Searching for marriage Woods/Stimpson pre-1837

[Pandabeary]

I have a John Woods (coach painter, born 1817 Strumpshaw to Mary and John Woods), who married Mary Ann Stimpson (born 1813 Langley to Barzellai Stimpson and Frances Carver). The earliest child I can find is Georgiana Woods, born 16 April 1841. I cannot find a marriage in GRO indexes so I assume they married very young just before civil registration. Does anyone know how I go about finding a record of their marriage please if it's pre-1837? Or any advice for how to move forward e.g. to discover what Mary Woods' (wife of elder John Woods) maiden name was? Many thanks.

[lizdb]

Pre 1837 you will be reliant on Parish Records. 
They are in Lakenham in 1841 with baby Georgiana, so that would be the place to start, then look at surrounding parishes.

But maybe they hadn't married? Or didn't marry till later?

Looking at the birth on the new gro index, there is a Georgiana Woods Apr/May/Jun 1841 Norwich, no mothers maiden name given.

[lizdb]

Marriage

Jul/Aug/Sep 1845
Loddon
Ref 13 303

John Woods and Mary Anne Stimpson

[trish1120]

As you know;

JOHN Woods Baptised 23 March 1817, St Mary, Strumpshaw
Parents JOHN/MARY
Fathers Occp Publican**

Cant find any other Births to them in Strumpshaw.

[Pandabeary]

Marriage

Jul/Aug/Sep 1845
Loddon
Ref 13 303

John Woods and Mary Anne Stimpson

That's really interesting as I see Loddon includes Langley where Mary Ann was born. I hadn't thought to look that much later after Georgiana's birth. I think I'm going to cross my fingers and order the certificate and hope it's the right couple! Thank you so much!

Am I at a dead end with Mary Woods as I too couldn't find any other baptisms for the couple in Strumpshaw or any marriage record for her and John?

[Annette7]

On FindMyPast there are banns for the marriage 1845 at St. John Timberhill with All Saints & St. Michael at Thorn, Norfolk - this shows that John Woods was a widower (she a spinster) so obviously he was married before and was this possibly to another Mary Ann and that Georgiana was from his first marriage?

Annette

[Pandabeary]

On FindMyPast there are banns for the marriage 1845 at St. John Timberhill with All Saints & St. Michael at Thorn, Norfolk - this shows that John Woods was a widower (she a spinster) so obviously he was married before and was this possibly to another Mary Ann and that Georgiana was from his first marriage?

Annette

Thanks Annette that's really useful to know. It gets so confusing with such common names but that could be the solution - that there were 2 different Mary Ann's. My ancestor, George Woods, was born later, in 1853 and his mother was definitely Mary Ann Stimpson as per the banns and marriage, which also fits with the 1851 census where the family were in St Michael in Thorn which fits with that marriage in 1845. Perhaps I need to order Georgiana's birth certificate too to be sure as her baptism only says her mother was Mary Ann with no maiden name obviously. I did think it odd that there is a 5 year gap between Georgiana and the next sibling, then there are 4 siblings all born in a 7 year period. That's real food for thought, thank you!

[Annette7]

Believe I've found John Woods first marriage on FreeReg (and FindMyPast):

John Woods   of full age    Coachmaker (?) residence Heigham   son John Woods, gardener
Mary Ann Breeze  of full age                      residence Wymondham       father 'blank'.

Married 28/7/1839 Wymondham.

1841 Census - Lakenham, Norfolk (remember ages rounded down in 1841)

John Woods   20    Coachpainter (?)
Mary Woods  20
Georgianna Woods 1mo.
Sarah Breeze 5

Whether Sarah an illeg. dau. of Mary Ann or some other relative (niece perhaps) have no idea.

Mary Ann Woods aged 26 buried 22/6/1842 St. Michael at Thorn, Norwich - believe this is the death of John's first wife.

Annette     

[Pandabeary]

Believe I've found John Woods first marriage on FreeReg (and FindMyPast):

John Woods   of full age    Coachmaker (?) residence Heigham   son John Woods, gardener
Mary Ann Breeze  of full age                      residence Wymondham       father 'blank'.

Married 28/7/1839 Wymondham.

1841 Census - Lakenham, Norfolk (remember ages rounded down in 1841)

John Woods   20    Coachpainter (?)
Mary Woods  20
Georgianna Woods 1mo.
Sarah Breeze 5

Whether Sarah an illeg. dau. of Mary Ann or some other relative (niece perhaps) have no idea.

Mary Ann Woods aged 26 buried 22/6/1842 St. Michael at Thorn, Norwich - believe this is the death of John's first wife.

Annette     

Thanks so much Annette, I came to the same conclusion last night after re-evaluating everything and going back to the 1841 census and deciding Sarah Breeze/Breese might be my way in but I was worried I'd put 2 and 2 together and come up with about 56 on the basis of very little evidence! I'm guessing coach maker was a mishearing of coach painter - I got the FreeCen transcription initially and then double checked the Find My Past image and although the end of the word's a bit blurred it's definitely an 'm' not a 'p'. Father is a gardener rather than a publican but I guess a change of profession isn't that uncommon? I think I need to get Georgiana's birth certificate to be certain.

Do you have any thoughts on how to get further back from John Woods' parents John and Mary as they seem to be a dead end. Thanks again for all your help!