Did they tell lies ??????

[imstillstanding]

Hello everyone,
I have on 1911 census.. Arthur Jones age 37 born Lambston Pembrokeshire , he is a rural postman living in 1911 in Portfield Gate Post Office, with his wife Harriet age 22 born Ambleston Pembs, also children James Charles 2yrs and Mary ann 8mths, on the census it states they have been married for 2 years, i can not find a marriage for them, i have looked at the childrens birth/s and Mother comes up maiden name Jones ?, they did have several children,(not all names known to me), this is very strange as Portfield Gate is a very small village surely they would of married, but i can't find it

Thanks for reading and your views

[LizzieW]

Can't find a marriage for my g.grandparents either and they state on 1891/1901/1911 that they are married.  They lived in Hull which is not a tiny village, but  as they had a shop on Hessle Road near a pub frequented by fishermen and  g.grandad was a fisherman until 1901 census, everyone would have known him.

Lizzie

[danuslave]

Nothing unusual about Jones marrying Jones in Wales!

In 1911, if they has been 'married' for 2 years and James Charles was 2 years old the tongues could already have been wagging.

Apparently it was not unusual for couples to marry several years after their children were born, so try expanding the search.

And yes, people did tell 'lies' on census returns, or at least they said what they would like or wanted everyone else to believe.  They probably just told the neighbours in Portfield Gate that they'd been married in Ambleston.  They are far enough apart for most people not to bother to check!

Linda

[mother25]

Very definitely people lied on the census    If you watched Heir Hunters today you would have seen just what lengths some people went to, to hide their secrets.
It may be that your ancestors weren't married at all  but keep looking and look in a much wider date range, both before and after the dates that seem right.
Good luck 

[celia]

imstillstanding
Have you thought about the idea that maybe Harriet's parents never gave her permission to marry.Because he was so much older.If one child was 2 years old and Harriet was 22,that means age 2 plus 8 months, she would have only been around 19 or 19 and a half.Without parential permission she couldn't get married till she 21.Then another baby,maybe they didn't have time ,and married later.The census doesn't give when people got married and couples have been living in sin since Adam & Eve

Celia

[Guy Etchells]

imstillstanding
Have you thought about the idea that maybe Harriet's parents never gave her permission to marry.Because he was so much older.If one child was 2 years old and Harriet was 22,that means age 2 plus 8 months, she would have only been around 19 or 19 and a half.Without parential permission she couldn't get married till she 21.Then another baby,maybe they didn't have time ,and married later.The census doesn't give when people got married and couples have been living in sin since Adam & Eve

Celia

Sorry but that is another of those fallacies that keeps cropping up in family history.
The requirement of parental consent before a minor could marry was repealed in 1823.
After that date no consent was needed for a minor to marry.
Cheers
Guy

[les_looking]

The census doesn't give when people got married and couples have been living in sin since Adam & Eve

Celia

i think what imstillstanding meant, is in the 1911 census there is a box that asks to give how long the present marriage has lasted, and if less than a year put under one year, and the census mentioned they have said married 2 years

[celia]

The requirement of parental consent before a minor could marry was repealed in 1823.
After that date no consent was needed for a minor to marry.

Guy
I was unaware of that I shall make a note of it

[celia]

Les
I have never seen the 1911 census it must be an on- Line one I was thinking about the real ones.I have only seen those
I think I will shut up

Celia