Obscure marriage record for James GILROY

[lynxafrica]

After many years and many different registers and archives, I've still never managed to find a parish record for the marriage of James GILROY (b1804) to Mary Ann BOLTON (B1800).

He was from Belford, she was from North Shields.

Their first child, Mary Bolton Gilroy, was born in 1824 and her baptism record shows they were living at Waren Mill, near Belford.
Their second child, John Margetts Bolton, was born in 1827 in Ebchester, Co.Durham, where they had extended family.

I was wondering if anybody had any records from marriage chapels that perhaps don't appear on the main indexes for the Belford/Branton/Bamburgh regions, or Shields of NBL?

All help gratefully received.
Rob

[Michael Dixon]

 Rob,
 
 In that era, the only legal way in England and Wales to marry was in an Anglican church. ( folk of the Jewish and Quaker faith were excluded from this law)

 So the choice for Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics, etc., was to marry in the Church of England, just not marry or marry outside England/Wales, e.g. in Scotland.

Many northern English couples popped over the border to marry in Scotland.

Popular marrying places were Coldstream and Lamberton Toll for the eastern side, and Gretna for western side.

Michael

[lynxafrica]

Hi Michael

Many thanks for the suggestions.

I'd already checked out Gretna, but will see if I can find anything for the east coast.

Rob

[Michael Dixon]

Rob,

 Some distances for walkers...

Belford to Lamberton Toll. 16-20 miles to Berwick + 6 to Lamberton.
Belford to Coldstream, via Wooler, similar distance.

Belford to Gretna, about 60 miles.

Michael ( who also journeyed from NBL to marry in Scotland- but got a fast train ! )

[2zpool]

Nothing in my Irregular Marriages book.  I also looked in my Durham marriages up to 1837.

Janis