Missing Gallagher Marriage

[macpark]

I am trying to track down the first marriage of my grandfather James Gallagher.  He was born in Tweedmouth on 20th Mar 1887.  By the 1901 census he, and all of his family were living in Glasgow.  When he married my grandmother Elizabeth Martin Paxton on 31st May 1918 back in Berwick, he was described as a widower.  In the 1911 census, he was still single.  SO sometime between 1911 and 1918, he married and his wife died.  They lived in the East End of Glasgow in Camlachie and Dalmarnock in 1901 & 1911 respectively.  His father was Frederick Gallagher and his mother was Margaret Smith.  I am tearing my hair out but cannot find this marriage anywhere.  Any help appreciated.

[CaroleW]

You cannot confine your search to the areas in which James lived as he may have married in his first wifes parish or even in a different county

SP has no marriage in 1918 in Berwick - can you clarify?

EDIT
Freebmd has James mis-spelt as Gallaghar

[jonwarrn]

SP has no marriage in 1918 in Berwick

Berwick upon Tweed is in England
June 1918 Berwick 10b 857
Gallagher, James - spouse Paxton
Paxton, Elizabeth M. - spouse  Gallagher

[CaroleW]

Had just edited above Jon.  Freebmd has the surname mis-spelt

[CaroleW]

On the x ref to Elizabeth it's spelt Gallahgher - will notify a mistranscription

[macpark]

I do realise that he could have married elsewhere but I have to start somewhere!  Berwick is in England and as I describe in my original post, the marriage you mention was his 2nd, to my grandmother.

[Forfarian]

Looks like a needle in a haystack, at least until the Scotland's People centre reopens, when it would be easy enough to look at all the original certificates there.

There are 73 marriages of James Gal*hers in the SP index, and 135 deaths of female Gal*hers aged 20 to 40, between 1911 and 1918.

Depending on how determined you are, you could make a note of the names of all the 73 brides, and then search for each of their deaths using both their maiden and married surnames in the search.

For example James Gallagher amd Mary McMenemy were married in Glasgow in 1911, but there is no record or the death of Mary McM*n*m* or Gal*her between then and 1918. If you do this for all 73 there will be only a very short list left, and you can then check the marriages.

If course this does not work if the wife died in England, where as far as I know the certificate doesn't even name the spouse of the deceased, let alone her parents. But I had a look at FreeBMD for deaths of Gal*hers aged 20 to 40 in Northumberland between 1911 and 1918, and there are no obvious candidates.

[macpark]

Thank you Forfarian. You’re advice is very useful and constructive. This has now become a challenge and I’m determined to see I through if I can.  The Berwick side of things will be easy as I’m only 20 miles from the Berwick records office, once they reopen.  I’ve searched Ancestry fairly comprehensively though to no avail.  I will embark upon the 73 brides and see what I come up with. No rush, as they’re not going anywhere! I thought the SP hub in Edinburgh was open again, by appointment? Maybe I’m wrong. I’m ideally situated almost equidistant between Edinburgh and Berwick!

[Forfarian]

I’ve searched Ancestry fairly comprehensively though to no avail.

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=714261.0

I thought the SP hub in Edinburgh was open again, by appointment?

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/about-us/service-status suggests not.