Marriage at All Hallow the Great 1846 Benjamin Long and Louisa Smith

[cherries]

Benjamin Long and Louisa Smith married at All Hallow the Great Church in London on 19 May 1846.  This was despite them both being born, living and in Benjamin's case dying in Cheshunt, Herts.  I have always assumed that they married in London because they had son, Joseph Benjamin born on 19 December 1844 in Cheshunt before they married.  Joseph Benjamin was registered under the name of Long and was also baptised under the name of Long in Cheshunt. 

I was browsing the marriages for All Hallows the Great for that year as I have always been curious about the witnesses for this marriage and was surprised to see that there were only 8 marriages for the whole of 1846 and the next year they only had 1 for 1847.  One of the other marriages for 1846 was on the same day as Benjamin and Louisa and some of their witnesses also were witnesses for the other couple. 

Does anyone know why there would have been so few marriages at this church? 

Any help would be appreciated.

[CaroleW]

Hi

I was browsing the marriages for All Hallows the Great for that year as I have always been curious about the witnesses for this marriage and was surprised to see that there were only 8 marriages for the whole of 1846 and the next year they only had 1 for 1847.

Where you looking at the actual registers at the records office

[..claire..]

Hi

Do you think that Louisa Smith was related to the groom on the other marriage that day ~ William Sparke Smith?

Maybe that's why there were the same witnesses.

claire

[cherries]

1.  No, I browsed them online via Ancestry.  I live in Australia.

2.  No, I've checked out William Sprake Smith out and can find no connection to Louisa or her father Michael.  Surprisingly I have been able to trace the Smith back another generation when they lived at Netteswell in Essex.  From memory I think William Sprake Smith came from Sussex. 

Thanks for your help.

[Bookbox]

Does anyone know why there would have been so few marriages at this church?

That is not at all surprising for the 1840s. Many parishes in this part of the City of London (the 'square mile') were tiny, with relatively few parishioners actually living there, and therefore relatively few marriages.

Looking at random at City parishes near to All Hallows the Great (via Ancestry's database), in 1846 there were 12 marriages at St James Garlickhithe, 12 at St Thomas Apostle, 8 at St Clement Eastcheap, 8 at St Michael Queenhithe, 4 at St Stephen Walbrook, etc. All these registers appear to be complete for that year on Ancestry.

[cherries]

Thanks for that information.  Not so unusual at all really.