Late Marriages and Name Changes

[dee-jay]

I've read as many postings on this wonderful Forum as I can manage in one visit so I hope I've not missed anything significant to the question I'm about to ask:

Does anyone know if it was the introduction of the first Old Age Pensions in 1909 that influenced those couples who might have married earlier according to Romany tradition, to present themselves for a church ceremony, or a civil one in a Register Office, post-1911?  Or does anyone have any other theories on what might have influenced this action?

I've been helping someone on another website with research into their traveller/hawker ancestors and I've come across several couples who married well after the 1911 Census although they recorded marriages for a significant number of years, and several children born during that period, in their 1911 census returns.  The births of the children were registered in their fathers' surnames but it's been quite difficult to tie generations together with any certainty if marriages of the parents are untraced.

One family, without head of household present, was recorded in 1901 with a different surname, which was not their mother's maiden name, so I'm wondering if it's likely the absent father's surname was concealed from 'the powers-that-be',  perhaps on account of falling foul of the law?

I also have a personal interest in this Forum as I have a HOLMES ancestor - a former 'higgler' -  who I suspect was a poacher turned gamekeeper [who better to know the 'tricks of the trade'?] in Staffordshire/Warwickshire, and a WESTALL bargeman on the Kennet & Avon canal whose origins still remain a mystery after 20 years on and off the 'back-burner'.  Sadly, my bargeman died before the 1841 Census, so I don't even know if he was born 'In County', and his family don't feature in the Settlement Examinations and/or Removal Orders.  However, his widow embarked on the Mormon trek to Salt Lake City in 1853, so I reckon I have a genuine claim to a 'traveller' - on a wagon train! 

"Head 'em up;  move 'em out:  keep rollin', rollin', rollin' ....." 

[jaytoot]

I have seen this a few times where couples marry very late having been together 20 years or more. Sometimes this was well before 1900 and I wonder if this was due to gentle pursasion by the local vicar as the right thing to do in the eyes of God. For later years the pension thing sounds plausible but on the other had I expect there were still a lot of couples who still didn't bother getting married.

I have a strange situation where my dad's uncle Jack (John) James married a Majenta Sparrowhawk in 1920 then the marriage cert was officially ammneded in 1940   to show his name as Bert James. I have never seen a record for his birth but there is a baptismal record and he is Berty but he was always called Jack. I wonder why they bothered getting this ammended?

Also, like you I have a Holmes in my tree - my great grandmother Marella Holmes. I have found her with her parents and brothers and sisters in one census year but no sign of any of them before or after that. Although i have found her with my great grandad in 2 census years.

PS isn't that the theme of Rawhide not Wagon train........personally kemosabe I liked the Lone Ranger better!!
Regards,

Jim

[dee-jay]

PS isn't that the theme of Rawhide not Wagon train........personally kemosabe I liked the Lone Ranger better!!

You're right, but I don't remember hearing any words to the theme tune of Wagon Train!  Perhaps I should have used Roy Rogers' "Give me land, lots of land under starry skies above, don't fence me in ........ c'mon Trigger, let's be on our way .........."

[social-butterflies]

 
really made me chuckle 

[thecrafter]

I have seen this a few times where couples marry very late having been together 20 years or more. Sometimes this was well before 1900 and I wonder if this was due to gentle pursasion by the local vicar as the right thing to do in the eyes of God. For later years the pension thing sounds plausible but on the other had I expect there were still a lot of couples who still didn't bother getting married.

I have a strange situation where my dad's uncle Jack (John) James married a Majenta Sparrowhawk in 1920 then the marriage cert was officially ammneded in 1940   to show his name as Bert James. I have never seen a record for his birth but there is a baptismal record and he is Berty but he was always called Jack. I wonder why they bothered getting this ammended?

Also, like you I have a Holmes in my tree - my great grandmother Marella Holmes. I have found her with her parents and brothers and sisters in one census year but no sign of any of them before or after that. Although i have found her with my great grandad in 2 census years.

PS isn't that the theme of Rawhide not Wagon train........personally kemosabe I liked the Lone Ranger better!!
Regards,

Jim

My mother Majenta Sparrowhawk was born In Mitcham Surrey in 1927 (Small world?)