Marriage of Mark RUNHAM and Alice - where to look?

[kateblogs]

I've been trying to find a marriage for this couple for several years now, with no luck. I know that they were both born in Cambridgeshire (Mark, 1781 in Chesterton, and Alice abt 1785 in Waterbeach), that they had six between between 1820 and 1828. I also know that Mark served with the 63rd Regiment of Foot, was discharged aged 36 and received a pension - his military record doesn't mention a wife or children but I gather this wasn't unusual at that time, plus, all the children I have found were born after he left the army.

I've searched Cambridgeshire, and surrounding areas with no luck. So assuming they did marry can anyone suggest where else I could try to find a record?

Thank you for reading!

[kateblogs]

That should read they had six children - must include all the words. 

[lizdb]

I've searched Cambridgeshire

Every parish? 

[lizdb]

As they were both well in tbeir mid thirties before the first child in 1820, I am wondering if there are actually any older children - the location of their christenings perhaps indicating where the couple were before 1820, and thus maybe giving a hint as to where they may have married.
But I guess if Mark was in tbe army he could have met and married Alice anywhere where he was posted.

[kateblogs]

I've searched Cambridgeshire

Every parish? 

As far as I can tell, yes. It's taken me years and sent me crossed eyed at times 

[kateblogs]

As they were both well in tbeir mid thirties before the first child in 1820, I am wondering if there are actually any older children - the location of their christenings perhaps indicating where the couple were before 1820, and thus maybe giving a hint as to where they may have married.
But I guess if Mark was in tbe army he could have met and married Alice anywhere where he was posted.

I am also wondering whether they had been together for much longer than the births I have found suggest, but I haven't found any baptisms that support that. I did wonder if other children may have been born overseas (the regiment did go abroad), but I've been told that wives didn't usually go too, so that may not be true.

Alternatively, perhaps Alice was married previously (maybe to a comrade of Marks) and they got together after she was widowed or maybe even deserted. But, without knowing what her name was before she became a Runham it's hard to go any further with.

[bedfordshire boy]

Have you checked Waterbeach parish register for baptisms of an Alice c1785? There can't be many.

A search on Findmypast which now has a totally unusable website, has a baptism of an Alice Gifford in 1786 when I put in birthplace Waterbeach but I can't verify it.

But checking the IGI for Alice Gifford throws up a marriage in Over, Cambs, 7 miles from Waterbeach, on 14 July 1805 between Alice Gifford and Mark Rennoms.  Search over!  The answer is usually fairly close to home, particularly when the two parties were born only 3 miles apart. 5 minutes - would have been quicker if FindMyPast had a half usable search engine. Also a search on the IGI for a marriage in Cambs 1800-1820 using just Mark and Alice produces just this one result - much quicker than trawling through every parish register in Cambs! Unfortunately Soundex on the IGI doesn't pick up Rennoms as a variation of Runham.

If they managed six between 1820, when Alice was 35,  and 1828 how many more must they have had between 1805 and 1820? Enough for a mixed rugby union team!

[kateblogs]

Thank you so much bedfordshire boy! 

Depending where I'm searching I rely either on soundex, or trying think of possible variations, and Rennoms wouldn't have been one that would have occurred to me. Very well spotted!

And, gosh yes! How many children did they have?! Got more research to do ...

But again,  thank you so much for the help, I've been trying to figure this out for so long.

[anneb]

I've checked my fiche of Over PRs and it says that Mark was from the parish of St Andrews the Less commonly called Barnwell .