Can't find record of marriage for my grandmother

[Domenica007]

Whilst researching my ancestors on my mothers side, I ordered a copy of my grandmothers marriage certificate, it was only then that I discovered that my grandmother, Gwendoline Weston b 02/01/1923 had previously been married prior to marrying my grandfather, Piotr Gaj in 1946.

The marriage certificate states in the name and surname field: Nicholette Gwedoline Gaj otherwise Davis, formerly Weston.
The name Nicholette is not recorded on her birth certificate. And the surname Davis was unknown.

The marriage certificate also records in the 'condition' field the divorced wife of Lawrence Peter Davis. Please note, the name Lawrence is not clear on the certificate, so I am guessing it is Lawrence or Laurence.
This previous marriage to Lawrence was not known, although Gwen mentioned to Piotr that her first husband died in WWII. But not according to the marriage certificate as is states in 1946 that they were divorced.
Gwendoline was born in 1923 so any marriage would have to have been around 1938 +/- 5 years.
My question is this: I have not been able to find any record of Gwendoline marrying Lawrence around about 1938. I have used every combination of names to try to find a record of marriage.

Can anyone please help point me in the write direction? I have searched FreeBMD etc.

Thanks

[crisane]

Maybe the way to go is to see if there is actually a record of a divorce.

The National Archives at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/divorce.htm say this
Decrees absolute (1858 to present)
Find the decree absolute to obtain legal proof of a divorce in England or Wales by requesting a search (£) of the Central Index of Decrees Absolute. To do so, download Form D440 from Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service website and post it to the Principal Registry of the Family Division.

[Lady Di]

Welcome to RootsChat Domenica007

If you have no success at The National Archives (UK) you might find further information at the NSW State Archives when your grandparents divorced in 1957/58

http://search.records.nsw.gov.au/items/1570488

Some of the NSW divorce files hold all sorts of information including both parties birth certs, marriage certs etc.

Good luck

[Domenica007]

Thanks for the quick reply Lady Di and Crisane.
I do have a copy of the divorce papers from the NSW State Archives and unfortunately there is no new information on file that I don't already have.
I live in NZ so will try doing what Crisane has suggested.
Thanks heaps

[Domenica007]

Thanks Crisane, I had actually tried looking for divorce records but obviously not in the right place 
I will try your suggestion and look for divorce records but I'm also still curious as to why she would tell people that he had died in the war when clearly he hadn't (although this hasn't been confirmed as there are death records from WWII for several Lawrence Davis').
On a side note.....Gwendoline didn't marry my grandfather until 1946, 3 years after their daughter was born, (and he was Catholic too which poses some interesting questions around marrying a divorced women, and having a child out of wedlock), so I wonder if she wasn't able to marry Piotr until 1946 because she was still married to Lawrence?

[Lady Di]

Was Gwendoline born in Lancashire in 1923?
Have you located information about her parents and brother to see where thay may have been living in the 1935-1945 era. Might make it easier to locate Gwen's 1st marriage, particularly if she was still living at home.
Of course, there's always the chance that she actually married firstly to someone prior to L P Davis and therefore looking for a Weston/Davis marriage wont help.

[Domenica007]

Gwen was born in Lancaster in 1923, so I have looked for marriage records to Lawrence Davis in the Lancaster area. I don't think it's possible that she was married prior to that as she would have been too young. She got married to Piotr in London so must have moved there at some stage as a teenager. Her father died when she was 21 and her mother disappeared.
She was 20 yrs old when she gave birth to her daughter, Tania, Piotr being the father, and was only 23 by the time she married Piotr in 1946 so I'm guessing she would have had to have married Lawrence at a young age, 16 - 19 yrs old.
Her marriage certificate to Piotr lists 3 different names for her in 'surname' field....Gaj, Davis then Weston....Weston is her maiden name and Gaj is her new married name. Plus when I search marriage records for her to Piotr Gaj,  both surnames come up in searches......Weston and Davis.
I do not know if the family stayed in Lancaster during the 30s and 40s as her mother Wilhelmina is another ancestor I'm having trouble tracking down.

[hiraeth]

There is a marriage between a Wilhelmina Weston and Thomas Bracegirdle in Jun Q 1955 on Free BMD. 

A Wilhelmina Rhoda Sutton and her family appear on the 1901 Census age 3 months born Peckham. 

She would have been age 19 at her marriage to Herbert Weston in Jun Q 1920 at Pancras.

Hope this helps.

[Domenica007]

Thanks Hiraeth I already found that info. I have her birth cert and marriage cert to Herbert. Its what happened after that I cant find