Would you order a marriage cert...?

[netgrrl79]

Searching for the marriage of John THOMAS and Elizabeth Ann EDWARDS.

Would you order a marriage cert... if it was the only option with the right names in the right place (Neath, Glamorgan) in the right timeframe (1875-91)?

[groom]

Hi

It is really a personal thing whether you order the certificate or not, it depends how close a relative it is and how much you want to know about them.

[netgrrl79]

Possible direct line, groom (a potential set of my 2x gt grandparents) - my dilemma is do I buy the cert without proof they are mine, and even if I bought the cert,  would it provide proof as to whether they are mine or not

[groom]

Have you found both of them in the census before their marriage? This might tell you their fathers' names and occupations so you can compare them with the information given on the certificate. It may also give you John's occupation and their addresses to compare. Unfortunately you have two common Welsh names there.

[trish58]

The Fathers name & occupation should help a little, also the name of the witnesses may help.

Trish

[netgrrl79]

Sadly only have them after the marriage and birth of their children in the censuses - I've exhausted the knowledge of my mother and her mother to get this line back as far as I have. John was a Coal Miner throughout the censuses. I have possibly got them on the 1881 before the birth of their children, but with such common names.... *shrugs*

[suzard]

Could you post the census details you have for them after marriage??

Suz

[netgrrl79]

Hi Suz, I don't have a sub at the moment but this is the link to my John Thomas on my Ancestry tree: http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/23404210/person/1433048915

[suzard]

I think I may have found Elizabeth Ann pre marriage - I am pretty certain it is the same family - but parents ages vary from census to census - they are not very legible
1851
26 Tonna Rd llantwit Lower Glam
Morgan Edwards head M 48 coal Miner Neath glam
Ann wife 48 Llantwit Glam
Hannah Griffiths daughter married 24 Llantwit
David griffiths son in law married 24 Tin Plate washer Neath
ELIZABETH EDWARDS daughter 4 scholar Llantwit
William Griffiths grandson 3mths Llantwit
Joseph Richards Lodger M 53 Tin Plate Washer Glam
RG9 4087 34 6

1871
Tonna Rd Llantwit Lower Glam
Morgan Edwards head M 69? Lab Neath Glam
Ann wife 60 Cadoxton Justa neath
ELIZABETH ANN daughter 14 Tin Plate Cleaner Llantwit Juxta Neath
William Bevan son in law Married 22 Collier Cadoxton Justa
Mary bevan daughter M 22 llantwit Juxta
Evan Bevan grandson 1 Llantwit Juxta
RG10 5432 16 10

then it looks like in 1881 Elizabeth's mother is living with them

1881
Tonna Rd Neath Glam
John Thomas Head M 31 Coal Miner Lantwit Glam
ELIZABETH A wife 24 Aberdulais? Glam
Ann Edwards Boarder widow 68 Annuitant Aberdulais?
RG11 5342 58 20

by 1901 Elizabeth Ann was a widow
32 St Anns Terrace Tonna Glam
Elizabeth A Thomas Head widow 44 Tonna
William son 19Coal Miner Hewer Tonna
Morgan A son 13 Coal Miner Tonna
RG13 5055 99 23

so this seems to be the marriage
Dec qtr 1877
Neath
on same page
Elizabeth A Edwards
John Thomas
11a 767

You could always ask if on the marriage cert Elizabeth Ann's father is Morgan

Suz