick and Abson
Register Type: Parish Register
Father: Henry Page
Mother: Margaret Page

There seems little way of really nailing that connection down though.

Thanks for all your help so far. I really appreciate it!

The marriage of Wiiliam Page to Mary Reardon on 13 Jan 1838 at St Briavels says that William`s father is Henry.

Thanks, yes the dots are beginning to join but there's still a fair amount of uncertainty. It's great to have another set of eyes looking at the same evidence I'm seeing - thank you.

Just going back on Freereg marriage at

St Peter, Blaenavon: 22 July 1854

John TAILOR, aged 44 - occupation: Collier
Mary MORGAN, aged 35, (Widow) occupation: Washing : Bride residence Blaenavon

witnesses

Hannah MARSHALL
William HAYWARD

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Again, FreeREG : couple of months later, i.e. 10 September 1854

Hannah MARSHALL - aged 19 Spinster, occupation Seamstress : Bride residence Blaenavon
married a John YEMM

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Is there a family/friend connection between Mary MORGAN aged 35 and a 19 years old Seamstress ??

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Looking at British Newspapers on Line for a Peter REARDON in Monmouthshire - there are later men with the same name - and they appear to be Irish.

Also on National Archives, there is a

Peter REARDON, Offical Number : 89871, Place of Birth: Sirhowey, Monmouthshire - Date of Birth: 29 June 1859
who served in the Royal Marines and Coastguard 1874-1875. Can't find his birth registration as yet!.

Looking at Family Search, Peter REARDON/REARDEN appears in 1891/1898/1899/1906 in Workhouse Admissions, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire.
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May be Peter READON who married Mary MORGAN, was of Irish Stock - or Catholic etc.

There are 'some' REARDON/RAIRDEN/ etc on Family Search listed as O'Reardon, as is Peter O'Reardon Census 1911, Blaenavon, Monmouthshire, birth 1857, Sirhowy, Monmouthshire.

Thanks you for all your digging. I'm not sure yet what the connection is between Mary and her witness, Hannah Marshall. That might be my evening's research tomorrow.

The number of dead ends I'm reaching for Mary's origins in Gloucestershire/Monmouthshire make me wonder whether she came to Forest of Dean from Ireland independently. As you point out though, there are a number of Reardons (and variations thereof) in the area, just not a Peter in the timeline that fits, so it's quite a mystery still.

Thanks so much for your time and input.