Arthur Dempsey, Liverpool

[HughC]

Arthur Dempsey (1823-1907) was a timber broker in Liverpool and living there when his son and daughter were born in 1856 and 1857.  We know from the baptismal records that Arthur's wife was Elizabeth.  She died on Christmas Day 1904.

I found the marriage of an Arthur Dempsey in Wandsworth in 1855; there was an Elizabeth Hinde on the same page of the register, but a relative says she's not the one.  Can anyone help me find evidence of whom Arthur did marry -- perhaps there was a newspaper announcement?

[Christine53]

You haven't given the names of the children whose baptisms you found. If you look them up on the GRO website with a free search you should be able to find out the mother's maiden name.

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

[Christine53]

Looking at the 1871 census I see daughters Elinor M , 1858 , and Margaret , 1861.
 Checking GRO there are births for both of these in West Derby and Toxteth Park with mother's name HINDE.

[HughC]

Thanks for your very swift reply, Christine.
Unfortunately I can't see how to search the indexes at that GRO web site: am I stupid, or is it inadequately signposted?

The son was Arthur Francis, b. 29 June 1856 and bapt. at St Bride, Toxteth, on 6 Aug.
But what you found does rather suggest that Elizabeth Hinde was the right wife, after all.

[Christine53]

Arthur Dempsey full bach merchant father James merchant
Elizabeth Hinde full sp father William Hinde solicitor

9 Oct 1855 at St Ann's Wandsworth

It appears the marriage you found is the correct one ?

[Christine53]

Thanks for your very swift reply, Christine.
Unfortunately I can't see how to search the indexes at that GRO web site: am I stupid, or is it inadequately signposted?

If you follow the link I gave https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/
, then select Order Certificates on line , then select Search the GRO historical birth certificates , which is in heavy type in the middle of the page , you will then be asked to log in ( Or register if you haven't already ) and then you will be able to search.

[HughC]

I'm most grateful to you, Christine.  I'd been using FreeBMD, but it seems that hasn't caught up with the release of mothers' names.

[KGarrad]

FreeBMD is transcribed by volunteers, from the GRO Indexes.
There are no Mother's Maiden Names on those indexes until the latter half of 1911.

The GRO Searchable Indexes have been done by GRO staff, by revisiting the GRO Registers, and adding in Mother's Maiden Names from July 1837 until 1916.

2 very different databases; using 2 very different workforces!

[HughC]

Thanks for the explanation, KGarrad.

But has the GRO web site now rendered FreeBMD redundant, or is it advisable to search both? 
I think those old indexes contain quite a lot of errors.