1915??? (Date clarified please)

[youngtug]

Yes, my Mum recently spotted the wedding ring! That only adds to the mystery of Nanny Dinah's first 27 years of her life! (Can't find her birth record or 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses! And although my Great-Grandparents had children together between 1918-1934, they didn't marry until 1929! Perhaps this an engagement ring, she's wearing?)
Thanks for taking a look, Glen.

Although they never married until 1929 they had children before that, nothing to stop her wearing a wedding ring. Many couples never married but who was to know if you acted liked a married person/couple.

[chinakay]

Exactly right, YT...you can walk into any dimestore (Woolworth's to you ) and buy a cheapie ring. As long as you're not living in a neighbourhood where everybody knows you...

[-Glen-]

Yes you're right! Who was to know!
My Grandmother is the youngest of their children and the only one still living and she said the family had always been brought up to believe (/assumed?) that they had married prior to having children and that it was a church wedding!
Any ideas on why she would use two different maiden names though?

And China: Your neighbourhood comment has made me wonder if that's why they went to the neighbouring Registry Office to marry and not the local one?! Keep up the pretence that they were already married?!

[youngtug]

O what tangled webs we weave when we first practice to deceive, Probably pay to get the birth certs, for the elder children.

[-Glen-]

Hi YT,

I have all six birth certs and Dorothy is recorded as the informant on all of them, but for some reason she uses two different maiden names! On the eldest child's cert, she is Dorothy Staples formerly Shepherd, but on the other five, she is Dorothy Staples formerly Langley!

I've a topic in 'Kent Lookup Requests' with all of the details! It's called: Birth/Baptism/Census lookup please - Dorothy 'Dinah' Staples/Shepherd/Langley

 

[youngtug]

Ha, curious,

[-Glen-]

I know! 
And even stranger that I can't find a birth record for her or 1891, 1901 and 1911 censuses - and that's trying both maiden names!

[-Glen-]

I've just discovered that you can request info from a database of the 1939 National Registration Books!
I'm going to see what they have for Nanny Dinah! At least I should learn her date of birth! 

[Redroger]

Careful; I think the fee is £44!