With assistance from FMP and Ancestry, the 1st sighting of Sophia is in the 1841 census - H0107, Piece 796, Book 12, Folio 14, page 21 - Yardley Gobion - with parents [Thomas and Catharine], sister [Louisa] and Sophia's illegitimate son [Henry - baptised 30 Mach 1834]. Oct-Dec q. 1843 vol. 15, page 739 - Potterspury - Sophia Johnson is married and on the same page is Richard Webster. 1851 census - H0107, ED 2, Piece 1737, Folio 49, page 17 - Potterspury - with Richard Webster, 3 children + Henry Johnson and 2 nephews [surnamed Gear]. Sophia's age is given as 42 - born c. 1809. 1861 census shows Sophia's age as 53 and 1871 age 63. Jul-Sep q. 1871 vol. 3b, page 15 - Potterspury - Richard Webster died. 1881 census - RG 11, ED 12, Piece 1538, Folio 60, page 23 - Yardley Gobion - Sophia is now age 76 [born c. 1805] and resident of the Union Workhouse along with her daughter Ellen + Ellen's illegitimate son Arthur and daughter Susan + Susan's ellegitimate daughter Elizabeth. Now my problem - well is it a problem? I have 2 possible deaths but in order to ensure I get the correct one, I belive that I need the baptism record for Sophia and this I cannot locate. Maybe it's me!!
1851 - 42 - born 1808/9 1861 - 53 - born 1807/8 1871 - 63 - born 1807/8 1881 - 76 - born 1804/5 The two deaths: March Q 1885 aged 83 - born 1801/2 June Q 1887 aged 84 - born 1802/3 I see your dilemma. The trouble is, the death registration details are only as good as the person's knowledge who is registering it.
Precisely - and given the situation in the 1881 census - who would likely have been the informant? Daughter Ellen was still in the Workhouse in 1891 and so was Susan.
Possibly the workhouse master - can you find his name on the 1881 census? as it seems likely that is where Sophia died. I could not find a baptism for her either
Workhouse Masters: 1881 - William Brown - age 67 1891 - David John Parry - age 36 Susan was still in the workhouse in 1911 - age 61 - and noted as Imbecile. Susan was deemed an idiot at census time 1881.
Well that does not help! - if you are applying for the death cert perhaps you could give her address as the workhouse.
Just a thought - burial records may list her residence - yes, no, maybe? And we know she was a widow as Richard died in 1871, so that gives a bit more detail if we could find burial records.
Ancestry has 'coughed up' the burial record for Richard Webster - residence Potterspury - burial date 2 July 1871. Neither A nor FMP seem to have Sophia's and if the limited info on Richard's is anything to go by it won't tell me much more than her residence being Potterspury and unlikely to indicate the residence as the Workhouse. Looks like I may have to follow the suggestion in post #6 and see what that brings.