Grace Darling tree Parents

[ABrute]

I have a Grace Darling I have traced to the 1861 Census:

William Darling   29
Margt Darling   32
Grace Darling   5
George Darling   3
Sarah Darling   8 MO

But fail to link the marriage of William & Margaret by date, place and maiden name, anyone know where I am lost?

Waiting for help.

[crisane]

I can't find a marriage either prior to the birth of Grace. It is possible that they married much later as there are some marriages of a Wiiliam Darling to Margaret?   The most reliable way to get Margaret's maiden name is by buying a birth certificate of one of the children.
Birth reg Berwich June 1858 George Darling vol 10b page 305.  Berwich is in italics on FreeBMD and it says that berwich as a district doesn't exist and they have linked it to Berwick which spans Durham and Northumberland. As the Darlings were in Durham in 1871 and there are no other George Darlings born 1857 to 1859 in Northumberland I would say this is your George from the 1861 census.

[karenlee]

Crisane just said what I was going to say 

Also it might just be possible that William and Margaret did not legally marry at all but lived together as a common law couple.  Not so unusual really.  Or maybe they married in Scotland being so close to the border.

Cheers
Karenlee

[stanmapstone]

but lived together as a common law couple. 
Cheers
Karenlee

From 1753 there has been no such thing as a common law marriage in England.

Stan

[ABrute]

Well done ladies, if I ever need a lesson in relationships and lateral thinking I need someone of the feminine gender to teach me.

Off to purchase a birth certificate... Grace Darling, wish it was the 17th century heroine

Thanks also for the "Heads Up" Stan, will bear that in mind.

Many thanks

Alan

[davidft]

There is a tree that gives the wife's name as Margaret Ballantyne but no date for a marriage. It says she comes from ford the same as on the 1861 census.

The name may suggest a Scottish marriage

[crisane]

Hi Alan
Let us know how you get on and whether it is a Margaret Ballantyne.

It is a lovely name isn't it? Wish my lot had something so gracious instead of Ethel and Alberts.

[Matilda1]

Hi Alan

The full details for the 1861 census entry may help others help you.

RG9/3882 Folio 40 p13

Elwick, NBL
William Darling, Hd Married 29 Ag Lab born NBL Hethpool
Margt do wife 32 NBL Ford
Grace do dau 5  NBL Hazelridge
George do son 3 poss Berington?
Sarah dau 8mo NBL Elwick

BTW, the registration district Berwick 'spans" NBL & DUR because prior to 1843 certain areas that physically lay inside the borders of NBL were in fact 'detached' parts of Co. Durham.  After 1843 they became part of NBL.

Have you eliminated this entry for Grace Darling?

Births Sep 1855   Darling    Grace        Glendale    10b   299

I could not see a marriage for this couple in recorded in vols I or II of "Irregular Border Marriages" published by the Northumberland & Durham Family History Society but these only represent a fraction of the irregular marriages performed at this time.

Good luck,

Matilda

[ABrute]

My Word! what lovely people you all are and so helpful.

Yes I spotted Margaret Ballantyne and even kept a record but have failed to link her any other way than the Family Tree with William Darling. Also I have the record for Sep 1855 in Glendale and in this case I am pretty certain that this is my Darling Grace.

I tried the Scottish Marriages also last night with no success but was tiring while at the same time watching a pre-recorded... "You Cant Take It With You" I have also failed to get a copy of the Birth Certificate from Ancestry, maybe its because my month is running out, but I will try again elsewhere.

Thank you so much and I will let you know if I succeed. Alan