Mary Ann Lawther

Mary Ann's name on her birth certificate was Mary Ann Stonehouse. However, it would appear that she subsequently called herself by her father's surname, Rayner.

Certainly Mary Ann's birth in 1858 was well after her mother, Ann Graydon Stonehouse's marriage to Thomas Rayner on the 31st August 1856 . Given that her mother was married to Thomas there would appear to be little doubt that Mary Ann's birth should have been recorded as Rayner, rather than her mother's maiden name.

Certainly the 1878 certificate of the marriage between Mary Ann Rayner and John Lawther confirms that Thomas Rayner was Mary Ann's father and that Thomas was indeed a mariner. Her father, Thomas Rayner, died probably circa 1860.

In the 1871 census, Mary Ann, aged 13, was living with her mother, Ann, and her step father, James Hurneyman in 2 Tunstall Street, Ryhope:

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/record/viewimage?recordid=gbc%2f1871...

At the time of her wedding to John Lawther, Mary Ann was still living at 2 Tunstall Street in Ryhope, Sunderland.