Genealogy Chat

Have just got great grandfathers marriage certificate and on it he says he is widowed. However, can find absolutely no trace of a previous marriage. His wife my great grandmother was about 15 years younger then him and a spinster at time of marriage, he was 48.

Could it be that he lied about his marital status as he was embarrassed at not being married till he was 48?

Gary

gary,

have you found him on any census to see if he is listed with a wife?

Well this is my next problem, then only census I can trace him on is the 1871 with his parents (he is born 1866), then 1881 living with a family where he is an errand boy (they are not related to him).

Other then that have tried every means and can not locate him on 1891 or 1901. My grandmother is showing in 1901 living with her family. And although they did not get married till 1914 they had children from 1903.

Gary

Hi Gary

When my brother got the M/C for one of mine it stated that she was a Spinster & he was Widow..I followed then back through the census and it turn out she had been married before and he hadn't

Do you have the birth certs of the children born pre 1914 to confirm that they are they are the children of the second wife?

Gary
Would you like to give his name and area so that we can have a look for him?

Gwyn

Thank you all for your responses, yes I have my grandfathers cert and he has both parents down as Mark Woodward & Ethel Chawner, he was born a Woodward although they did not marry till 1914. The first child was named Edward Woodward Chawner and again same parents, so they all seem to be Ethel's children.

He is Mark Woodward born 1866 in Hanborough, Oxfordshire. He moved from Oxfordshire to Acton during 1871-1881.

Thanks Gary

This is him on last census I can trace him.

1881 England Census
about Mark Woodward
Name: Mark Woodward
Age: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1866
Relation: Servant
Gender: Male
Where born: Handborough, Oxfordshire, England

Civil Parish: Willesden
County/Island: Middlesex
Country: England

Street address: 2 Chapel Terrace
Education:

Employment status: View Image
Occupation: Errand Boy

Registration district: Hendon
Sub-registration district: Willesden
ED, institution, or vessel: 3a
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Mary Breed 43
Thomas Breed 42
William J. Breed 12
William G. Wintwell 18
Mark Woodward 15

Not alone then....good to know. It seems like maybe he did, although all cousins seem to think it was strange he got married so late in life. He had his last child when he was 55.

When you say there is no trace of his marriage....
Have you dismissed all the Mark Woodward marriages on freebmd?

He could have married in an unexpected area.

I agree.....finding him in 1891 and 1901 would be helpful...

Gwyn

I must admit Gwyn I did think all those other areas were not possibles, except I was looking at the Wandsworth one.

Guess it could be he married in another area entirely.

There's too many to choose between.

Marriage could be anywhere.
My Hampshire-born Dad married in Wales.

His brother married a girl from near Southampton....in Yorkshire.

Gwyn

Looks like it's going to remain another one of my family mysteries then......have quite a collection of those now like many others.

Have to go out now, but will check back later on incase someone has hopefully located him for me.

Thanks Gary

Gary,If I was you I`d start ordering the Mark Woodward marriage certs as listed on FreeBMD one by one, using his fathers name and occupation as a reference checkpoint, each one will only be £3.00 if they don`t match. I`d start with the Wandsworth one as seems most likely as he was in Willesden in 1871, you can discount a few of the marriages as they have a middle name, which at least narrows it down a bit......I know its a bit long winded to do it this way but unless you can find him on the 1891 and 1901 census I can`t see how else you`ll find out, unless he`s there ,but been mistranscribed, have you actually tried to just search for Mark, born Hanborough Oxford, and his year of birth and parents names in either census, you get an awful lot of results that way, but you may find him.

Nicky

Hi Nicky

Thanks for the suggestion, have tried looking for him via that means but not much joy on that front either. May have to order each cert one at a time, LOL when i get paid next month.

Interestingly just re-read my cousins family book and in it he states that there was a rumour that Mark went abroad, possibly became a merchant seaman (although he weighed over 20 stone, wonder if that's true), so wonder if he did get married abroad somewhere. Could explain why no-one can trace him and why no record of marriage in the uk. Shame no-one knows exactly what happened to him.

I was wondering too if he may have went abroad worth trying Ellis island/Island Garden sites for arrivalls in USA?

His parents would appear to be Stephen Woodward + Julia Cottrell ?

You can find Julia c 1826+ STEPHA c 1829 in Handborough on 1851.

By 1861 - Julia is (without Stephen but not widdowed) - aged 40 (age a bit out bur they rounded down in 1851) - she has children Elizabeth, Henry, Ellen + Thomas (christening records for these and Mark on IGI)

On 1871 - children are with Stephen + LOUISE ??
she was born in same place as Julia and could in fact be using a middle name ?

This needs further checking but I thought I would put it on now so you can explore..

I will look further..........Let me know what you find.

Dea x

I found this on the 1891 there is no surname for Mark

Mark
Age: 23
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1868
Relation: Lodger
Gender: Male
Where born: Handborough, Oxfordshire, England

Civil Parish: Nether Hoyland
Ecclesiastical parish: Hoyland St Peters
Town: Hoyland Common
County/Island: Yorkshire
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Barnsley
Sub-registration district: Darfield
ED, institution, or vessel: 17
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Hannah 64
Mark 23
Wright Brearley 54
Ada Littlewood 2
Eliz Littlewood 53
Ernest Littlewood 4
Francis Littlewood 16
Joab Littlewood 28
Minnie Littlewood 13
Sarah Littlewood 33

This is the Mark that married in Wandsworth

Mark Woodward
Age: 45
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1846
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Margaret
Gender: Male
Where born: Hertfordshire, England

Civil Parish: Chelsea
Ecclesiastical parish: St Luke
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Chelsea
Sub-registration district: Chelsea, North
ED, institution, or vessel: 11
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Maggie Woodward 3
Margaret Woodward 43
Mark Woodward 45


Mark was married before to a Maria
Margaret was married before to a George

Although this may well be connected, the Mark he is looking for was born c 1866.

Dea x