Bedminster marriage parish records

[charz]

hello

Could anyone please tell me what information is shown on the parish marriage records.

I am struggling to find a marriage of a William Smith to Mary, and wonder if the parish records for marriage show the address and occupation. 

I have purchased the BAFHS disc for baptism 1812-1837 and  have the baptisms of their children, so i now know his address and occupation, plus their address stays the same on all but one child, and all baptised in 2 parishes St Marys Redcliffe and Bedminster St John

Their first child was born 1815, so would i be right in assuming they would have married some time before this,in one of these 2 parishes?  or is this too big an assumption.

I am flummoxed as to where to look next, any advice greatly appreciated.

Charz 

[stanmapstone]

 Under Hardwicke's Marriage Act 1753, and the later 1812 Act, the information recorded in the parish register is the names of the bride and groom, their parish, the date and place, whether the marriage was by banns or licence, the consent of the parents if either of the couple were under the age of 21, the marital status of the bride and groom, and the names of witnesses. Addresses, Occupation and the parents names are not given.

Stan

[charz]

Thank you Stan

So there is no way of knowing which couple is the right one     if there are a few William Smith's marrying Mary's 

Mmmmm  any suggestions of where i go from here, I know his name William Smith married to Mary and have the baptisms of the children and thats about it!! oh he was a coal miner and lived on North Street!   Oh dear 

[Old Bristolian]

They may have married elsewhere & moved to Bedminster (St Mary Redcliffe is adjacent to St Johns, Bedminster - the churches barely  half a mile apart). As a miner, William may have moved from the North Somerset coalfields nearby or could have come from any Bristol parish. Are you sure the baptism in 1815 is of the eldest child?

Steve

[charz]

Hi Steve,

I suppose when you put it like that no i am not sure, the family seem to stay in bedminster and live on the same street up until 1870's, when what would be William's grandchildren moved up to Yorkshire.

With a name like Smith, it is so hard to follow them when going back to parish records!

Now you have really put some doubts in my mind, but that would make them impossible to trace wouldn;t it?   

Charz

[Old Bristolian]

Sorry to cause doubts Charz, but I think you may have a difficult task ahead - the names being such common ones. There is a chance that the children's given names might offer a clue, if there are any unusual ones there AND you can trace the marriage & William and Mary's origins. People did travel large distances in those days, but the chances are the marriage took place in Bristol/North Somerset or South Gloucestershire. Good Hunting!

Steve

[ribbo39]

Hi Charz,

Have you considered looking at the census records? They may provide some detail
of where they were born/baptised.

Can you provide more info of their address(es)  and children's names?     although
by 1841 /1851 they children may have moved on by the time these censuses were taken.

Alan

[charz]

Hi Alan

I have all the children's baptisms except one

James Seymour Smith  -  bap  6.8.1815   North Street, Bedminster St John
John Seymour Smith  -  bap 4.7.1817   St Mary Redcliffe
Sarah Smith  - bap  21.9.1817   North Street, Bedminster St John
Mary Ann Seymour Smith  - bap 10.6.1821.  Paradise Row, Bedminster St John
Edward  Smith - bap 22.8.1824    North Street, Bedminster St John
William Smith - bap 22.8.1824    North Street Bedminster St John
Mary Ann Smith - bap 27.3.1826   North Street Bedminster St John
Eliza Jane  Smith - bap 10.12.1828   North Street Bedminster St John
Susanna Smith - bap 25.12.1829   St Mary Redcliffe
Walter Smith - cannot find

I have the family on the 1841 census minus James and Sarah, still living in North Street and saying they were born in County, cannot find parents on 1851 maybe died by then.

James changed his name somewhere along the line to Francis,
I do think the Seymour bit must come into it somewhere but not sure where.
,  and John Seymour had 8 children and four of them had Seaman as their middle name, and then the son called John Seaman Smith born 1848, became John Smith, then he used his mothers maiden name and became John Keene, then legally changed his name to Keen-Smith, so they seem to like playing around with names! 

I hope this makes sense, it might just look like a load of ramblings

Thanks for your interest

Charz

[knomur]

Dear Charz

I have just come across the history of your postings after following up on the same death certificate which you obviously have!(that of John Smith killed in a mining accident in South Liberty Pit in 1875). I do not think I can give you any more information (in fact you have had more success than I have with the William Smith and Keene families!), but you would be the first 'distant cousin' I have come across from the Smith family, so I would be very interested to hear more (when I have posted enough to be able to write (or receive?) personal messages! . John Seaman Smith was younger brother to my great grandfather Frank. Best wishes,
Knomur