Melling in Lonsdale, 1733 Marriage Bond, SMITH & WEBSTER

[Rowan Tree]

Hi,

I'm looking at a 1733 marriage bond for John SMITH and Isabel WEBSTER. I should say that I'm very new to looking at marriage bonds.

John SMITH marries twice:
1) 15th April 1733 to Isabel WEBSTER.
2) 7th April 1740 to Ellen TURNER.
Both marriages at St. Wilfrid, Melling in Lonsdale.

The marriage bond for the 1733 marriage is dated 17th April 1733.
Is there an error on either the entry of marriage or the marriage bond because the marriage bond is dated 2 days AFTER the wedding?

On the marriage bond it says, "Isabel WEBSTER of Arram in the parish of Melling, spinster, 40 years of age." Is it usual to give the age of the bride? Does this have any significance? And does anyone know where "Arram" is referring to? The only Arram I know of is in East Yorkshire.

Lastly, can anyone come up with a burial for Isabel before John remarries in 1740?

I've found one child of John and Isabel:
Margaret SMITH b. & d. in Arkholme, Lancs.
Bapt. 21st May 1734
Buried 14th July 1736
Both at St. Wilfrid, Melling in Lonsdale.

Many thanks in advance,
Rowan Tree 

P.S. I've added part on the 1733 marriage bond below. It shows the mystery location of Arram.

[Neale1961]

A spinster at age 40 would be fairly unusual in this time period, so perhaps that is why it is mentioned on the marriage. Just as a confirmation that she was not a widow.

Baptism of daughter Margaret in 1734 and her burial in 1736
States - daughter of John Smith of Archolme.

I don’t see a burial for the wife Isabel.

Are you sure you are looking at the correct John Smith in the 1740 marriage?

Marriage: 7 Apr 1740 St Wilfrid, Melling in Lonsdale, Lancashire
John Smith - ye Parish of Tatham  (the wrong parish for your John?)
Ellen Turner - ye Parish of Melling

This might be a better fit ------

Marriage: 5 Jun 1740 St Michael the Archangel, Whittington, Lancashire
John Smith - Arckholme in the Parish of Mellin
Ellin Bordrigge - Whittington

Their first child Mary baptised 24 May 1741 at Melling
Abode Arckholme


John Smith of Arckholme burial 07 Mar 1757 Melling in Lonsdale

Ellen Smith of Arckholme burial 27 Nov 1758 Melling in Lonsdale

[Rowan Tree]

Thank you, you're spot on with the marriage.

That was a silly mistake of mine. I think I'd become too focused on the church of St. Wilfrid and got tunnel vision at the expense of the correct marriage.

I've now corrected my tree and have Ellen BORDRIGGE as John SMITH's second wife.

As I'm actually descended from John's second wife, that's quite an important correction!

The wrong John SMITH had a marriage bond with Ellen TURNER and that marriage bond also mentioned the location of Arram. That's twice I've come across this mystery location. It's rather puzzling.

Thank you again, Rowan Tree 

[MollyC]

What is the local pronunciation of Archolme?  It may be nearer to "Arram".

[Rowan Tree]

What is the local pronunciation of Archolme?  It may be nearer to "Arram".

I hadn't considered this. Thanks.

I'm going to try and find out 

[Rowan Tree]

I've looked into the pronunciation of Arkholme.

Arkholme, a village in Lancashire, England, is pronounced ARK-um.
The 'h' is generally silent, making it a two-syllable word where the focus is on the "Ark" sound followed by a quick "um" or "uhm".
Ark- (as in Noah's Ark)
-um (as in hum)

This is helpful to me. I'm dyslexic and had been pronouncing the place name quite differently in my head.

The um sound of Arrum is definitely a fit but can Ark be pronounced Arr?

 

[MollyC]

It would not surprise me if the k were dropped, but I was hoping someone from Lancashire might comment on this.  (I'm from Yorkshire.)

[jonwarrn]

A will of Ann Bordrigge of Whittington, Widow, proved in the Archdeaconry of Richmond, Lonsdale Deanery
Dated 29 October 1749
" I give and bequeath to my Grand daughters Mary Ann and Alice Smith Daughters of my Daughter Ellin Smith..."
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-P3VC-GYHW?view=fullText&lang=en&groupId=

[jonwarrn]

Smith Family of Arkholme
https://archive.org/details/chethammiscellan590manc/page/n67/mode/2up

Next image has a pedigree chart for the children of John and Ellen
The three daughters, plus a son William (he died unmarried)