Much of the initial part of this is transferred from email so that I could work with it a little easier and also to enable others who may be interested to see how I have worked with the problem.
This should then enable any others with an interest to help, add or correct if required.
Please note that I now have a copy of the Marriage Certificate of Edmund NICHOLAS and Ella WILLIAMS.
Here is my initial response:-
Now let me see what I can do from here.
1891 Census Bodmin - Opies Lane
John Bray, head, mar, 75, mason, Bodmin
Jane Bray, wife, mar, 74, Bodmin
John Williams, son-in-law, 39, carpenter, Bodmin
Grace A Williams, daur, 33, Bodmin
Ethel Williams, g'daur, 3, Bodmin
Ernest Williams, g'son, 3 months, Bodmin
Emily Eyre, g'daur, 14, London
1901 Census - Bodmin, Town End
John Williams, head, marr, 49, carpenter & joiner, Bodmin
Grace A Williams, wife, marr, 43, Bodmin
Ethel Williams, daur, 13, Bodmin
Ernest Williams, son, 10, Bodmin
Arthur Williams, son, 8, Bodmin
Ineas (?) Williams, daur, 4, Bodmin
Emily Edwards, neice, 23, general servant (domestic), Bodmin
I think the above shows that this John Williams is definitely not involved in the currently discussed scenario.
1891 Census Penzance - Beachfield Tce
Helen Roberts, head, mar, 46, lodging house keeper, Donhead, Wiltshire
Mary C Roberts, daur, 18, America, Brooklyn
George Roberts, son, 17, Newlyn W
ELLA M WILLIAMS, serv, 17, general servant (domestic), St Erth
1901 Census - Penzance - 5 Cottage Row
Ella Nicholas, head, mar, 25, charwoman, St Erth
Dorothy Nicholas, daur, 8, Penzance
Edmond Nicholas, son, 4, Penzance
Maude Nicholas, daur, 3, Penzance
Elizabeth Green, widow, boarder, 75, living on own means, Madron
What we need to find out here is just when Ella's father died.
At this stage I would be 'not cancelling out' Ella's parents as being Thomas and Martha.
And now here is something interesting.
The information from the Marriage Certificate you sent me stated that Ella WILLIAMS father (John) was a MILLER, deceased.
I have been mulling over that (deceased) side of things and thinking about how long Ella's father may have been deceased.
Well I tried looking for John and I tried a couple of other things also in my search for an answer.
I had decided that, possibly, if Ella's father died when she was still a child then she may not have known his real name.
Given that JOHN has been a large part of the quandary I decided to investigate the THOMAS side of things (as in Thomas WILLIAMS).
Think I have found something very interesting which may support my theory.
On Ella's Marriage Certificate it is stated that her father was JOHN Williams (deceased), MILLER
We can find NO other Ella born around the right time who could be a daughter of a JOHN and the records consistently state she was born at St Erth.
We keep coming back to THOMAS.
1881 Census - Trewinnard Mill, St Erth
Thomas Williams, head, mar, 32,
MILLER, Ludgvan
Martha Williams, wife, mar, 28, Ludgvan
Archie G Williams, son, 8, Paul
Ella M Williams, daur, 6, St Erth
HELENA M Williams, daur, 5, St ErthFrancis Williams, son, 3, St Erth
I know this is becoming very long and convoluted but please bear with me.
St Erth Baptisms
11th May 1876
Helena Maude Frances Williams d/o Thomas (
MILLER) and Martha
17th March 1878 Francis John s/o Thomas , Miller, and Martha
*** I think your original information may, in fact, be correct ***
My thinking is that Ella may have lost her father (and, it seems possible now, her mother) at a young age.
My belief is that Thomas and Martha were, indeed, the parents of your Ella.
Whilst not asolutely and indubitably proved - I would suggest that the 'John' is a red herring of the kind I have seen many times on BDM Certificates.
To repeat - Ella 'may' not have known (or remembered) her father's name as he had died whilst she was quite young.
Back to the rest of you sleuths.