Perhaps that is why the marriage seems to be registered in Sheffield in 1889It looks as if John may still have been married to his first wife (died 1897?) when he married Elizabeth, so bigamous perhaps.
How do you know they were in the workhouse?Do you know how I can access records of residents in Birmingham workhouse in 1883/4. My great grandfather was there with his mother Elizabeth Jane Vaughan. They were taken out of the workhouse by John Meakin Charlesworth who adopted him. JMC was already married so the whole thing is a bit strange. How typical was it for someone to 'rescue' someone from the workhouse? There's a family story that a solictor paid JMC to adopt my great grandfather. Any held you be appreciated