Kent Marriage Licence Query

[MattD30]

Hi all

The following is an extract from Cowper's "Canterbury Marriage Licences [Third Series]: 1661-1676"

"William Gibbes, of Crundale, yeoman, bachelor, 30, and Elizabeth Hall of St Peter, Canterbury, spinster, 26, daughter of [blank] Pierce, alias Hall, same parish, widow, who consents. At Crundale or St Mary Bredin, Canterbury."

I am puzzled by the phrase "Pierce, alias Hall". I have the marriage for William Gibbs and Elizabeth Hall which took place in Crundale on 12 May 1668.

Does the phrase "Pierce, alias Hall" mean that her mother was married to Mr Hall, and then subsequently to a Mr Pierce, or could Pierce be her maiden name?

Any help would be welcomed.

Thanks in advance

Matt

[Josephine]

That's a puzzler, isn't it, Matt?

My suggestion would be to try to find Elizabeth's baptismal record (if it exists) and see if it offers any clues.

Good luck!
Josephine

[MattD30]

That's a puzzler, isn't it, Matt?

My suggestion would be to try to find Elizabeth's baptismal record (if it exists) and see if it offers any clues.

Good luck!
Josephine

Hi Josephine

That's what I tried to do yesterday. I visited the Society of Genealogists in London and looked at their transcripts of the parish registers for Canterbury (St Peter).

I tried to find a christening for Elizabeth under the names Hall and also under Pierce, but couldn't find anything in the right date period. I also tried to see if I could find a Hall/Pierce marriage but again had no luck.

If I knew the name of her mother it might have been easier lol!

Equally I now need to double check if William and Elizabeth are my ancestors. My ancestor is Margaret Gibb[e]s and I know they had a daughter named Margaret (chr 16 Jul 1670, Wye), and I believe it is this Margaret who married my ancestor William Kennett in Wye in 1697. However I've now found out that is a Margaret Gibb[e]s christened on 26 Nov 1673 in Crundale, daughter of Lawrence and Mary Gibb[e]s.

I suspect that the first Margaret is mine because Margaret and William were married by licence, which states that both were 'of Wye'. I think Lawrence might be William's brother as there is a Lawrence Gibb[e]s christened in Wye on 10 May 1640 [the son of Laurence and Margaret Gibbes].

I don't know when William was born yet. The only William I've found in Wye was christened on 18 Nov 1621, which would make him 47 when he married Elizabeth Hall in 1668.

Matt

[solidrock]

Hi MattD30,
Elizabeth may not have been baptised in the Canterbury diocese, there are several baptisms that may fit in Kent.
As for William there is a baptism that may fit,

William Gibbs. 20 Apr 1642, Canterbury, St Paul.

[MattD30]

Hi MattD30,
Elizabeth may not have been baptised in the Canterbury diocese, there are several baptisms that may fit in Kent.
As for William there is a baptism that may fit,

William Gibbs. 20 Apr 1642, Canterbury, St Paul.

Hi there

Thanks for that. William is described as being 'of Crundale' whilst Elizabeth is described as 'of St Peter, Canterbury'. Is it possible do you think William could have been born there, moved to Crundale [which is where they were married] and then moved back to Canterbury where he met Elizabeth? I guess the parish of St Peter and the parish of St Paul aren't far apart.

There are a lot of Gibbs in Wye and Crundale that I've found but so far I've not looked in Canterbury so I will have a look into this and see what else I can find.

Thanks again

Matt