Wow, I go away for a few days and you have all this info! Many thanks for that David!
Thanks for the offer of the marriages for parents but I had already spotted them on FindMyPast in the hopes that this marriage was the right one - and you have confirmed that beyond a shadow of a doubt!
This William Henry Martin will take some time to put on my tree as he is a good example of multiple marriages, to sum up all the info:
William Henry Martin was baptised 20 Feb 1831 in Sandy, son of Joseph and Mary (ne้ Ilesley). His first marriage was to Agnes Marshall in September 1851 and they had two sons, Walter (1853-1919) and a male stillbirth in 1856, both Agnes and her second son died in Sep 1856, she was only 25. Agnes was baptised 20 Apr 1834 in Sandy, Beds, daughter of William and Lucy (ne้ Cooper).
He then married again in 1860 in Willington to Emma Franklin (born 1836, spinster), who gave him three sons, William (1861-61), George Henry (Dec 1871) and Arthur (1875-76). Of those only George survived to the 1881 census and Emma Priscilla was buried 12 June 1879 in Bedford Cemetery.
He married for a final time to a widow named Louisa Thompson in Bedford St Cuthbert 23 Sep 1879. Louisa Wright was baptised 9 Feb 1842 in Halstead St Andrew, Essex, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (ne้ Norfolk), labourer. In 1868 she married John Thompson (born c1829 in Ireland) in Bridge district, Kent, and had two children by him, Louisa Ellen, born Sep 1869 in Canterbury district, Kent and a son William John, born Jun 1872 in Bedford district and buried 16 Apr 1873 in Bedford Cemetery, a few months before his father was buried 10 Nov 1873.
William Henry Martin and Louisa only had two children, Albert William born Sep 1881, and Florence born Jun 1884, both in Bedford district before William Henry Martin died in Jun 1898 and Louisa Martin died in Dec 1929, both in Bedford district.
Whew!
Thanks to all who helped me to put it together
Helen
