Marriage - John Thompson to Mary Ann Curry Houghton-le-Spring

[Patsy Beech]

Please, please help I am going crossed eyed looking for the marriage index for my Great Grandfather John Thompson (born Co. Down, Ireland c 1842) and Mary Ann Curry (born 25th April, 1844 at the Nags Head, West Rainton).

I think they were married around 1868, because by the time of the 1871 census they were living at Wellington Row, Newbottle with their two year old daughter Elizabeth Jane.

Mary Ann's parents were George & Elizabeth Curry (nee Purvis), and although I can trace that side of the family the Thompson's are more elusive. I really do need to find the wedding certificate because without it I cannot be sure just who John's father was, and although I suspect his Dad's name was also John, and his mother was called Jane I could be going up the wrong garden path completely!!!! Not for the first time either!!!!!!

I have tried various spellings of Curry, Currey, Corrie etc., but still keep hitting that brick wall. Any suggestions would be very welcome.

Good searching to you all.
Patsy

[irret]

Have you tried http://freebmd.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl ?

[sillgen]

Have you tried the church records?  If you can find them in the parish register you will at least know exactly when to look at the GRO index.  Another option is to write to the local register office and explain the problem.  At the top of the Durham board there are various links to sites which might help.    Judging from their ages they could well have married earlier - perhaps had earlier children who died?
Good luck
Andrea

[Patsy Beech]

Thank you both for your very quick replies, and no I have not searched the church records. I will look at the links at the top of the page to see how I can do that from Essex.

I had considered that John and Mary could have had previous marriages therefore her surname would not have been Curry at the time of their marriage, but I have also looked for Mary Ann Curry marring Mr. 'X' then a Mary Ann 'X' marrying John Thompson - still no luck! Now you can see why I am going crossed eyed!!!!! Several hours have been spent on freebmd, 1837 online & Ancestry.co.uk - poor husband gets fed in between!

I think I will try and find daughter Elizabeth Jane's birth certificate and check that her mother was Mary Ann Curry, the same as my grandfather Charles Herbert Thompson (their youngest child) born 31st October, 1887 at 97 Freehold, West Rainton, to make sure the two Mary Ann's are one and the same.

Any more suggestions on how to solve the problem or where to write/search most welcome.

Thank You. Patsy

[sillgen]

Searching the parish registers can be done at your local LDS centre.  They are listed on www.familysearch.org   You order the film of the parish you want.    Some are on the IGI online but a lot aren't and looking at the actual register often gives you a bit more information.   If you can get to London easily then a visit to the Society of Genealogists or the Hyde Park LDS centre might be an option.
With names like Curry and Thompson, both of which can be a spelling nightmare it may be a long search!
Andrea

[Patsy Beech]

Thank you for the help. I feel a cheap day ticket to London coming on!

I have information on a few spare John Thompson's from the Houghton-le-Spring area if anyone needs them! Plus marriage details of John Thompson & Ann Giles who married on Christmas Day 1868 in Sunderland.

Also a marriage between Charles Henry Thompson, Royal Navy Petty Officer and Ada Pearson in West Hartlepool March 1919. You see I have been looking!!!! Not always with success!!!!

Best Wishes, Patsy

[gillian lewis]

I am from a family of thompson from ireland, my g g grandfather was john henry thompson b abt 1888, who married mary ellen lodge.  My family of thompsons ended up living in west hartlepool.  Any help to you please reply

[Patsy Beech]

Dear Gillian,

Thank you for your interest in the Irish Thompsons. I expect you have found quite a few of them in your searching. I don't think I have a connection to West Hartlepool, but the reason I have a marriage certificate for there is I was looking for a first marriage between my grandfather Charles Herbert Thompson (1887 - 1951) to a lady called Ada, and this was the nearest match. Unfortunately my gamble did not pay off.

The details on the certificate may be of help to you, perhaps a brother or cousin of your John Henry Thompson so here they are.

8th March, 1919 at the parish church of Christ Church, West Hartlepool.

Charles Henry Thompson, aged 31, bachelor, Petty Officer Royal Navy, address: 60 Commercial Street, Middleton. Father: Charles Thompson, Father's occupation: Engineer

Ada Pearson, aged 20, spinster, address: 60 Commercial Street, Middleton. Father John Pearson, Father's occupation Shipyard Labourer.

Witnesses - J.C. Pearson, Ellen Boyd & William Boyd

All my Irish Thompsons from Co. Down seem to have settled in the Houghton-le-Spring, West Rainton, Rainton Gate, Fence Houses areas, that is until my grandfather decided that going down the pit was no longer for him. So after WWI he went south to London, where he met and married my grandmother Florence Marther Fricker (wife no.2).

Good luck in unravelling all your Thompsons.
Patsy

[Patsy Beech]

Hi Folks,

Just to up-date - today I have received the birth certificate for Elizabeth Jane Thompson, born 19th April 1869, at Philadelphia, Newbottle, and as expected her parents were John Thompson, miner, & Mary Ann (formerly Curry). This means that from first born, Elizabeth, to the last born my grandfather, Charles Herbert, they all had the same parents.

Unfortunately still no sign of a marriage between John & Mary Ann! It must be there somewhere!!!!!!!!

Patsy