• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Mystery over marriage details?????

skylark

Proud to be a Brummie !!
I received a marriage cert today from 1915...this is the correct couple I am researching...names & address are correct, both are aged 50 years..BUT... in the column for condition it states "Previously married at the Parish church Dover on 21/06/1891"....the problem is I have looked on BMD & there is nothing that matches this info...HELP...why would they remarry at B'ham Register Office in 1915 if they were married in 1891 ??? A big mystery for me to solve.

Names: James Alfred Cornish & Katherine Cornish formerly Snelling.

Any help much appreciated,
Margaret.
 
well in 1911 they do state that they have been married for 20 yrs. living back 68 bromsgrove st. bham

james cornish 46 decorator b.bham
katherine 46 b. ripley surrey
james alf 16 iron worker b.bham and thomas henry 13 b. bham

they had had 5 children but 3 had died.
 
Last edited:
Just a thought Margaret. Was the first marriage proved null and void perhaps because one of them was still married? Does a marriage entry get 'deleted' if proven to be illegal as in bigamy? (even unknowlingly)

Suzanne
 
An interesting mystery! Perhaps Katherine had been married to a Boer War soldier who was wrongly recorded as Killed in Action? Do please let us know what you discover.
 
I think you will find it was a bigamous marriage initially.
In 1901 in Vincent Crescent Balsall Heath Catherine Cornish with husband James A,children James and Thomas says she was born in
Ripley Surrey.

Catherine Collins Snelling was born in Ripley in 1864, she married John Robert Marshall in Guildford 1885 and is in aldershot )with husband
and daughter Florence Agnes in 1891) she calls herself Katherine.

In 1901 Florence is living in Kingston with 'grandparents'Alfred Ayling and wife Margaret.(Cannot find marriage for them)
John Robert Marshalls mother was called Margaret.(source IGI) no father named

John Robert may also have married bigamously in 1897 to Rhoda Blades (1897 West Ham) they are on 1901 in Walthamstow with children John 2 and Margaret 8 months.

Where is James Alfred Cornish in 1891?

WOW,I want these in my family tree.Alberta.
 
Last edited:
No! Alberta, you do want these folks in your tree, they are annoying !!! I will certainly look into the details you have found. In 1891 James Alfred Cornish was in the army & appears to be serving in Ulster/Ireland. I have found no marriage for James & Katherine in 1891...my own thoughts on this is that in 1915 WW1 was going on, & according to their 1915 marriage cert he is listed as a Sgt in the 13th Highland Light Infantry ( his old Regiment) although he was 50 at this time! The other thing to take into account is that they had 2 adult sons & perhaps making them legitimate was a factor in their marriage in 1915. By the way Katherine's father was given as John Snelling & I have found a 6 year old Catherine in Ripley on the 1871 with Parents John & Anne & her siblings. Clearly there is still a lot to find out...but perhaps you have found me a link as to how Katherine & James Alfred met, in Aldershot perhaps ??? Back to the search for me.

Regards,
Margaret.
 
John Snelling married Ann Elizabeth Collins in Ripley 16th August 1862
Catherine Collins Snelling was born on 6th november 1864.
If you have her death certificate it will verify her birthday.
 
Thank you. Alberta, for this ongoing info....you are keeping me busy with my mystery marriage....but the answer is out there somewhere !!!!

Regards,
Margaret.
 
I forgot to say Alberta....I don't have the death cert of katherine, but as she died in 1936 it will not give her date of birth details...that info came much later on UK certificates.

regards,
Margaret.
 
Someone from my family tree was a bit mysterious...and her name was also
Snelling.In the 1871 census she is shown as Jemima, wife of Charles Horne at Woolwich Barracks,but she was in reality the wife of William Horne, brother of Charles.:rolleyes:Now,on the same night(3rd.April 1871),William horne (her husband) is staying at the home in London of Jemimas father along with his mother,Charles's American wife and her children.(Are you still with me).Now fast forward a few years and Jemima snelling is marrying for the second time,in the same church where she married William,and on the marriage cert.she is a spinster.:rolleyes:
she probably also said she was a virgin,even though she had 3 children,I would love to have met this darling.:)
I did trace the rest of the family for that night,exept for the father of Charles and William,I think he went down the pub...and got so drunk he forgot to fill in the census form.:rolleyes:
 
Back
Top