James A Meddings

[majm]

So may I assume that at the moment you don't actually have any of these three marriage certificates?   and are basically joining dots based on what you can see listed at the online indexes?  Perhaps your assumptions re those dots is correct, but perhaps you should consider validating by obtaining the actual records rather than just looking at the index entries.   

Looking at Meddings war records you can see he was not exactly a model soldier and I don't find it odd that he was married during all the things that took place in 1916.  I do find it odd that somehow Stuart married Claude Milne while she was still married to him though and THEN that she sailed off to NZ and married Vernon.

When did the MEDDINGS marriage take place?  It was registered in the 3rd Quarter of 1916 (July, August, Sept).  He was not in England until mid June 1916, and even then he was still serving out his Field Punishment No. 2   (56 days from 5 May or from 17 May takes that into July 1916).    This hospital where he was sent for his Gun Shot Wound to his arm was NOT anywhere near Gateshead, Durham.   

His AIF records show he was Marched out 28 October 1916 (4th Quarter) , and he notified the change of kin in November 1916.    PERHAPS the marriage was 31 Oct 1916 (4th Quarter !) as the AIF records show the nok changes effective date as 31 Oct 1916.    If so, how did he get from Weymouth to Gateshead and back to Woolwich, without furlough being logged on his AIF papers ..... 

Perhaps James MEDDINGS was only in England from mid June 1916 until end of Oct 1916. 

It is my understanding that among the many difficulties facing anyone in England in the 1916 was the great reduction in the numbers of local horses, as so many were required at the Western Front.   

So what method/s of transport got James Meddings to Gateshead and back ? 

What was Stewart's occupation as per that 1916 marriage cert ?   

James Meddings AIF digitised papers are 60 pages,  so it is possible I have missed the furlough break that would point to  opportunity for marriage, or perhaps it was not recorded. 

BUT that aside,  his signature is available at those papers, and his and Stewart's signatures would be on the marriage record too, so may I suggest you start there and compare the signatures to commence to confirm or otherwise that James Alexander MEDDINGS married your person of interest.   

Cheers,  JM

[Millmoor]

Outgoing British Passenger Lists have a Stewart Morgan - female- Born 1893 age 17 travelling from London to Brisbane on the Oswestry Grange - departure 4.8.1910. Occupation domestic servant. Not enough to say if it is the same Stewart Morgan.

William

[majm]

And if that is her in 1910 going to Brisbane, Queensland Australia, then she needs to be back at Gatehead, Durham, England to marry in the 3rd Quarter of 1916. 

Cheers,  JM

[Millmoor]

Just to add that the actual image shows that she was single and Scottish. Have you considered that she may have been a nurse or similar in WW 1?

William

[majm]

I would expect her occupation to be noted on the marriage certificates.   

Cheers,  JM

[majm]

Electoral Roll 1913 DARLING DOWNS,  (an electorate in Queensland)
Stewart MORGAN,  Montrose, Warwick,  domestic servant F (F = female)


Cheers,  JM

[cando]

An online researcher has sighted the NZ marriage cert.

Marriage to Vernon George Collins 1917 16 Oct Age: 22 Auckland, New Zealand.  Stuart was described as a widow on her marriage certificate - her previous husband had died on 16 May 1917 aged 27


Vernon George COLLINS WW1 service

http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/Cenotaph/62504.detail?keywords=Collins%20Vernon%20George%20World%20War%20I,%201914-1918

Cando

[DebNZ]

Hi All

Lots of things to answer.  Firstly, I am the "online researcher" Cando. 

I did see the passenger list with a Stuart Morgan on it - it was 2 years out with her birth date but it is still one I am considering.

According to Meddings' war record (yep, 60 pages!!!) he was returned to Australia in 1918.

I have certainly considered that Stuart may have been a nurse, possibly a VAD or maybe even a "good time girl" who liked soldiers...........

I truly truly truly realise that I need the marriage certificates to be sure of all these things.  As I have pointed out, it is difficult to justify the money for a "non relative".  I'm interested in investing time to get the story and just maybe money later down the track.  But I'm only 6 days into this story and there may be things that emerge which will push me down the money track - we will see.

Many thanks
DebNZ

[majm]

So, Deb, as you have the NZ cert, ..... have you got to the ITM for that NZ marriage?  It may well give you details about residency in NZ and other info too.    The RChatters on the NZ board are usually very helpful re ITMs and how to access the info they hold.  The NZ RChatters also regularly comment that there's more info on the NZ BDM printouts than on the NZ BDM certs.

So far,  I cannot see the dots being joined without obtaining all three marriage certificates.  To me, and I may be old fashioned,  you will need to strive to obtain Stewart's signature and compare it on each certificate, and then if there's a fair match, then look for the three bridegrooms signatures to be matched up too.   RChat has a fantastic board to help out there too.   

Cheers,  JM