Marlborough marriages prior to 1740?

[SamuelF992]

I'm looking for marriages in Marlborough for three men who, judging by the birth dates of their children, should have married around 1734-1742. Their children were baptised at either St Mary the Virgin or St Peter and St Paul. However, I am unable to find a marriage record for any of them. Does anyone know of any issues finding data during this period? (The men in question are John Rogers, Richard Cox and Thomas Turner).

Many thanks
Samuel

[familydar]

Registers for Marlborough are on FindMyPast but I've had a quick look 1738 +/- 5 and it seems that St Mary has escaped inclusion for a number of years/part years within the range.  I live pretty locally to the History Centre in Chippenham, I'll have look for you to see if the registers are indeed missing (if they are, I'll see about BTs) and respond later today.

Best wishes
Jane :-)

[BumbleB]

Also remember that the marriage possibly took place in the bride's parish, so not necessarily Marlborough.

[SamuelF992]

Registers for Marlborough are on FindMyPast but I've had a quick look 1738 +/- 5 and it seems that St Mary has escaped inclusion for a number of years/part years within the range.  I live pretty locally to the History Centre in Chippenham, I'll have look for you to see if the registers are indeed missing (if they are, I'll see about BTs) and respond later today.

Best wishes
Jane :-)

That's very kind of you, thank you!

[..claire..]

Two miles from Marlborough is Fyfield where there is this marriage

Richard Cox married Mary Hibbert 14 April 1741 both of Overton (3 miles from Marlborough )

[SamuelF992]

Also remember that the marriage possibly took place in the bride's parish, so not necessarily Marlborough.

So far the only records I've found for marriages that fit outside of Marlborough seem a bit too far-flung to make them a real possibility - always frustrating!

[Regorian]

I hope you get resolution, but not all events were recorded in the parish registers. The Society of Genealogists once included in one of their booklets an estimate of the percentages of entries by type which were missing. People had to pay for an entry, and it was not cheap.

This is probably why I'm stuck at 1741 with the baptism of the first child of three. No marriage for the parents. They probably couldn't or wouldn't fork out the fee. Same thing happened next generation, c1790.

Kind souls on here went at it with a will, but couldn't find a marriage pre 1741.   

[SamuelF992]

Two miles from Marlborough is Fyfield where there is this marriage

Richard Cox married Mary Hibbert 14 April 1741 both of Overton (3 miles from Marlborough )

Thank you! I've had a look at this one. My only concern is there are children being born to Richard and Mary Cox in Fyfield/Overton at the same time as children were being born to Richard Cox in Marlborough.

[familydar]

For the period that interests you, there are no marriages in St Mary other than those given on FindMyPast but there are plenty of baps and burs.  Perhaps the incumbent wasn't allowed to perform marriages, I don't know what the rules were.  In which case I would expect your marriages to have taken place in an adjoining parish or, as BumbleB said, in the bride's.

The registers haven't gone missing recently, mention was made in Phillimore which was published 1906 for this parish.  You can download the entire Phillimore volume from archive.org - https://archive.org/search.php?query=phillimore%20AND%20wiltshire - you need volume 2, the paragraph about the gap is on page 102.  I wonder if a clergyman from elsewhere was "parachuted in" for the one marriage to have been recorded for this missing period.

You'll see from Phillimore (and FindMyPast) that the only two COX marriages at St Mary between 1734 and 1742 were Ann (1740) and Thomas (1743).  Thomas was said to be of Overton.  The Mary Hibbert marriage found at Fyfield by Claire had both parties of Overton.......  Was your Richard's wife named Mary?  The children being bap at the same time - were they too close together to make it just one family unit?  Depending on what Richard did for a living they might have moved around.

John Rogers - no luck with the marriage but I did find a settlement order indexed (didn't check the document).  8 Jul 1732 settlement cert from Westminster St Margaret, MDX to Marlborough St Peter, WIL.  Might this be your man?

I didn't look anywhere else, although since returning home I've had a quick look at the online Wiltshire Wills index - https://history.wiltshire.gov.uk/heritage/wills_search.php - I think it might also be on FindMyPast but I find searching easier using the wiltshire gov version.  If any relate to your ancestors, very occasionally a Will can give clues as regards maiden names ("my wife's sister" and the like).

Jane :-)