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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => London and Middlesex => Topic started by: seemex on Friday 11 August 17 02:20 BST (UK)

Title: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: seemex on Friday 11 August 17 02:20 BST (UK)
I have a photo, taken in front of Caxton Hall Registry in London, that has written on the back side,
"Jim, Mary, Kitty and the best man outside Caxton Hall Registry Office, London, April 1st, 1950".
Is there any way to get a list of couples married there that particular day?
Suggestions welcome?
Thanks,
Brian
PS: Just noticed I named the photo with "1940" by mistake...but it IS 1950, April 1st.
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: Flattybasher9 on Friday 11 August 17 04:08 BST (UK)
You could try here:-

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/locations-westminster-registration-records

Regards

Malky
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: avm228 on Friday 11 August 17 06:48 BST (UK)
Not fools! Married just in time to claim married man's allowance (only available to those married before the end of the financial year, i.e. by 5 April).

There was even a press piece about it (Leicester Mercury, Thursday 6 April 1950):

Indications are that there will be fewer brides this Easter.  A spokesman at Caxton Hall said that after the large number of weddings over the last two weeks it seemed "impossible for anybody to be left who could wed". He thought that the reason for the pre-Easter weddings was the fact that Easter falls after the end of the financial year.  "Most bridegrooms like to get a good tax rebate", he said.
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: avm228 on Friday 11 August 17 07:32 BST (UK)
Whoever the bride and groom were on 1 April 1950 will be registered in the Jun qtr of 1950 in (City of) Westminster district, vol 5c.  Their page number will be a bit before 827 (this being the page number for the registration of the marriage of Stanley John Bates and Marjorie Mavis White which took place at Caxton Hall on 6 April 1950, according to their Times announcement).
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: Flattybasher9 on Friday 11 August 17 09:31 BST (UK)
I went through Free BMD and found no match with the forename names given.

Regards


Malky
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: avm228 on Friday 11 August 17 10:00 BST (UK)
If "Jim" and "Mary" are the happy couple, there are possibilities if they were known by their middle names.

E.g. Hiram J Thomas and Joan M Curry, married Jun qtr 1950 Westminster 5c 801.
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: seemex on Friday 11 August 17 17:29 BST (UK)
April 1, 1950 was a Saturday. Could they have gotten married there on the 1st, or was it just that the photo was that day? Gov't offices closed Saturdays?
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: medpat on Friday 11 August 17 17:41 BST (UK)
1950 most people worked Saturday morning. I've got a marriage cert. for Saturday 18th July 1903 Nottingham Registry Office. 

They still marry people on a Saturday - my nephew recently.  :)
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: seemex on Friday 11 August 17 18:09 BST (UK)
Ok, I wondered about that and the possibility that they just went to take the photo there....but it looks like it was probably genuine then.
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: medpat on Friday 11 August 17 18:25 BST (UK)
I don't know whether they married or not as it may have been a joke but it is a possibility. It still needs backing up doesn't it?  :)
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: seemex on Sunday 10 September 17 17:53 BST (UK)
Whoever the bride and groom were on 1 April 1950 will be registered in the Jun qtr of 1950 in (City of) Westminster district, vol 5c.  Their page number will be a bit before 827 (this being the page number for the registration of the marriage of Stanley John Bates and Marjorie Mavis White which took place at Caxton Hall on 6 April 1950, according to their Times announcement).

How would a person get access to that record? Where is it kept? Is there a way to browse it on line and then order a copy of the entry? So far a don't recognize any of the names so all I have is the date and the hope that I would know the people if I saw the name.
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: mazi on Sunday 10 September 17 18:07 BST (UK)
Free bmd  has 24 James married June quarter 1950, assuming Jim (James) was the bridegroom.

https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
Mike
Title: Re: April Fools! Caxton Hall
Post by: Marmalady on Sunday 10 September 17 18:11 BST (UK)
April 1, 1950 was a Saturday. Could they have gotten married there on the 1st, or was it just that the photo was that day? Gov't offices closed Saturdays?

Register Offices are open on a Saturday -- for people working mon-fri, saturday was (and still is) the most common day to be married whether in church or register office