Marriage look up Sonning/Woodley

[Snow]

I am looking for the marriage of William Harding to Lydia in Sonning or Woodley between 1830-1934

[ribbo39]

Hi Snow,
Thats a big year range! - did you mean 1834?

From the Berks Marriage Index (ex BFHS) is this entry;
23-7-1831 William HARDING to Lydia TUBB in Sonning St.Andrew. (No other detail is listed.)

Alan

[Snow]

Hi Alan
Thanks very much for the information.
Yes I did mean 1830-1834.
This must be my William and Lydia. I now know the church and date. Was hoping to find out their fathers name.
Thanks again

Snow

[jillruss]

The Sonning PRs (from an Oxfordshire FHS CD) don't give their fathers' names but both were 'of this parish' and both made their marks. In case the names mean anything to you, the witnesses were William Watts, who also made his mark, and Faith Diedman.

I can't find a baptism in Sonning for William Harding but there is one for Lydia Tubb:-

27 March 1791, daughter of James and Sarah, poor.

This would have made her age 40 when she married. Does this fit in with her age given on any censuses you've found her on? If you think this is the right Lydia (and it is quite an unusual name) let me know if you'd like me to look for any siblings in Sonning.

Jill

[ribbo39]

Hi Snow,
As a result of jill's reply it prompted me to look at the 1851 census and here are some entries which make
interesting reading;
Parish of Sonning. Liberty of Woodley & Sandford
Ref; HO107/1693 f.308 p. 16 Record #; 169308603
Bulmershe;
William HARDING Head M 50 Labr     born Greywell, Ham
Lidia           "        wife  M  40              "    London, Middx
James        "         son  U   20  "          "         "          "
George       "           "    U   17             "    Woodley, Berks
Cecila         "         dau      12              "          "          "
William       "         son       10              "          "          "
Daniel        "            "          7   Scholar "          "          "
Maria         "          dau        4        "     "          "          "
Jane          "             "         4         "    "          "          "
Charles      "          son        1               "          "          "

This could be the William & Lydia who married in 1831 in Sonning.

Hope this helps anyway.

Alan

[HeatherLynne]

I live in Woodley, about half a mile from Bulmershe    St Andrews Church in Sonning would have been the nearest church at the time.  As far as I can see the Congregational Church (where I was baptised) didn't open until 1858 and the main parish church nowadays St John the Evangelist, wasn't built until 1873.

If I can help with any local knowledge then just ask 

Heather

[Snow]

Hi Jill
Thank you for the extra information. William states on the census that he was born in Hampshire and on the 1861 Graywell Hampshire. [ I have yet to find his birth ] Lydia from the census was born in Middlesex.

Hi Alan
Yes this is my William and Lydia.

Hi Heather
Thank you for your information. I hope to visit the area sometime this September.

[jillruss]

Even though Lydia was born in Middlesex, it's clear that she had family ties to Sonning. I think you may well find that her father is one of Lydia senior's (the Lydia baptised in 1791) brothers and was named after her aunt.

Jill

[HeatherLynne]

I came across a fascinating site mainly about Hurst in Berkshire but also touching on Woodley and Sonning that you may find interesting.

http://history.hvs.org.uk/Hurst/Woodley.htm#Woodley Parish Church

I've linked to the page about Woodley parish church (where I got married) but from there you can navigate your own way around 

Heather