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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: grahamila on Friday 03 November 17 17:57 GMT (UK)

Title: Overseas Marriage
Post by: grahamila on Friday 03 November 17 17:57 GMT (UK)
I am trying to find details of the marriage of Percy Jones in Kenya in 1940 (He was serving in the Army).  I cannot find a reference with GRO but I understand it was not compulsory for a UK citizen who married overseas to register the marriage in the UK.  Can anyone suggest where I can look to try and find the details?
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: dawnsh on Friday 03 November 17 18:09 GMT (UK)
Hi

Did he have a middle name?

who did he marry?

Have you tried looking for a newspaper announcement?

Dawn
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: grahamila on Friday 03 November 17 18:17 GMT (UK)
Percy Jones did not have a middle name.  Unfortunately, on his military service papers his wife's name has been redacted for some reason so I have no further details.  I have not tried to look for a newspaper announcement as I cannot be certain where a notice might have been posted.
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: dawnsh on Friday 03 November 17 23:47 GMT (UK)
Did he have family back in the UK? (parents, siblings etc)

Do you have a date and place of death for him?
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: barryd on Saturday 04 November 17 03:13 GMT (UK)
What rank was he? The odds are that if Percy was an Officer his marriage may be published in a newspaper somehere. A Private probably not.
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: grahamila on Sunday 05 November 17 12:47 GMT (UK)
When Percy Jones maried he was a Warrant Officer Class 2.  I do not know anything for certain about other family members.  There is a chance he settled in Kenya after he left the Army.
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: Galium on Sunday 05 November 17 14:47 GMT (UK)
Do you know the year of his birth?

UK incoming passenger lists show a Percy Jones aged 37 arriving in London from Mombasa in December 1948.  He is a civil servant.  With him is Ilse I Jones aged 33.  Their proposed address in the UK is 8 Torwood Road, London SW15.

Ilse Irma Jones b. 13.06.1915 died in 2000 in Thanet with Dover district
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: grahamila on Sunday 05 November 17 17:45 GMT (UK)
Galium

You may just have found him.  His date of birth was 13/08/1911 so he would have been 37 in December 1948.  I can now check further now I have a name for his wife.
Thank you very much for your assistance.
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: medpat on Sunday 05 November 17 17:55 GMT (UK)
Forces overseas marriages and births are registered at the British High Commission/Consulate in the area.

GR used to have them but I'm no longer a member.

 :)
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: grahamila on Sunday 05 November 17 19:21 GMT (UK)
Medpat

Thanks for your reply.  Please excuse my ignorance but what is GR?
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: medpat on Sunday 05 November 17 19:27 GMT (UK)
Genes Reunited

 :)
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: medpat on Sunday 05 November 17 19:31 GMT (UK)
Might be best to ask for confirmation that they are still there from a GR member.

My marriage and the birth of my son were in there though both were in the 1970s. I was WRAF and OH RAF.
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: KGarrad on Sunday 05 November 17 19:32 GMT (UK)
Another place to search is FamilyRelatives.com.
Think you have to register, though.
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: Galium on Sunday 05 November 17 20:35 GMT (UK)
There is a tree on Ancestry which includes Percy Jones and wife Ilse (unknown maiden name).  Is that yours?
If it is not, tree owner names him Percy Richard Morse Jones, and gives his birth date as 13 April 1911. His mother is Adelaide May Pink (née Jones).
The electoral register for 1947 shows Adelaide M Pink at 8 Torwood Road.
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: grahamila on Sunday 05 November 17 21:27 GMT (UK)
Galium

I will take a look at the tree to see if this is the person I am looking for.

Thanks very much.

Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: Jool on Sunday 05 November 17 22:06 GMT (UK)
Adelaide M Pink died Dec Q 1948, which is probably why Percy and Ilse travelled back to the UK.
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: dawnsh on Sunday 05 November 17 22:33 GMT (UK)
FindMyPast have the full set of GRO overseas events. You can search for free but need a sub to see further detail.

In case there has been a error or omission, I can check the marriage indexes for you next week at the archives.
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: grahamila on Monday 06 November 17 01:31 GMT (UK)
Dawnsh

Thank you very much.
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: Galium on Monday 06 November 17 09:22 GMT (UK)
If you are unable to find marriage details, but still want to find Ilse's maiden name, it should be on her death certificate, along with her place of birth - although of course these will only be correct if known to the informant.  Also, her will might offer  clues. (In case you don't know,  you can search for and buy a copy of the will from here: https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/#wills )
Title: Re: Overseas Marriage
Post by: grahamila on Sunday 31 December 17 19:16 GMT (UK)
I have found out that Percy Jones married in Tanzania in 1940 and I made contact with the Tanzanian equivalent of the GRO who told me how to obtain a copy of a certificate.  I have contacted them several times as I need further details of their bank account so I can make a payment electronically but silence has been the reply.  I know it is a very long shot but does anyone have a contact there who might be able to help?
Graham