COMPLETED

[Maxie]

I'm looking for the marriage of Alexander Mckay and Emma Bath around or before 1867, in St. Pancras. Her 'maiden' name was given as Emma Bath on the birth certificate of her son, but I wonder if she may have been married before, and so might be known as something other than "Bath" on the marriage certificate.

So I'm looking for any marriage of Alexander McKay in the St. Pancras area!

Maxie 

[Valda]

Hi

Information on the mother's name on a child's birth certificate

'If a woman has not been married there will be a sole entry for her name e.g. Martha Robinson. If a woman has ever been married there will be two names shown for her e.g. Martha Robinson formerly Wheeler. If a woman has been married more than once the names shown will be e.g. Martha Robinson late Wheeler formerly Gregory.'

http://home.clara.net/dixons/Certificates/births.htm

If Emma Bath had been married before her previous married name should be given on the child's birth certificate. The fact there was only the surname Bath given indicates there was no previous marriage.

A legitimate birth certificate is not proof that the child was actually legitimate. There were no checks in the system until the second half of the C20th. All it required was that the mother/parents bluffed it out with the registrar. 


Regards

Valda

[Maxie]

Hi Valda,

Thanks for that. All more or less as I expected, but I realse that the name  given was only as correct as the person giving it was truthful.
Anyway I know there are 2 marriages available for Alexander McKay in St. Pancras, but I can't access them. I wondered if anyone could help me with that.

Thank you again

Maxie 

[Valda]

Hi

The two Alexander Robert McKay marriages?
 
1857 and 1866 the latter to Mary Ann Hills
On the second marriage Alexander was a widower of full age and a contractor agent. His father was John McKay who was deceased.

1871 census RG10 123 folio 66
6 Lillington Street St John the Evangelist Westminster
Alexr R McKay 45 Head Married Railway clerk London Middlesex
Mary A McKay 31 Wife Married Pulborough Sussex
Ann L McKay 19 Daughter Smethwick Staffordshire
Alexandra H McKay 4 Daughter Pimlico Middlesex
Florence M McKay 3 Daughter Brighton Sussex
Gertrude E McKay 5 Daughter Pimlico Middlesex

7th March 1875 St Mary Newington Southwark
Thomas Edward McKay parents Alexander Robert and Mary Ann, father's occupation union agent

Deaths Mar 1891   McKay  Alexander Robert  65  St. Olave  1d 195


Banns were also called at St Mary Magdalene St Pancras in 1861 when at Alexander Mckay aged 20 of 19 Fitzroy Place had the banns called to marry Ellen Gardener aged 17. The marriage does not appear to have taken place - but then she was only 17.

There was also a marriage of an Alexander McKay of full age, a widower and estate agent in 1878 in Kentish Town Pancras to Emma Hall a widower. His father was James McKay a gardener and her father was Henry Dixon Saltmarsh a bootmaker. Both were of Charlton Kings Road. They were living in Tottenham on the 1881 census. Alexander was aged 60, a house and insurance agent born Badminton in Gloucestershire.

These seem to be the only Alexander McKay marriages or potential marriages in the Pancras registration area.


Regards

Valda

[Maxie]

Thank you so much, Valda.

It helps to know that the two records I couldn't access are not relevant to my search. I'll have to look further afield. Maybe Alexander and Emma didn't marry at all, despite her giving her name as Emma Mckay.
 
Maxie

[jorose]

I do have a birth certificate in which a mother's previous marriage is not mentioned (she married at 18, her first husband died young, no children to the marriage, she then remarried at 20 under the first husband's surname).

I also have known people to have lots of certificates swearing the mother's name was, say, Mary Smith formerly Brown, but no marriage found until several years after the birth of the children.

Of course, there's nothing to say that they married in Pancras, just because the child was born there.  On the original birth certificate (presumably in 1867?), what was Alexander's occupation, the address of birth, the address of the informant (possibly the same), etc? Was Emma the informant?

[Maxie]

Hi Jorose,

The date of birth was 5 April 1867 at 3 Princes Street. The father was named as Alexander McKay and his occupation was coach smith. The mother was named as Emma McKay formerly Bath. The informant was Emma McKay, mother and residence was 3 Princes Street, St. Pancras. The registration district was Tottenham in the County of Middlesex.

And no you're right, no reason why they should have married in St. Pancras. That would have been too easy I suppose.

Anyway looking forward to hearing what you think given the above details.
 
Maxie

[Mort29]

Registration district was Tottenham in the County of Middlesex.

Tottenham Court sub-district of Pancras presumably?



I see from the 1871 census that Alexander was not at home and that Emma declares her Birthplace as ?Vernham? in the Andover area of Hampshire.

Have you looked for her in earlier census, or is it just the marriage you hope to find?

[Mort29]

curiously in the 1871 census, there is an Emma Bath born Vernham 1862, a grand daughter of a George Goddard in Vernham's Dean which is in the Andover Registration District.