Genealogy Chat

Good evening all. Having been driven indoors by howling gales & pouring rain aka typical bank holiday weather, I have been trying to find a marriage record for my paternal grandparents. Their names were William Thomas Sainsbury & Irene Rodmore. Dad doesn't know when they were married, but he was discharged from the army in November,1917, with 'gunshot wound to r cheek'. We are sure they must have married before this, becos in the wedding photos there is not a mark on his face. His wife was only born in 1896, so I have checked all marriage records on Ancestry from Jan 1913 to Dec 1917 to no avail. As Grandma's name is less common, I searched for her. Am I going completely mad, or is there some other explanation I haven't thought of?

Are you sure the wedding photographer didn't retouch the photos to remove an unsightly wound? I can imagine such a thing happening. It would be worth checking beyond 1917 in that case.

could her surname have been spelt differently - rodmoor, rodmoore?

when were their children born? And where?

Hi Andrew, apparently he was in & out of hospital for years having reconstructive surgery, so I can't imagine photographers in those having the skill to cover up all sign of his wound.

Yummy, I didn't find any even vaguely similar names in the lists. Jim, Dad was the only child, born in 1923.

Sorry Jim, forgot to mention, Dad was born in Swindon. Mum thinks they would have married there, or Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, where Grandad was born. The only other possibility is the isle of wight, where grandma was born, but they both seem to think that is unlikely.

Image of wedding shows Rodmore correctly

So Dad is Graham reg 23 Q2 Swindon

Irene Rodmore and William T Sainsbury Swindon Vol 5a Page 50 Oct-Dec 1922 Maisy

well spotted Maisy. Jim

I suggest you try applying to the register office in Swindon (and the other places you mentioned). It should have copies of all the marriage registers for churches in the area (and if it was a register office wedding they should definitely have a copy). Of course, so should the GRO, but sometimes the records got lost in transit. Edit: I see Maisy has found the record - in 1922. Obviously the doctors (or the photographer) did a good job on the wound after all.

Hi Maisy, thanks for your help. That sounds too close to be the wrong one. I'm really surprised - did photographers really have the skill to alter photos that much in those days? Also,if I contact the records office for swindon, will they be able to check the records & confirm the name should be Rodmore - I'm assuming the name would be correct on the certificate & just incorrectly transcribed? ps Does anyone know the contact details for Swindon records office?

Image of wedding shows Rodmore correctly jim

Jim, what do you mean by 'image shows Rodmore correctly'. Are you looking somewhere I'm not?

I'm afraid the only way to find out what name is on the cert is to buy it, either from the GRO or the Swindon register office. Registrars are forbidden by law to look up a certificate and just give out details from it without actually issuing the certificate to you.

I'm looking at the free images on Ancestry. 1922 Q4 letter R page 36 (of 51) It clearly shows Rodmore, Irene marries Sainsbury ref Swindon 5a 50 the reverse entry show William T Sainsbury marrying Rodmore. (letter R page 51 of 51) Jim

Jim, I've got it now - thank you all, you're all stars! Just had a thought, Dad was born in May, 1923, so was she already pregnant - that would be a real shocker, she was always so prim & proper - would also explain why they never told Dad when they were married!

Not necessarily. If wedding was late August it could have been registered early in Q4. But certaily close. You can get the date from the cert. Another mystery for you to resolve. Happy hunting Jim

Thanks Jim - I've just ordered the certificate. If it was a shotgun wedding I'm not sure whether to break the news to Dad - at 84 it might be too much of a shock for him!