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Marriage look up if poss please

J

Joanio

knowlegable brummie
My great grandfather WILLIAM HENRY HUGHES was born in Winson Green on 5th March 1839.

His BC states that his father was WILLIAM HUGHES occupation Smith and his mother as ELIZABETH HUGHES formerly VALE.

I have had no luck in tracing a marriage for William & Elizabeth.

Is it possible that they never married.? Elizabeth married a second time in 1849 to EDWIN BAYLISS where her age was given as 26 SPINSTER. We know that she had two children by then, my great grandfather and another child Thomas HUGHES.

This means that if her age is given correctly on her 2nd marriage certificate then she would have been only 16 when she gave birth to William. That's a bit young isn't it?

Does anyone have any ideas please?

Joanio
 
Hi & Welcome Joanio :)

Prob a good idea to get the 2nd Marriage certificate,
This will tell you if Elizabeth entered HUGHES nee VALE etc
age 16,ish,,take with a pinch of salt,, most didn,t know Exactly?
most couldn,t read or write in that Era,,
But it would not be unusual to have Child at that age considering life
expectancy around 45-50,
Also most told "fibs" on Census (man at the door) +dialectic errors,
Also most told "Fibs" on marriage certs,, Always cross-check Everything.
Soo,,best check 2nd Marriage then go back to find 1st,,If they did?
Cheers JohnY :cool:
 
Thanks for that info John.

The second MC gives her name as Elizabeth Vale aged 26 spinster. It doesn't mention her name of Hughes, so perhaps she never married William. Is that unusual? She went on to have a 2nd child with William so they must have been together for a few years. It's one of those brick walls. I know that William's dad was also William but looking for such a common name is a nightmare and I can't get past the bricks!

Do you know how easy it is to search the records for St Martin's?

Thanks again
Joanio
 
Hi Joanio :) Yes Elizabeth Vale married Edwin Albert Bayliss
April/May/June Quarter, B,ham volume XV1 page 404,
Parish Registers are in B,ham Central Library,,
It may have been that William Hughes (the Smith) died but as
Elizabeth was "common-law-wife" to him she still called herself Spinster 2nd marriage,
Best regards JohnY :cool:
 
I've come to the conclusion that William & Elizabeth never married. I could try finding a death for william Snr. It would be somewhere between Elizabeth's 1sr & 2nd marriage.

The family story goes that there was an annulment somewhere, and that my ggrandfather William Hughes Jnr (1839) "had two dads"

Mystery

Joanio
 
An annulment?Were they Catholics?I have looked on familysearch,butcould see no marriage, maybe St Chads if, they were Catholics? I have at least 2 cases, where my ancesters did not marry.
 
Hello Sheronb,

Yes, they were Catholics. Certainly their son my ggrandfather was staunch Catholic.

I once rang St Chad's to enquire about their records and the man there nearly bit my head off! Talk about unhelpful. I will be charitable, perhaps he was in a lot of pain the morning I rang or he had troubles of his own, either way I've never plucked up the courage to enquire again.

I don't know how to move forward on this one.

Incidentally, my ggrandfather William Hughes/Bayliss became a professional photographer and for many years traded in Birmingham in Garbett Street & King Edwards Road, Ladywood. Ive never found his death either, but he was still in Kelly's Directory in 1909 and was deceased by 1914.

Thanks very much for your help. much appreciated.

Joanio
 
lol,Father John Sharp!! He is a bit Sharp:cool: but don't worry, just go! I have been once,and was well worth it, I would go again, but difficult, as I live in Leicester,and you can't take kids:(
 
His death should be there,by 1914! Unless it's misspelt, try asking or writing to Birmingham Reg office. I was missing a birth, couldn't find it on the BMDs, wrote to Bham, and they found it.
 
Thanks very much Sheronb, I will have to pluck up the courage for St Chad's. Do they keep their own marriage records then? I'm not sure. What made you think they were Catholic, was it because I mentioned an annulment?
Sorry to seem a bit thick here, but haven't done this before. Most of the records I've found in my searches were there to be found if you know what I mean, and I need all the help I can get.

Joanio
 
The records are in latin,so try to find something online,for basic Latin words, I think Familysearch,may have something. Also take a pencil with you, no pens allowed. It can be very rewarding, I found a baptism, that said in Latin(one of twins) that she was baptised at home,not expected to live, she did,until she was 7. Sad, but exciting to see.
 
Me again! Keep forgetting things!! You know that you have to ring for an appointment? They are only open on certain days, and close for lunch.
 
Joanio said:
Latin??!!!!:shocked:

Crikey, better get to grips with those words then!!

Joanio
Click to expand...


It's not that bad:)Baptisms are probally the easiest,the first names will be in Latin, but not the surname,of course. They tell you who the godparents are, this was so interesting, when I was looking for my Italians.If I lived in birmingham, I would be there every week!!

Good luck!
 
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