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I haven't yet sourced a copy of the marriage cert for Ellen and Robert Speed so don't know. The GRO have a backlog at the moment - people getting in before the price increase I guess.

I'm coming across other US records that mention other familiar names. There is a communicants record for the same church as the confirmation, which I have just turned up which includes James and Elias M, father and brother of Joseph I think.

I'm well aware that it was quite easy to lie to the clergy/registrar, but I was interested to get a line on whether she could have married again quite legally.

Did she declare him dead, or just say she was a widow on her 2nd marriage??

If the latter, that is not unknown, and required no legal declaration.

Just a lie to the vicar/Registrar ;-)

Do you have Ellen's marriage certificate to Robert? Is she listed as a widow?

The parents went to US too:

Record Transcription:
Us Census 1900
City/township Philadelphia

James Paxton Self Married Male 56 1844 England
Anna Paxton Wife Married Female 56 1844 England
Arthur Paxton Son Single Male 19 1881 England

Not sure whether a wife in the UK could get a husband declared dead if he went overseas and she heard nothing more from him - anyone know?

Oddly enough Ellen parents marriage didn't last either.

Record Transcription:
Us Census 1920
County Philadelphia and City

Jos M Paxton Self Married Male 54 1866 England
Lydia Paxton Wife Married Female 57 1863 Pennsylvania

Birth of brother:
PAXTON, ARTHUR MEE GUYLOR
GRO Reference: 1881 S Quarter in NEWARK Volume 07B Page 405
---------------------------

Record Transcription:
Us Census 1910
City/township Philadelphia Ward 41
County Philadelphia
State Pennsylvania

Jos Paxton Self Married Male 46 1864 England (year of immigration 1886)
Lydia Paxton Wife Married Female 48 1862
Arthur Paxton Brother Married Male 28 1882 England (year of immigration 1887)

Interesting!! I should have thought about the possibility of Joseph having gone abroad and left Ellen behind - especially as I've had a similar situation just recently. I'm not sure where the confirmation of Joseph Mee Paxton comes into things, a son perhaps? But the middle name Mee seems rather too much of a coincidence not to be connected.

Oddly Ellen's parents marriage didn't last. Some digging on US records required I think.

?

1900 US Census Transcription (with Lydia Paxton)

First name(s) Joseph M
Last name Paxton
Relationship -
Marital status Married
Gender Male
Age 36
Birth year 1864
Birth place England
Marriage year (estimated) 1892
Ethnicity American
Race White
Immigration year 1886
Head of household's first name(s) Josiah
Head of household's last name Reynolds
Father's birth place England
City/township Philadelphia
County Philadelphia
State Pennsylvania
-------------------------------------

Marriage:
First name(s) Joseph M.
Last name Paxton
Sex Male
Marital status Married
Event Marriage
Event date 15 Dec 1891
Place , Warren, New Jersey, United States
State New Jersey
Country United States
Spouse's first name(s) Lydia A?
Spouse's last name Custard
Spouse's sex Female
-------------------------------------

Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records
Name: Joseph Mee Paxton
Event Type: Confirmation
Confirmation Date: 5 Jun 1911
Confirmation Place: Stroudsburg, Monroe, Pennsylvania, USA
Denomination: Episcopal
Organization Name: Christ Episcopal

Hello, I am trying to locate the death and/or burial of Joseph Mee Paxton. His birth was reg'd 1863 q4 Basford, Nottinghamshire. He married Ellen Sophia Rastall at Christ Church Newark Notts 10 Nov 1884. However, Ellen Sophia Paxton Married Robert Speed in 1898, reg'd Newark RD. However, I cannot locate a death or burial for Joseph , who in theory died between the two marriages. I have been unable to track either Joseph or Ellen down on the 1891 census to narrow thing down further. I do have earlier census entries for both, Ellen was born in Grantham in 1859. I also have Ellen on the 1911 census with Robert Speed in Newark itself. In 1881 Joseph and his parents, along with some siblings are on the census in Newark, having previously been in the Greasley area, which is given as Joseph's birthplace.I believe his father was James Mee Paxton, mother Ann Guyler (fits with GRO birth index)

Please also note that there are 2 other Joseph Paxton births registered at Basford,
both in q2 1864. Joseph William Paxton & Joseph Shaw Paxton. Joseph Shaw Paxton died as a baby, death reg'd 1864 Basford. Joseph Williiam died 1936, reg'd Basford.

For those that might look on Ancestry, there is a tree which has Joseph William as son of James Mee Paxton, in fact I believe that Joseph William and James Mee were brothers, parents William Paxton and Jane Flint. The GRO index has mother as Flint for both birth regns.

I am living in hopes that I have overlooked something obvious, or someone might pick an entry up from an online site that I am not familiar with.