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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: illjaorterpa on Tuesday 31 December 19 10:54 GMT (UK)
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hi
coming back to family history after a while! trying to put flesh on the bones of my ancestors. Trying to work out what/why would my 5 x g.grandfather Edward Porter a Marine based in Portsmouth and originally from Herefordshire be in Manchester/Blackley area in the first half of 1794? Where he met and married Alice Collinge (a weaver from Blackley) on 14 June 1794 in Manchester cathedral. The only reason i can think is the Marines were stationed in the area but why - what was going on? Cant imagine he'd be there for fun? Anyone with knowledge of details of Manchester for that year could throw any light on it? many thanks
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The marriage was by Licence, and it does say on the register entry that Edward Porter was "of this Parish and Town of Manch'r" which suggests to me that he was perhaps home on leave. :-\
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Marriage Bond: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-671S-J94?i=640
Marriage Licence: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-671S-TTR?i=641
These disclose that he was a widower
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He may have been a recruiting sergeant. A corps of marines was raised in Manchester in 1793.
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Marriage Bond: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-671S-J94?i=640
Marriage Licence: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-671S-TTR?i=641
These disclose that he was a widower
Also says ‘now of Manchester’
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The idea he was recruiting sounds possible. He didnt leave the Marines until 1814 and didnt stay in Manchester as their first son was christened in Warrington 10 months later. Probably the Marines were stationed in Warrington?. His wife Alice seemed to move to Coventry by the time their next 2 sons were born in 1804 & 1808. Have no idea why but only can presume a weaving connection. Edward was still in this Marines during this time so must have been on active duty although havnt been able to discover where/what the 23 division of Portsmouth division were doing?
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There was a war on. :) People moved all over the place.
There's a website called "Soldiers, Sailors and Strangers" or similar. It's a compilation of baptisms of children born away from their fathers' usual abode at that time.
Alice may have been in Coventry because her husband was stationed there.
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Thank you all for the information & brilliant help. I had never found links to the marriage bond and licence before so not known about them before.
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Glad you found the Licence and Bond information helpful. Always very useful for pre-1837 marriages due to the additional information related to bride and groom. They are usually, if they survive, to be found at the Archives where the Diocesan records are held. :)
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The Manchester Mercury, 1793 - 1794, carries a number of reports re. the Manchester Marine Corps eg.
8 May 1793
"DESERTED
From His Majesty's Manchester Marine Corps, now raising at that Place, the following Recruits - "
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Every decade it seemed the British government were ordering Parish councils to recruit set quotas for either the army or navy. I think your man was recruiting naval infantry (marines) for the war between Napoleon and Britain.
https://www.napoleon.org/en/history-of-the-two-empires/articles/the-british-navy-1793-1802/
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thanks for the help - lots of new leads.
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Hi Cousin - Edward Porter is my 4x GGF my line is from his son James. I have been asking all the same questions about Edward and the connection between Blackley and Coventry as the others sons born in Coventry then go back to Blackley to marry etc. James goes the opposite way moving from Manchester to Coventry to weave Ribbons. The comments about there being marines in manchester is very interesting and would be great to see if there is any more info.
I am also curious about Edward's birth as there are a number of possibilities - i favoured the one in Plymouth son of a soldier as I thought military background plus right area to join in Portsmouth. Why do you think the Hereford birth?
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Every decade it seemed the British government were ordering Parish councils to recruit set quotas for either the army or navy. I think your man was recruiting naval infantry (marines) for the war between Napoleon and Britain.
https://www.napoleon.org/en/history-of-the-two-empires/articles/the-british-navy-1793-1802/
The conflict began as a war against the new Revolutionary government of France headed in 1793 & 1794 by Robespierre. General Napoleon Bonaparte took over as head of government in 1799 after a coup.
There may be information about the regiment in National Archives catalogue, local archives or regimental archives. Muster rolls of some regiments survive from the era. Maybe pension records.
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Hi Cousin - Edward Porter is my 4x GGF my line is from his son James. I have been asking all the same questions about Edward and the connection between Blackley and Coventry as the others sons born in Coventry then go back to Blackley to marry etc. James goes the opposite way moving from Manchester to Coventry to weave Ribbons. The comments about there being marines in manchester is very interesting and would be great to see if there is any more info.
I am also curious about Edward's birth as there are a number of possibilities - i favoured the one in Plymouth son of a soldier as I thought military background plus right area to join in Portsmouth. Why do you think the Hereford birth?
Sorry I haven't replied to you earlier as haven't look on here for a long time.
A researcher checked Edward Porters army records for me in the National Archives and his record said he was from Much Dewchurch, Herefordshire and he enlisted in Hereford in March 1780 aged 25 years. There is a bit of a description of him if you are interested?
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Probably the Marines were stationed in Warrington?.
I think your question has been answered, but the Marines would be less likely to be stationed in Warrington than in Manchester, I guess they just moved around. Of course, during WW2, the American GIs were stationed at Burtonwood which is fairly near to Warrington.
At the same time as your ancestor was moving round UK whilst in the marines, my Scottish 4 x g.grandfather was moving from Midlothian, Scotland, to Boston, Lincolnshire, then to Norfolk and Essex. He was in the Fifeshire Cavalry.