missing marriage in Penzance

[Jeff 1853]

I am writing a book on my Great Grandfather CHARLES JEFFERY who served in the Royal Navy. While I have been able to obtain a lot of naval information I have been unable to find his marriage to ELIZABETH ANNE BEER in Penzance about 1859.
Charles was born in West Cowes I.O.W on 26-5-1832 and the 1851 Census lists him as an unmarried Sailmaker living with his family.
On 4-7-1853 he joined the Royal Navy as a Sailmakers Mate on HMS Sybille that sailed from Plymouth to China and returned on  13-5-1858.
According to my Grandfather he then worked as a Sailmaker in Penzance and married Elizabeth Anne Beer.
He rejoined the Royal Navy on 3-2-1859 as a Sailmaker on HMS Termagant that sailed from Portsmouth to Vancouver Island and returned on 9-1-1863.
Between ships this gave him almost nine months to get married.
The 1861 Census lists Charles as marrried on HMS Termagant in Mexico. This Census also lists a Elizabeth Jeffery as married in a schoolroom in St Teath, Cornwall - Occupation Sailmakers wife - Born in St Teath.
On 18-2-1863 he transferred to the Coastguard in Ireland and he and Elizabeth Anne went to Dublin  were my Grandfather and his siblings were born.
The 1911 Irish Census lists Charles & Elizabeth Anne Jeffery in Dunfanaghy Ireland and married in 1860 [when Charles was on HMS Termagant.]
Any help in finding the marriage would be greatly appreciated. Regards Jeff.

[aghadowey]

1911 census says married 51 years but if accurate they could have been married 1859 or 1860. However, it's not uncommon for there to be mistakes on census forms.
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Donegal/Dunfanaghy/Dunfanaghy_Town_2_files_file_1/483904/

[diddymiller]

there is nothing on the Cornish online parish records site:

http://www.cornwall-opc-database.org/search-database/

and nothing coming up on freebmd. could they have been married at sea??

Diddy

[Jeff 1853]

Thank you aghadowey and diddymiller. You have confirmed my research from afar that the marriage does not appear to have been recorded in the normal records.
Charles was a Petty Officer but I do not know under what circumstances a marriage would take place on a British war ship.
However while HMS Tremagant was commissioned on 29-1-1859 it did not leave English waters until 8-8-1859. Some records show Feb.1859 at Portsmouth. 18-5-1859 at Southampton. Late July to early August 1859 at Devonport. And then 8-8-1859 sailed Devonport for South America.
At this stage I don't accept that the marriage did not take place as Charles appears to have been a man of integrity. He started as a Petty Officer and then earned the total number of good conduct badges. He later reached the highest rank in the Coastguard and was placed in charge of a number of stations.
I think that the RN and Coastguard recorded marriage details to qualify for pension paments to widows but I do not know how many of these records still exist.
Unfortunately it is still a baffling mystery. 
Regards Jeff.    

[Ecila]

Hi

Could they have married with a licence rather than banns? I believe there are documents called Bishop's Transcripts you can check.I think Cornish records could be held at Exeter?

Ecila

[Jeff 1853]

Thanks Ecila. I will see what I can find on-line re Bishops Transcripts.
Regards Jeff.

[Galium]

I don't know whether it's relevant, but St Teath is a fair distance from Penzance (55 miles on today's roads) - and the journey would not have been possible by railway in 1859.  If Elizabeth was born in St Teath, and is living there in 1861, why would she have married in Penzance?

[Jeff 1853]

Thanks Galium,
I can only assume that Elizabeth Anne perhaps left the small village to get work.
However last night I looked on www.findmypast.co.uk and found a marriage for a Charles Jeffreys at Plymouth, Devon 1859 and also a marriage for a Elizabeth Beer at Plymouth, Devon 1859 under their "Parish Records Collection." Charle's ship HMS Sybille returned to Plymouth from China after 5 years away in 1859 so that part fits. 
Today I have to go away for two nights, but when I return I may purchase some credits and see if those entries are related.
After a few years of looking unsuccessfully for this marriage I do not know if I should be excited or not at this stage.
Kind regards Jeff.
   

[Jeff 1853]

I have since discovered that the 1859 Devon marriage participants - Charles Jefferys and
Elizabeth Beer are nor related. This marriage is still my brick wall.