Things designed to confuse us

[Phoenix]

In 1848, Martha Godden, spinster, daughter of John Godden, married James Bowers, son of Thomas, mariner.
In 1876 Martha Bowers, widow, daughter of John Godden, married James Bowers, widower, son of Peter, blacksmith.

In 1862 James Bowers beer house keeper, son of Peter married Martha Hines.

All took place in Alverstoke, Hants. Two women, two men. But imagine attributing the children to the correct father if this were a century earlier!

[ElizabethHerts]

What a muddle, Phoenix.

Godden in some cases morphed into Godwin (if it wasn't Godwin already, but pronounced Godden!). We have this in my son-in-law's tree.

[Olde Crone]

I have something similar, which means I will never be able to go further back than my 3 x ggm, Jane Holden. Two Jane Holdens, one born 1799, one born 1800, both have parents called James and Margaret Holden, both men are farmers. Two couples definitely, two marriages. Umpteen children all with repeating names, all born just far enough apart to belong to either couple. No wills. 1841 doesn't help either - one James and Margaret couple do have a Jane Holden with them.......AGE UNKNOWN - the fools.

OC

[Merry]

I don't have anything as confusing as that, where the names are the same, but I do have this (sorry, I've posted this before!):

Robert Lewis Packer, the second husband of Mary Bush nee Crawley (mother of Mary Ann Bush) is the brother of Hephzibah Packer, who, at her second marriage became the second wife of James Beard, the father of John Beard (by his first wife), who in turn was the second husband of Mary Ann Bush. Mary Ann was Robert Lewis Packer's stepdaughter and her first husband was Robert William Cotton, son of William Cotton (brushmaker) and Emma Packer. William Cotton and Emma Packer named their second son John Hazel Cotton , so it is probable that Emma was related to Hephzibah, as Hephzibah's father was named Robert Hazel Packer. I believe Robert Lewis Packer, Hephzibah Packer and Emma Priscilla Packer were siblings (or half siblings), the children of Robert Hazel Packer.

It took me maybe ten/fifteen years to remove 'I believe' and 'or half-siblings' from the last sentence when I finally fully proved the rest of it!

[Phoenix]

To bring this up to date, I have just read an article in the HGS journal.

The author was baffled by a newspaper article:

Martha (nee HINES) died suddenly in 1872 and there was an inquest.

According to the newspaper, the inquest was held at the Artichoke Inn, Alverstoke where JOHN Bowers identified the body of Martha BARNES his wife. Confused by the difference in surname, the author investigated further and discovered the errors the reporter had made.

Clearly we need to widen our searches when looking at newspapers!