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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Bedfordshire => England => Bedfordshire Lookup Requests => Topic started by: Ouse who on Wednesday 13 July 22 17:16 BST (UK)

Title: Marriage of William Johnson and Mary Bowler 1891 Bedford
Post by: Ouse who on Wednesday 13 July 22 17:16 BST (UK)
Am wondering if anyone has access to or seen their marriage registration which would show William's occupation, the couples' ages or whether they were previously married.

Is he the widower vermin catcher of Biddenham - and she the Wootton born widow of John Bowler, Mary Garratt, whose first wife Rhoda was an elder sister of William?

The 1911 census has a Wootton born widow Mary Johnson living with her daughter Eliza Fellows (née Bowler) in Walsall, Staffordshire which gives some weight to my conjecture.

Best wishes, O.
Title: Re: Marriage of William Johnson and Mary Bowler 1891 Bedford
Post by: amondg on Wednesday 13 July 22 22:05 BST (UK)
Have you found them in 1891 or 1911?
Are they living near each other in 1891?

It appears to be a registry office marriage, details of which are not online.
Title: Re: Marriage of William Johnson and Mary Bowler 1891 Bedford
Post by: heywood on Wednesday 13 July 22 22:17 BST (UK)
The 1901 census has a Wootton born widow Mary Johnson living with her daughter Eliza Fellows (née Bowler) in Walsall, Staffordshire which gives some weight to my conjecture.

I can’t find this.
However, there is this entry in 1901:

1901 1491/5/2

Church End, Biddenham

Mary Johnson, 63 yrs, Laundress b Wootton.
Title: Re: Marriage of William Johnson and Mary Bowler 1891 Bedford
Post by: heywood on Wednesday 13 July 22 22:23 BST (UK)
Mary is living with Eliza and family  in 1911.
Title: Re: Marriage of William Johnson and Mary Bowler 1891 Bedford
Post by: johnP-bedford on Thursday 14 July 22 09:30 BST (UK)
Quote from: amondg on Wednesday 13 July 22 22:05 BST (UK)
It appears to be a registry office marriage, details of which are not online.

Yes agreed... as the marriage is not recorded on Steve Gibbs database that is sourced from Anglican parish records. Perhaps it'd be easier to just buy the certificate from the GRO
Title: Re: Marriage of William Johnson and Mary Bowler 1891 Bedford
Post by: Ouse who on Thursday 14 July 22 09:37 BST (UK)
My entry had a typo, should have said 1911 as Heywood has pointed out. I have amended it.

If William Johnson was the vermin catcher, he died in 1898, so Mary would have been a widow as 1901 census suggests. William's headstone at Biddenham makes no reference to Mary, just his 2 earlier spouses. If he indeed had married Mary Bowler (nee Garratt) I suspect the omission could have been intentional.

I have found them in 1891 census, he widower living in Biddenham, widower and she a widow, laundress, living St Paul's Bedford.

As amondg and johnP-bedford suggest it does look like a Registry Office marriage.

Thank you, O.
Title: Re: Marriage of William Johnson and Mary Bowler 1891 Bedford
Post by: johnP-bedford on Thursday 14 July 22 09:59 BST (UK)
A William Johnson was buried at Biddenham on 15th Jan 1898 aged 70

On 1891 census at Church End Biddenham, William Johnson widower age 63, vermin destroyer