The Serendipity of Sarah Jane Allcock

 I had long known about my 1st cousin, 3x removed, Sarah Jane Allcock from traditional document research. Sarah Jane's mother, Hannah Bright, is the sister of my great great grandmother Sarah Bright.  I was able to find out that Sarah Jane was born March 20th, 1861 in Tredegar, Monmouthshire, Wales, however, I couldn't find a marriage or death for her in Wales. 

 Fast forward to a late evening in 2009.   I was tired and lazily trolling Ancestry when a photo had me wide awake and leaping from my chair.  I ran to Eliza's album and immediately sent a message to the Ancestry poster, attaching a copy of one of my unnamed photos.

Eliza's photo
Sarah Jane Allcock c1880s

 Thankfully, Jean responded right away and wanted to know where I got a photo of her great great grand-mother!, Sarah Jane Allcock.  Sarah Jane is Eliza's maternal 1st cousin.  Woo-hoo, a name to go with one of Eliza's photos!

Photo belonging to
Sarah Jane Allcock's descendant c 1880s

 Jean's great great grandparents lived in Russia for 30 years.  Sarah Jane married her 1st cousin Alfred Allcock in 1884 in Hughesovka, Odessa, Russia.  The couple had 7 children, all born in Hughesovka.  When the Russian Revolution became de facto, the Allcocks returned to the UK and lived out their lives in Yorkshire, England.  

 There are 2 other photos in Eliza's album of Sarah Jane.  One by herself and one with her parents. Two more people named.  

 Within a week of our initial correspondence Jean moved her online tree from public to private. If my timing had been off by a week, I would probably have never discovered the name of the person in the photo in Eliza's album nor the subsequent family story.  I am a firm believer that some relatives just want to be found.  

 Only 113 unnamed photos to go.