Anyone going to the record office?

[stevejb]

Need to find Marriage of Benjamin Chilton (b 1827) and Mary Ann Godridge (b abt Jun 1847) around 1867.
Benjamin's first wife Sarah Anne Powis died in Mar qtr 1866. He had a son Job Joel Chilton in Jun qtr 1868. In the 1871 census he was married to a Mary Ann and the marriage lasted until he died in 1904 and she died in 1905. I can find no marriage on FreeBMD between a Benjamin Chilton or a Mary Ann Godridge. I am pretty sure the lady was Godridge, from Job staying with his grandparents James and Letitia Godridge in 1871 and 1881. Also Mary Ann Godridge (or close spelling) was only one of two or three people in 1861 that had a birth around 1848, were born in Pelsall and called Mary Ann.
I assume the marriage of Benjamin and Mary Ann occurred between Mar 1866 and June 1868. Job was born in Burntwood, where Benjamin was living in 1861 and 1871 on Lichfield Rd. So I assume they were married in Burntwood, or Pelsall where she was living with her parents in 1861

In 1881 the family had moved to Wolstanton.

Can anybody find a record.
Thanks Steve Pick
I wonder if some marriages were never recorded.

[BumbleB]

Have you considered that Benjamin and Mary Ann never married at all.  1871 census shows that she was 20 years younger than Benjamin.  StaffordshireBMD confirms that Job Joel's mother's maiden name was Godderidge, which fits in with your information.  However, there doesn't appear to be a marriage anywhere in England or Wales showing on FreeBMD between 1860 and 1880.  StaffordshireBMD does not have a marriage showing either.

BumbleB

PS:  There are later Chilton children showing on StaffordshireBMD, all with the mother's maiden name of Gotheridge or variations. 

[dobfarm]

Have you considered that Benjamin and Mary Ann never married at all.  1871 census shows that she was 20 years younger than Benjamin.  StaffordshireBMD confirms that Job Joel's mother's maiden name was Godderidge, which fits in with your information.  However, there doesn't appear to be a marriage anywhere in England or Wales showing on FreeBMD between 1860 and 1880.  StaffordshireBMD does not have a marriage showing either.

BumbleB

Hi BumbleB

20 years younger was the wee Lassie

The word ELOPED springs to mind >being Scotland

Also contact Cannock and Lichfield local register offices direct for a 3 year search

Dobfarm
ps
ICBM missile shot to now't but did happen

[stevejb]

Thanks for both replies. You helped me look for the Staffordshire BMD site and I found two more births for Benjamin (Sr.) and Mary Ann. I haven't worked on the Chilton's for a couple of years or so but had recorded a link back then. Sadly this link didn't work and my hurried search two days ago didn't yield the URL.  I have just found it but I see that Lucy (1880), Agnes (1885) and Benjamin (1888) are not included yet.

It had crossed my mind that maybe a marriage was not recorded but I profess ignorance about how and when marriage was recorded back then. I understand that a lot of folks were married in church and that from 1837 the government had records of all these but I have no idea about when a union might not be recorded. I vaguely understand about folks dashing up to Gretna Green. As a kid back in the 1940s I remember my parents driving us through the village and they must have educated me about it's claim to fame. However, a miner with 4 sons and a 6 year old daughter living in Burntwood must have found it would be difficult to get up to Gretna in 1867

I think for now I will leave further research on this family. My wife's line is via Bemjamin's son, William Henry (1854) and his first wife Sarah Anne Powis.

One fact has emerged with this latest reseach and that is Benjamin fathered 14 children. I think that maybe a record for my trees. We have two children and I can't imagine how folks lived in those days with 14!

Steve in Texas

[stevejb]

Hi BumbleB,

A question on the coverage or intent of StaffordshireBMD site. I see Willenhall Staffs is covered under Wolverhampton on FreeBMD. I don't see it listed under http://www.staffordshirebmd.org.uk/ . I looked under FAQ but didn't readily see an answer. Also nothing is listed under Burntwood but I thought I had picked up information in the past from stafford site. Maybe I am dreaming. Do you know what the scope of http://www.staffordshirebmd.org.uk/ is?
Thanks
Steve

[BumbleB]

If you look on the website under each of Births, Marriages and Deaths, there is a heading 'Coverage' which will give you the areas and dates.

BumbleB