SMITH married SMITH - or did they ?

[wilcoxon]

I can find no marriage of Richard Smith to Mary Smith,
Without this I can`t be sure of anything.
Can anyone spot something I may have missed.
This is probably a Cheshire or Lancashire marriage 

Working backwards.
1901 1 Ivy Bank , Grange, Birkenhead
Mary Smith  W 37 b Liverpool
 Elizabeth Smith  19 tailoress b Birkenhead
 Frederick Smith  15
 John Smith  12
 Harriet Smith  10
 William Smith  3
 Mary Smith  6 months c 1900
 Thomas Smith  W FATHER  68 b Liverpool bc 1833

Richard Smith 32 in 1891 if Mary is his daughter born c Oct  1900 then he must have been alive late 1899 /1900
 Death 1900 Dec qtr Birkenhead Smith  Richard  41  Birkenhead 

 I have checked the GRO index and all children have mmn Smith.
1891 1 Ivy Bank , Grange, Birkenhead
Richard Smith  32 paviour b Liverpool
 Mary Smith  28 b Liverpool
 Elizabeth Smith  7 b Birkenhead
 Richard Smith  6   
Frederick Smith  5
 John Smith  2 
 Harriet Smith  1 month 

Using Mary  Smith and her father Thomas Smith  I think I have her in 1881 and further back
1881 Wolfe St 7 Court 3 House, Toxteth
Thomas Smith W  45 blacksmiths labourer b Liverpool 
 Mary Smith dau  18 b Liverpool
 Henry Smith son 16 Boiler Maker Apprentice b Liverpool

[CaroleW]

I can find no marriage of Richard Smith to Mary Smith,

Have you already discounted the 1878 marriage in Liverpool?   

[CaroleW]

From FS
Richard Smith Age    20
Mary Smith Age    18
12 Aug 1878 St. Peter, Liverpool
Father's Name    John Smith
Spouse's Father's Name    Thomas Smith
 

[wilcoxon]

From FS
Richard Smith Age    20
Mary Smith Age    18
12 Aug 1878 St. Peter, Liverpool
Father's Name    John Smith
Spouse's Father's Name    Thomas Smith

Thanks for looking .
The 1881 record has Mary as Unm, and the census ages give her birth as c 1863 / 64.
1871 has her as Mary A Smith.
In all census  Thomas is a blacksmith / forge worker.
Even with Mary A ,  I can`t find another marriage.
Richards age at the marriage is close.
    Pity FS doesn't give more details.
 I can`t even find another couple in the right area that seem to match the ages given at the marriage.

[CaroleW]

Thomas is not a blacksmith in 1901 and you are only assuming you have the right 1881 entry.  With a surname like Smith it's too easy to make a mistake.  The 1881 Edited - should be 1878 marriage cert is not online but can be looked up at Liverpool RO to see if the details match

[wilcoxon]

Thomas is not a blacksmith in 1901 and you are only assuming you have the right 1881 entry.  With a surname like Smith it's too easy to make a mistake.  The 1881 marriage cert is not online but can be looked up at Liverpool RO to see if the details match

Do you mean 1878 ?
I agree, Smith in England is like searching for Jones here in Wales !!!

[Chilternbirder]

 My gg grandmother's marriage failed and I found her in one census, with the children listed as her new "husband's" step children. There was no record of their marriage and found a good match in the census for husband number 1 living alone in another part of London. After the second "husband's" death the following censuses show her using her estranged husband's surname again.

The moral of the story is that being shown as a "wife" in a census doesn't mean that the supporting paperwork was ever completed.

[CaroleW]

Do you mean 1878 ?

Apologies - mixing the census with the marriage year.  1878 is the correct date so have edited above to save further confusion