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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: joger on Saturday 14 October 17 08:39 BST (UK)

Title: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: joger on Saturday 14 October 17 08:39 BST (UK)
Who could help with this marriage ?
Thanks anyway.
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: mosiefish on Saturday 14 October 17 09:14 BST (UK)
13th February, 1888
John Smith, Bachelor of the Parish of Leiston in the County of Suffolk and Caroline Godfrey, Spinster of the Parish of London in the County of Middlesex were married in this house with the consent of Her Majesty`s Ambassador.  Both signed.  Witnesses were Ralph and Louise Herring.

Mo
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: joger on Saturday 14 October 17 09:31 BST (UK)
Oh, thank you. FreeBmd gives 3 "John Smith" in the district of Blything (I found that Leiston is in the district ,say it if I am wrong) how can I  refine the search before ordering a certificate ?
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: mosiefish on Saturday 14 October 17 10:06 BST (UK)
Blything is correct for the Registration District, but its going to be difficult narrowing his birth down without a fathers name on his marriage certificate.  I can`t understand why there are two marriage dates for them. The details I gave you came from the orginal image, however Family Search have the date as 16th March.  I will go and see if i can find out.

Mo
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: joger on Saturday 14 October 17 12:09 BST (UK)
What is the second date? we have 13th february 1888 and ?You saw the original act? Is the birthdate of John written?
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: mosiefish on Saturday 14 October 17 12:47 BST (UK)
The original image on Ancestry shows the marriage date as 13th February, 1888.
Family Search shows the date of marriage as being 16th March, 1888 but there is no image available to check if it was a mistake.

No other information was on the marriage record.  Not even any ages.  The only thing I missed off was the name of the Chaplain who married them.

Can I ask where his year of birth came from?
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: joger on Saturday 14 October 17 13:19 BST (UK)
Yes, of course . I asked for a french person who does not speak english , well enough to come on rootschat anyway. She got it from Ancestry . I asked on this forum because I hoped that somebody could have infos from other sources (if such other sources exist). She 'd like to find the parents of John and his birthdate and place of birth, she'd been searching them for 2 years.


I agree that 16 must be a mistranscription.

Added : maybe John is in the Census of Leiston, Suffolk, 1851, 1861, 1871 , 1881?
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: mosiefish on Saturday 14 October 17 14:28 BST (UK)
There is only one John Smith on the census with that year of birth plus or minus a couple of years and born Leiston.  The problem being that he appears to be still in Suffolk on the 1891 census.  That was why I was asking where his year of birth had come from.
Mo
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: mosiefish on Saturday 14 October 17 15:01 BST (UK)
Searching all census years for a John Smith born Leiston with no year of birth added brings up only two - one born 1851 (he was 3 months old on the 1851 census) and the one born in 1858 who is still there in 1891 onwards.  The one born in 1851 "disappears" after the 1871 census where he was a butchers shopman in Rochester, Kent.  There is no sign of him after that.  His parents were Thomas, a Blacksmith and wife Harriet(t). Worth a thought!

Mo
PS just found one born 1869.
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: KGarrad on Saturday 14 October 17 22:39 BST (UK)
When the marriage entry states "of the parish of xxxx" it does NOT mean they were born there!
It means that was the parish in which they were living.

So all we can infer from the marriage is that, in 1888, he was living in Leiston.
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: joger on Sunday 15 October 17 07:33 BST (UK)
Thank you again for What you have done , great job. I give all the infos to the person for whom I did this search. Have a nice day.
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: LizzieL on Wednesday 18 October 17 16:02 BST (UK)
When the marriage entry states "of the parish of xxxx" it does NOT mean they were born there!
It means that was the parish in which they were living.

So all we can infer from the marriage is that, in 1888, he was living in Leiston.

But weren't they both living in France prior to their marriage? Maybe under the French system the actual place of birth was recorded. i went to a wedding in italy a few years ago and the places of birth of bride and groom and what seemed three generations of their family trees  were read out.
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: LizzieL on Wednesday 18 October 17 16:07 BST (UK)
The original image on Ancestry shows the marriage date as 13th February, 1888.
Family Search shows the date of marriage as being 16th March, 1888 but there is no image available to check if it was a mistake.



Was the marriage in a private house? It sounds like it from the extract of record quoted. Maybe the religious ceremony when they made their vows in front of priest and witnesses was on 13 feb and the later date was when registered at British Embassy.
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: KGarrad on Wednesday 18 October 17 16:32 BST (UK)
I'm fairly sure that France, like most European countries, requires a 2-part wedding?
Once in the "Mairie" or Town Hall, and another in church (if that is what you want).

I remember being confused when a French colleague told us he was "going up before the mayor" - which meant he was getting married ;D
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: joger on Wednesday 18 October 17 16:35 BST (UK)
The marriage took place at the British Embassy in Paris in 1888  The Bride's name should be Godfrey , the forename Caroline , was there a middle name?

Thanks to  all of you.
Title: Re: Marriage John Smith with Caroline Godfrey 1888 in Paris
Post by: joger on Wednesday 18 October 17 16:40 BST (UK)
I'm fairly sure that France, like most European countries, requires a 2-part wedding?
Once in the "Mairie" or Town Hall, and another in church (if that is what you want).

I remember being confused when a French colleague told us he was "going up before the mayor" - which meant he was getting married ;D

Yes you are right. But she did not marry at the town hall (I checked) .
She had 5 girls , some were registered at the town hall , some at the british embassy .


passer devant monsieur le maire = to marry