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Author
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Topic: Missing death records (Read 251 times)
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silicondale
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 370
ggg-grandad William Vine's mill in Brighton
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Two sisters, Harriet and Miriam Cooper, both married William Henry Button: Harriet in 1888 and Miriam in 1901. On 20 Feb 1904 he married, a third time, Clara Johnson. No doubts: I have copies of all three marriage certificates (all in Brighton). However, there's not a trace of the death of either Harriet or Miriam in FreeBMD, under any likely misspelling that I have searched. Leaving aside the fact that under any circumstances his second marriage was unlawful (the Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act wasn't passed until 1907, to allow such marriages), what happened to the two sisters ? Family tradition says that William went to Australia and returned again sometime in the 1890s. In the 1891 census he was living with Harriet in Brighton. On 30 June 1891 a William Button is recorded as travelling with wife 'Ethel' on the Australasian. By the 1901 census he is back in England - living with (but not married to) a married woman Frances Norris, in Dartford, Kent. Definitely the same william Button, listed as born in Brighton, and elder brother staying as a boarder. On 4th November 1901 he married Miriam in Brighton. But then in Feb 1903 Frances had a son who was registered as William G.S. Button - with William listed as the father on the birth certificate.
So - maybe Harriet went with him to Australia and died at sea or in Australia, and either I haven't yet found the death record or it doesn't exist. But what happened to Miriam ?
Help !
- Stephen
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Logged
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Henley (Brighton 1820+, Bedfordshire pre-1840), Vine, Button, Bradford, Bodle (Sussex), Willey (Sheffield, London), Nattriss (London), Wood, Jones, Blaker, Shrimpton (London), Dalby (London 1800+, E.Yorkshire pre-1810), Hillmann, von Thun (London and Hannover)
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Roy G
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 754
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Saw the Dartford entry on the 1901 but in that census there was no Miriam Cooper of about the right age to become his second bride. (what age was she anyway) Do you think she was also widowed and therefore entered on that census uinder her late husbands surname, or also used another first name ?
As for the Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act passed in 1907, I think many of us have examples in our own family histories that prior to it, many such marriages still took place.
Roy G
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silicondale
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 370
ggg-grandad William Vine's mill in Brighton
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As far as I'm aware, Miriam was never in Dartford - William was there, living with Frances Norris, who was definitely someone else as we have information on her marriage (1894, Faversham) to Charles Norris - her maiden name was Wilson.
Where Miriam was for the 1901 census I don't know. There was a Miriam Cooper of the right age in Tooting, London, but she gave her birthplace as Ashington, not East Grinstead. The November 1901 marriage certificate gives Miriam's age as 33 and her state as spinster - though that may not of course be conclusive.
It was a registry office marriage, so just possible that William and Harriett had been divorced, though I'd have thought fairly unlikely: they weren't from rich families. Interesting, though, that in 1903 in Australia, William's younger brother Alfred was divorced by his wife Caroline (they had emigrated in 1883). So maybe William and Harriett divorced in Australia before William returned to England. Too many unknowns!
In the 1881 census Miriam is listed as 'Marion', still living with parents in Hammerwood Cottages, East Grinstead. I lose track of her in censuses after that, so possibly she was using 'Marion' instead - until she reverted to Miriam for her marriage to William.
- S
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Logged
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Henley (Brighton 1820+, Bedfordshire pre-1840), Vine, Button, Bradford, Bodle (Sussex), Willey (Sheffield, London), Nattriss (London), Wood, Jones, Blaker, Shrimpton (London), Dalby (London 1800+, E.Yorkshire pre-1810), Hillmann, von Thun (London and Hannover)
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Roy G
RootsChat Veteran
Posts: 754
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Cant add anything helpful I'm afraid, but there is one observation you might like to keep in mind.
Some people from Ashington could easily have been born in WEST Grinstead near Henfield. Any chance East & West as a birthplace have got muddled?
Whilst people from West Grinsted tended to migrate to Brighton or Horsham, I think Tonbridge and Lewes were more popular with those from East Grinstead.
Roy G
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silicondale
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 370
ggg-grandad William Vine's mill in Brighton
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Thanks Roy - this isn't the first time that West Grinstead has come up in the family history as a question mark. However, the birth records for Harriet, Miriam, and their siblings are all definitely EAST Grinstead, as also is the 1881 census entry. I think the next step for me is to trawl the Australian and shipping records for Harriett. Meanwhile, Miriam's absence from 1891 and 1901 is puzzling. It is just possible she did marry under the name of Marion but there is risk of confusion with some 'real' Marion Coopers.
cheers
- Stephen
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Henley (Brighton 1820+, Bedfordshire pre-1840), Vine, Button, Bradford, Bodle (Sussex), Willey (Sheffield, London), Nattriss (London), Wood, Jones, Blaker, Shrimpton (London), Dalby (London 1800+, E.Yorkshire pre-1810), Hillmann, von Thun (London and Hannover)
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