Genealogy Chat

I am new at this and have found out heaps by myself and with the help of some kind people on this site but............ I have tried in vain to find the Marriage of my Grandparents. I got the details off one of the childrens birth certificates but cant find it in any searches. Would the religion have any thing to do with it? Any one shed any light on this for me please? Thanks Linda

Hi Linda, I have the same problem with one set of grandparents, I can't find their marriage either, and I've looked through the BMD over a 30 year period. I'm coming to the conclusion that maybe they weren't married at all, even though they used the same surname, probably just for show for the neighbours! Even my mum thinks they're married, but I'm not so sure... Happy hunting! Karen

Hi My nan was married i 1933...i have her marriage cert...but when i look on free bmd and other sites she is not there ...i think this is because they havent been put on there yet or transcribed ...so dont think the worse...Donna

I have same problem Linda. But when you consider what goes on today, I find that it isn't such a big problem. As long as you have the the maiden surname, who cares if they did the legal thing or not. The past is past and there is always the future to look forward to. Mistakes were made by our ancestors bur sometimes they would probably have very good reasons for not doing the RIGHT thing. So don't feel too bad when you discover the occasional skeleton, it makes the HOBBY all the more interesting.

Do you know the likely area for the marriage? It may have been missed of the master GRO list but still be on the local one. Try searching on just one surname. I couldn't find my grandparents' marriage for ages. My grandfather's name had been wrongly transcribed and only when I searched with my grandmother's maiden name did I find them. Are you able to give names so that we can help?

When you say you cant find it in searches - where have you looked? Freebmd is far from complete as it is being transcribed by volunteers and there is little on there for the 20th century. You need to go to ancestry and check through the images on the bmd beta index - if you know a rough idea of the year and you already have their names and likely district it shouldnt be too hard.

Hi John Your right, and believe me I have found a few skeletons since I started this. Im not concerned wether they married or not its just driving me mad not being able to find it. Although I would have to say I find it hard to believe they didnt officially marry as we were all raised as 'Good Catholics' and my grandmother in particular enforced this, Guess I may never know Linda

Well........... On their daughters birth certificate it lists the date as July 1899 in Motherwell Scotland. But the plot thickens......... Until I started this as far as everyone knew including my own father, my grandfather was born in Scotland 'Somewhere' and my grandmother in Allandale Norhumberland, he married her when they were young and lived and raised their family in Glasgow. But now I have discovered that my grandfather himself and all his family were actually born in Durham in England not in Scotland at all, I know they were all on the English 1891 census and then on then Scottish 1901 Census so sometime between these dates they met and married and moved to Glasgow. So maybe they were actually married in the Durham, Newcastle area and not Scotland at all, Sorry Im rambling. The names: Thomas Marshall born 1877 Durham Mary Jane Marshall born 1880 Allandale Northumberland The date I have is July 1899. I have looked on Scotlands people and Ancestry UK But like I said I am new at this so maybe 'I am doing it wrong' Or maybe like you say its not transcribed yet Thanks everyone Linda

There are some local ROs from the NE which have searchable online databases. If you have a look at www.ukbmd.org.uk you'll find a list of them if you click on the ''Local BMD'' button. Christine PS - I couldn't find my own marriage on the GRO index at first - only when I looked under my husband's name. Mine had been mistranscribed by GRO because they couldn't read my father's handwriting (he was the Rector - and he had very flamboyant writing).

Thanks Christine I will check it out Linda

Linda sorry I'm a bit confused, you say you got their names off one of the childrens birth certs, but then give them both with a surname of 'Marshall' - is this correct or what is you grandmothers maiden name? It might be easier to look it up with her name rather than his. regards Looby

where have you got the date and month JULY from? are you only looking in that qtr?

Sorry Its a wee bit late here downunder and my brain isnt functioning very well (thats my excuse anyway) My grandmothers name of course (duh) was Mary Jane Kelly thanks Linda

Hi Jess It said on the daughters Birth certificate July 7th 1899 in Motherwell Well at least thats what It looked like to me but you know what the handwriting was like. Linda

so July 1899 is the date of the daughter's birth? Was she the oldest child? joanne

Linda I dont know if this will help but there is a marriage on scotlands people in 1899 for Thomas Marshall & ??? Kelly. I dont have enough credits to check out the image but maybe she wasn't married under the name Mary Jane? Worth a look. Georgina.

Hi Joanne I think I have about 10 credits left if you point me in the right direction I dont know how I missed this, what am I doing wrong? Thanks Linda

Sorry Joanne That should have been to Georgina I really have to ge to bed :-) ps the daughter wasnt born in 1899, thats the date of the marriage Thanks Linda

Georgina & Linda I couldn't help myself and so went for a look and Georgina has found the right marriage Thomas Marshall & Mary Jane Kelly, 7th July 1899, 8 Merry (!) Street (wonder if she knows), Motherwell, Dalziel. If you want a copy of it message me and I'll send it to you. Rachel

Yipee!!! I found it or should I say Georgina did, it was the one she suggested. It had my grandmother listed as jane Kelly and not Mary Jane Kelly and I to think I searched and searched the Scotland people sight but it didnt dawn on me to just search under my grandfathers name alone, but like I said Im a bit of a novice, but learning everyday. A big thanks to Georgina and to all you guys for your time and help and suggestions. I can go to bed now and sleep easy Thanks again people Linda