How to deal with a duplicate marriage?

[Digihound]

I'd just like to call on people's experience, please, to help me deal with something I've come across for the first time.

How can a marriage have apparently taken place twice several years apart?

My example is William Henry Maybury and Agnes Wainwright (aka Hawkes?)

Both entries are Hemsworth, Yorkshire West Riding. The first is Jan-Mar 1930 9c 235, and the second (adding the Hawkes alternative) is Jan-Mar 1934 9c 299.

I know I could solve the matter with copies of certificates, but there doesn't seem to be any transcription online, and I don't really want to spend out for a full copy at the moment.

Is this a registry error, a transcription error, an irregular first marriage that had to be repeated, a separate marriage entirely or what? ancestry.com comes up with both for WHM.

Can anybody shed any light on this please - and what does the word OR mean? Is it simply the alternative known surname (for example maiden name) or is it an acknowledged error?

Perhaps you've come across something similar before, or perhaps there are protocols I'm not aware of?

Thanks for your help.

[Daisy Loo]

Not sure that I am going to help...

BUT...there is a marriage of an Agnes Hawkes to Wainwright in 1916 in Lancashire.

There is also a seperate entry for an Agnes Hawkes to William H Maybury in 1934 - Yorkshire WR, Vol: 9c pg 299 whereas the Wainwright marriage is same QTR, same year, but different page no. 234 - it does appear that Ancestry have possibly cross referenced them.

But could it have been an issue with what name she got married with?  Perhaps she had been married before?

[CaroleW]

Both marriages were in the March qtr - 1930 and 1934 but each have different page numbers

The full GRO index contains both entries so it does not appear to be any confusion by Ancestry

I have checked the GRO index and there are 2 entries in 1934 - one for Agnes Hawkes and one for Agnes Wainright which both show Maybury as the spouse name

I can only make an assumption here - quite a longshot really.  Did Agnes think she was free to marry again (?divorce) and then found otherwise?

[Colin Cruddace]

I think the most likely explanation is that in 1934 an amendment was made to the original entry. I had a similar thing happen to a birth registration when a middle name was added, but that wouldn't explain the different reference number. The best course of action would be to contact the Registrar and query the entry. They should be able to answer any question about it.

Colin

[Digihound]

Thanks for your helpful comments.

The 1911 Census shows the Maybury family still in Colne, whilst Annie Maria Maybury/Cavill didn't die until 1928 in Wakefield. So if there is a Lancashire liaison, looks as though it had some history!

It's possible that the Wainwright/Hawkes in Lancashire is a previous marriage, I guess. Thanks for that titbit. It won't affect the core of my tree but it's interesting to know. It also gives an indication of a possible maiden name. I'll check that out.

Should I contact the local registrar at Wakefield to get clarification, or the GRO?

Thanks again

[Colin Cruddace]

The GRO would not be in a position to check on this, so the local Registrar's office would be the one to contact for clarification on the 'double' marriage. From my experience, I find that human curiosity takes over and staff are very willing to check it out, but they can't give out information that hasn't been asked for.

Please bear in mind that they are not a look-up service, and expect an identified certificate to be purchased.

Regards,
Colin

[meggles]

I can only make an assumption here - quite a longshot really.  Did Agnes think she was free to marry again (?divorce) and then found otherwise?

Hi  - this also happened to me, it was my great grandmother who married the same guy twice 5 years apart and it was because my great-grandmother thought her first husband had died but he turned up 3 years after she had remarried - therefore had to get a divorce and marry the second husband again.

Ciao
MM