Marriage Look up for Oxford Q3 1951

[VicInIbstock]

Many, Many thanks for your time Carol, it is very much appreicated.

You hit the nail on the head as I now have an occupation, admittedly it was from the time of his marriage but that meets my requirements perfectly, the fact you have provided a lot more detail on where they married is an added bonus.

The detail is going towards a book I'm writing about the men and women from around here who served in uniform during the Great War and Arnold and his brother are two of them. We're doing the book to raise local awareness but as a side effect we get to raise much needed funds for the British Legion so they'll also want to say thank you.

[CarolA3]

Oh well, in that case I'll try to find more

Will probably PM you with some of it, but not immediately as it's now my dinner time - 9.15pm in Western Australia!  By the way, you still have time to remove the names from your first post as it's within 24 hours.  Suggest you replace them with initials.

Carol

[CarolA3]

Hi again Vic

As the focus of this enquiry has now moved from the 1951 marriage to the 1921 marriage, here are the details.

In Summertown, on 9 July 1921, Arnold Melville BUNTING (age 28, bachelor) married Gertrude Mary ARMSTEAD (also 28, spinster).  He was a machine driller living at 4 High Street, Cowley, Oxford and his father John Henry BUNTING was a schoolmaster.  Gertrude lived at 33 Thorncliffe Road, Oxford and no occupation is shown for her.  Her father Edward Clipsham ARMSTEAD was a general manager.  The marriage was by licence and the witnesses were E C ARMSTEAD and H GOMM.  (My paraphrase of OFHS transcript.)

I'll check that High Street address as I believe the name has changed.  His father's details agree with census entries which no doubt you've seen.  I'm sure you also have his birth details (Q4 1892 Chesterfield).  You mention his brother - is that Harry?

I believe Gertrude was an only child and her parents owned a bicycle business in Broad Street.  Her father's name was Edwin, not Edward, according to census.

Do you think Arnold moved to Oxford for work?  Where was he stationed during WW1?  The Cowley Barracks, home of our local regiment, stood at the bottom of my grandparents' garden!

Must stop now as it's very late.  Speak again soon

Carol

[CarolA3]

Just came across this discussion on another forum: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=228057

He joined the Ox & Bucks LI (based at the bottom of our garden, although the houses weren't built until the 1930s) and later became an officer in the Sherwood Foresters.  Evidently he resigned his commission a few weeks after marrying Gertrude.  Maybe he'd already decided to resign, and that's why the marriage record shows a non-military occupation

So presumably he moved to Oxford between 1911 and whenever he joined OBLI?

I'm sure you already know that he died aged 89 in Q1 1982 in the Oxford district.  That's probably too recent for me to find a burial record.  I'll keep looking for any other info though.

Carol

[CarolA3]

I'll check that High Street address as I believe the name has changed.

Thought so - High Street, Cowley is now Between Towns Road, just round the corner from the old Morris Motor Works (which became BLMC/British Leyland etc) and St Luke's, which is where you would go to look up records

Carol

[VicInIbstock]

Many thanks Carol. I'm not sure what led Arnold to Oxfordshire as there is a gap between the 1911 census and his Attestation Papers but I do know he served in the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry. And yes his brother was Harry who also received a commission in the war, his was with the 90th Winnipeg Rifles (Arnold's was with the Sherwood Foresters).