Help wanted James Scott and Mary Hindmarsh

[ghscott]

Hi
I've hit a brick wall with my g g g grandparents. James Scott was born in Scotland in 1799/1800, came south and married Mary Hindmarsh (b1797). In 1817 they were living in Belsay (I think he was working on the building of the Hall). He was presbyterian and I haven't managed to find the marriage (probably cross-border). They had two children at Belsay (Jane, 1818 and Thomas, 1819) then another child Mary Ann at Wylam in 1823. The final Northumberland child was William in 1826 (census says Newcastle, not found the parish record). They then went over to Lancashire with George Stephenson where James was a superintendent on building the LMR at Olive Mount and later at Whiston Plane - he later became station master in Manchester.
I am looking for the marriage and trying to identify the correct Mary Hindmarsh - I have located various possibilities from Ryton and Simonburn born at the right time and with families  containing names Jane, Thomas and William (also Isabella was another later child born in Lancashire).
I'm also interested in a possible link with Elizabeth Hindmarsh who married George Stephenson (the engineer) in 1820, as James and Stephenson were friends -so Mary and Elizabeth _could_ be connected.
Any help much appreciated.
Thanks.
George Scott.

[Michael Dixon]

 George,

 The only "legal" way to marry in England and Wales in that era, was in a
 " Parish Church", that is; Church of England.

So the choice for Presbyterians ( and Methodists, Catholics, etc) was to marry in an Anglican church, just not marry or marry outside England/Wales. e.g. Scotland.

No similar restrictions with baptisms.

First baptism for their children was presumedly in a church within the bounds of the Parish of Bolam ? ( within which lay the community of Belsay)


So they may have previously married at Bolam Parish Church ( St Andrew's) or just popped over the border, not for a "cross-border" or "Irregular" marriage, but for a regular one in a Church of Scotland=Presbyterian Church.

Michael Dixon