Advice: Marriage Croydon

[mikegunnill]

Grateful for advice.  I have a marriage in 1899 in Croydon, Surrey.  She was a divorced person and he was a defrocked curate.  I understand they married without posting banns, prior to the wedding, according to a living relation.

In 1899 would this have to be a civil wedding or could they have married in church?  I have ordered a wedding certificate but I just wondered what the situation was in those days.  I notice Croydon has a Register Office, but I don't think the present one was open in 1899.  Any ideas where they would marry?  They lived in Streatham.  Grateful for any assistance.  Thx

[avm228]

Marriage Locator is a good resource: www.marriage-locator.co.uk.

If you enter the GRO reference details it may tell you which parish church they married in or alternatively that it comes after the parish churches in the district, which can indicate a register office or non-conformist marriage.

Civil ceremonies in register offices were available from 1837.  Bear in mind also that not all C of E marriages were conducted after banns - a couple who did not want banns read could obtain a licence instead.

[avm228]

Bear in mind also that Croydon registration district covered a lot of ground, not just Croydon itself:

www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/croydon.html

If you're prepared to tell us details of the marriage (names) we may be better able to help.

[mikegunnill]

Thank you for replies:

Albert Baker Winnifrith 1864-1950
Rosa Agnes Bromfield  1867-1950   ( married name before divorce Hern ).

I have the last quarter of 1899.

Thank you

[mikegunnill]

Dear Avm

The marriage locater is a good find, thank you.  Although in my case 2a/695 it couldn't find the location.

Thx again

Mike

[avm228]

OK so Marriage Locator tells you that the relevant entry is located between entries for Croydon St John the Baptist (RD: Croydon) and Norbiton St Peter (RD: Kingston).  In other words (I think) that it comes after all the C of E parish entries in the Croydon district.  In that case it looks very likely to be a civil marriage.

[rosie99]

Thank you for replies:

Albert Baker Winnifrith 1864-1950
Rosa Agnes Bromfield  1867-1950   ( married name before divorce Hern ).

I have the last quarter of 1899.

Thank you

GRO Marriage index has

Dec qtr 1899 
Blomfield    Alice Kate       
Edwards    Arthur       
Hern    Rosa Agnes       
Winnifrith    Alfred Baker       
Croydon    2a   695

[mikegunnill]

Yes thats the right one Rosie!

Thx

[rosie99]

I thought that remarriage in the Church of England following divorce at that time would not be allowed.  I would imagine that following all of the publicity for the divorce of Rosa (she was accused of perjury along with Alfred) that she would have gone for a quiet registry office wedding.