Advice needed on Bainbridge family, please.

[NormanB14]

Hello, I have a horrible feeling that I have gone down a very wrong line in my search of my Bainbridge tree! Sadly, I stupidly blindly followed as gospel several other posters on Ancestry, as their information just seemed to 'fit'.
Where I have floundered badly is with Robert Bainbridge born 1808, my 2nd great grandfather. Who did he marry, if he did marry? Looking at other Bainbridge trees on Ancestry, I followed him as marrying a Dorothy Law and that seemed to tie in well. I recently found that there was another Robert Bainbridge and he married a Dorothy Bainbridge, formerly Bainbridge! The mystery to me is that I'm unable to find a wedding between those two.
Would I be correct in assuming that if I'm unable to find a record of a wedding that they were unmarried or is that too simple?
I would be most grateful for some advice to a novice as to where I might search for a record of a wedding? I've looked on so many sites, Ancestry, Familysearch etc that I'm going dizzy!

I very recently ordered a copy of a birth certificate for Isaac Bainbridge born 1839, the son of Robert and Dorothy Bainbridge. This is where the doubts began, when that certificate states Dorothy, formerly Bainbridge!

[jennifer c]

You should start with what you know and work backwards from that. You should have yourself, your parents and hopefully grandparents. If you have these and you want to post names dates and places for people who are not living perhaps we can help you get it sorted out.

Jennifer

[NormanB14]

Jennifer, many thanks for your reply! I have very little knowledge of my fathers line as my parents separated when I was a baby (I'm sure it wasn't my crying that caused it!). I have obtained his birth and death certificate, Norman Laird Bainbridge and from the birth cert', saw his parents as Walter Wardell Bainbridge and Mary Agnes Laird. I have a birth cert' for Walter (1875 to 1951) and from that saw his parents as Isaac (1839 to 1883) and Mary Wardell.

From here, I'm deeply confused. Isaac's parents on his birth cert' show Robert and Dorothy Bainbridge, formerly Bainbridge. If that is correct, the other 4 or 5 trees I followed are not 'my line'. If I'm wrong, the info from Robert back is all wrong!

My question is, how do I find a record of who Robert married?


On the subject of Birth Certificates, what do I request for a copy with the information typed instead of hand written? Several copies I obtained, I found the dates and places difficult to read.

[kilkennylass]

there is a marriage between a Robert Bainbridge and a Dorothy Bainbridge in 1829

Name:   Robert Bainbridge
Gender:   Male
Marriage Date:   21 Aug 1829
Marriage Place:   Romaldkirk, York, England
Spouse:   Dorothy Bainbridge
FHL Film Number:   1912161

there is also a record of Robert Bainbridge and Dorothy Law being married in 1814, so if Robert was born in 1808, def can't be 'your robert' marriying Dorothy Law. 

Also this could be their grave, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=96718227

[NormanB14]

Kilkennylass, wow! Thank you so much for your help. Would you be so kind and help me for the future and advise me on how you found the info, as I have searched in several places.

So, I had gone down the wrong line and now need to go and delete people and dates.

Thanks again.

Norm

What is FHL number?

[kilkennylass]

Norm, the marriage info was on ancestry.co.uk under "England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973".  Its an index only record, so there is no original document for you to open and read. 

FHL is 'family history library' more info on those numbers and how to use them here. https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/NARA_and_FHL_film_numbers

Dorothy Bainbridge b 1805 d 17May 1891 was the daug. of Thomas Bainbridge and Dorothy Bainbridge, this is the baptism record
Name:   Dorothy Bainbridge
Gender:   Female
Birth Place:   Start-house, Balderhead
Baptism Date:   12 Jul 1805
Baptism Place:   Romaldkirk, York, England
Father:   John Bainbridge
Mother:   Dorothy Bainbridge
FHL Film Number:   1912161
Reference ID:   item 1

Note the baptism location is the same as the marriage location, so good indicator its the same person. That record is also via ancestry.co.uk under "England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975".    You can either search just that record file, or do a general search which should bring this record up amongst all the others.

Happy to help, and good luck !

[NormanB14]

Thank you! I have to be honest, I was getting really confused and frustrated with this blockage. I have subscribed to Ancestry and I'm disappointed that I was unable to find it. I now need to order a copy of the Marriage cert'.

I'm so grateful for your kind help and info.

Norm

[kilkennylass]

Hang in there...its so easy to scroll past the record you want ! I use ancestry for the bulk of my research, it suits me best as my families are predominantly in england and ireland.  If you keep hitting dead ends, as jenniferc said go back to what you know for certain. And of course there are always people on here who can help...

Happy hunting

[NormanB14]

I'm sorry to come back again but is there an error here?

'Dorothy Bainbridge b 1805 d 17May 1891 was the daug. of Thomas Bainbridge and Dorothy Bainbridge,'. It then goes on to state in the record that the father is John?