Marriage hunt for William Hall & Rachel

[David Hall at Cedar Barn]

Unable to find the marriage of William Hall to Rachel (Richardson?)
 
This is what has been found about William Hall and Rachel so far:
 
Robert baptised 1806 at Belford Erskine Street (Presbyterian) son of William Hall (mother's name not given)
William baptised 1811 at Belford Erskine Street (Presbyterian) son of William Hall (mother's name not given)
George baptised 1814 at Belford Erskine Street (Presbyterian) son of William Hall and Rachel
Thomas baptised 1817 at Belford Erskine Street (Presbyterian) son of William Hall and Rachel
John baptised 1820 at Belford United Scession son of William Hall and Rachel
Jane baptised 1823 at Newcastle Clavering Place Presbyterian dau of William Hall and Rachel (Richardson)
Rachel baptised 1827 at Newcastle Clavering Place Presbyterian dau of William Hall, mason, and Rachel (Richardson)
 
Rachel and William appear in the 1841 census living in Newcastle aged 55 and 60 respectively and both said to be born in the county. Not able to find them in the 1851 census.
 
It is presumed that the above is all one family but until the marriage I am not certain. I suppose there could be two Rachels?
 
If anyone advise me about how I might find this elusive marriage or try a look up for me I would be extremely grateful.

[Michael Dixon]

lfh,

Just a couple of pointers for you....

The marriage laws for England/Wales decreed that the only legal way to marry was in a Parish Church ( i.e. an Anglican church). So the choice for Presbyterians ( Methodists, Roman catholics etc) was to marry in an Anglican Church, not marry or go out of England/Wales to marry, e.g. Scotland.

I am assuming you have looked for their marriage in Belford Parish and it's neighbouring parishes !

THey could have popped over the border into Scotland and married in a "regular" Presbyterian church or had a  "quickie" , called "Irregular" or "Border" marriage, at for example Coldstream, or Lamberton.

Although the couple used Belford Presbyterian church, do you know if they lived in Belford village or Belford Parish or beyond Belford Parish ( they may have travelled from a Parish that did contain a Presbyterian church ?

The law was changed from 1837 to allow all to marry in "their" own church (or in a Register Office)

William 60, Rachel 55 on 1841 census. The 1841 census enumerators were instructed to round down ages of those aged 15 yrs and over, to the nearest unit of five yrs. So if William had declared his age as 64, 63, 62, 61, or 60, enumerator would have just recorded 60 ! and so Rachel could have been anywhere from 59 to 55.


 (The page ref for the couple on the 1841 was 848/2 37-17)

Michael

[diddymiller]

looking on Genuki Northumberland it said the Belford United secession was on IGI. so i looked up John Halls chr 1820 & found an extracted (from original record) and it gives parents as:

William Hall & Rachel Richardson

Diddy 

[diddymiller]

Belford records:

Belford, Erskine Street (Presbyterian) - Births/baptisms 1793-1819. (A transcript is available at Newcastle Central Library, Local Studies Dept.)
might be worth contacting the library by email as you have a chr date for George 1814 (father & Mother)

Diddy

[David Hall at Cedar Barn]

Thanks for the tips.

I have looked at Belford Parish (film of the original church records) and some of the neighbouring parishes that are on the family search pilot scheme (the bishops transcripts) and have checked the IGI. Also tried Scotlands People for a marriage in the OPR for Scotland.

I do not know whether they lived in Belford parish, so I take your point that they could have travelled there just for the baptisms.  So it seems that I need to keep on looking around neighbouring parishes and/or hope they turn up in an irregular marriage across the border.

I cannot find the baptism of Rachel Richardson either (William Hall is too common a name to be sure the right baptism has been found but Rachel is relatively rare so I am surprised she does not appear anywhere so far). It seems pretty certain now that Rachel's maiden name was Richardson and that William Hall was a mason.

[Michael Dixon]

Lfh,

If the couple resorted to an "Irregular Marriage" across the border in Scotland, it would not be included in the "Old Parish Records" on ScotlandsPeople web site.

I can look up the irregulars at Coldstream Bridge ( @ Newcastle Library) in next few days. (Marriages took place in a Toll Booth on the Scottish side of the bridge)

But I have no access to the marriages at Lamberton Toll. Although other chatters do !

Michael

[David Hall at Cedar Barn]

Michael
You help is much appreciated for Coldstream - I will look out for early Lamberton Toll marriages around 1804 to 1816 period although I believe there is only an index for these and no actual records!  The period  1833 onwards for Lamberton will be too late.
Presumably places like Gretna Green are also potential places where William Hall and Rachel Richardson might have married?
David at Lodgefarmhouse

[Michael Dixon]

David,

From Belford area to Lamberton Toll- about 25 miles northwards-direct route.
From Belford area to Coldstream Bridge- about 20 miles north-west (as the crow flies)
From Belford area to Gretna Green- about 75 miles south-west(atcf) no direct route.

You choose venue for William and Rachel's big day !

The Coldstream Bridge marriages, also an abbreviated index.

Michael

[Michael Dixon]

 Today browsed the "Coldstream Bridge" irregular marriages index covering only 1793-1797. ( In Newcastle Library)

No sight of William/Rachel marriage.

There were marriages of Belford folk and lots of other from various places in Northumberland.

e.g. 28 Jun 1794 William Jordan >< Margaret Richardson (both Belford)
       12 Mar 1797 John Richardson >< Ann Dickieson.


Michael