Hi Paul,
No I don't have their certificate, that may come later. I believe they married in 1887 quite late in life (36 & 38).
This line is my primary interest currently as they are my partners Gt Grandparents, and my partners Uncle Dennis who lives in Italy is interested in finding out more.
To explain, he is one of 12 children born to Mary Elizabeth Shaw of Connahs Quay (parents ran a pub, but father had previously been a mariner) and a John Ernest Eric Pratt, a former American sailor.
Mr Pratt was run over & killed by a car in 1934 (probably drunk at the time), and his eldest son Thomas attended him at the scene. Thomas (MBE for services to cricket) died unexpectedly in 1999 just before he was due to travel to Italy for a holiday, (wouldn't go before his wife died as she wouldn't travel) when Dennis was intending to get as much information as possible about his father. We know John EE Pratt was in the American Merchant Marine, also he served 4 years 85 days in the Royal Engineers in the WW1. Various attempts at finding out more have so far failed, but we continue to persevere, and in the meantime so I'm tidying up any loose ends I can find on the Welsh side, and you never know a descendant might turn up somewhere.
The loose end I'm currently interested in is Hugh SHAW b.1853, who in 1881 was away, Wife Anne listing herself as Wife (Head) & Captains Wife. She already had Samuel Dodd (her maiden name), and was expecting Mary Davies SHAW b.1/5/1881, which is probably why sister Elizabeth DODD is present.
A further birth vis the LDS is that of Hugh SHAW in 1883.
Using the Census Decoder in 1901 I find Samuel SHAW group with several other young SHAW's, Annie b.1890, Mary b.1886 & John b.1888, and was wondering if they all belong to Hugh.
Where's Ann gone? Is Hugh still at sea? Tanja says Samuel lists himself as son, implying his father is still alive. At least we now know the answer to Life the Universe & Everything is 42, we just need to find out what the question was!
Bob
