The Drake Family

Not much is yet known about the Drake family. Mary Ann Drake was, we believe, the second wife of John Richardson whom she married on 16th October, 1836. According to the 1851 census she had a daughter Ruth Ann Ogden who appears to have been born in 1833.  Whether she married a Mr. Ogden and was a widow or whether Ruth Ann was born out of wedlock we don't know but there are several clues around and we may yet be able to unravel them.
If we assume that Mary Ann was married when she had Ruth Ann then either her maiden name really was Drake she had married a Mr. Ogden. Alternatively it is possible that her maiden name was Ogden but she had married a Mr. Drake after the birth of Ruth (possibly still Ruth’s natural father). The first alternative seems more likely.
Next door to the Richardson family in the 1851 census for Wakefield Bank, Southowram were a Edward (62) and Grace (61) Ogden with their son James (36) – a joiner. In the 1841 census a James Ogden and a joiner was living with the Richardsons
It would appear likely therefore that Mary Ann Drake and her daughter Ruth Ann Ogden were closely related with the Ogden’s living next door in 1851 – but how ?
A further interesting clue is that Grace Ogden was a Drake before marriage - Edward Ogden having married a Grace Drake on 4th December, 1813 (Halifax Parish Church).
Mary Ann Drake was 35 at the time of the 1851 census so she was probably born around 1816. Interestingly although the dates don't tie up too well there was a baptism for a Mary Drake daughter of Grace Drake on 19th December, 1813. It might therefore be possible that Grace had Mary out of wedlock (i.e. before she married Edward Ogden) and had her baptised barely a fortnight after she got married !
Some of this has come from IGI which may not be complete or accurate of course but does anyone have any ideas on the Drake family and of Mary Ann's parents ?

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