Walker/Bolton Marriage Record Middlesex 1877-1898

[maureenz]

William Walker (b: 1841 Southwark d: 1914 London) son of Charles Walker, married Margaret Donolly at St. George the Martyr in 1863.  Margaret died 1877 in Bethnal Green.  They had one daughter Elizabeth b:1862 in Dublin (that's a post for another day ...)

William's 2nd wife was Elizabeth Bolton b: 1859 Woodford, Essex and died 1898 Whitechapel.
Census lists them as married and living in West Ham, Mile End, Tottenham...
They had 8 children together.  Birth records list the mother Elizabeth Walker as 'formerly Bolton'.
I have found many COE baptisms for the children.

I find it strange that the census records list William and Elizabeth as 'married', the children are recognized by the COE, birth records list Elizabeth's former name as Bolton, but there is no marriage record to be found from 1877 - 1898 (first wife's death - Elizabeth's death)

Would the church agree to baptize the children if the parents were not married?

I have searched again and again on Ancestry, Find My Past, Free BMD, BMD UK... using phonetics, same surnames, similar sounding, initials...

Are online records incomplete for Middlesex parish/civil marriages?

I am not in the UK and so am relying on online resources.  Is my last resort a trip to the UK to search records?

Any suggestions/help would be most appreciated.

Apologies for a very long winded first ever post 

[CaroleW]

Welcome to Rootschat

The 1871 has a 12yr old Elizabeth Bolton b Lawford Essex.  When was the first Walker/Bolton child born?

Is it possible Elizabeth was previously married?  Any remarriage would be under her married name but children born to the second marriage would show her true maiden name on the birth reg

[maureenz]

Thank you for responding.
The 1871 census I have is Elizabeth Bolton born 'Essex, Woodford', age 11.
First Walker/Bolton child was Leopold Arthur Walker, born 1880 in West Ham.
Oh golly, I know.. if she was married previously, I'm really at a loss I think.
If she was previously married, I understood that it would show both her past married name and maiden name on the children's birth records...

[Dundee]

Would the church agree to baptize the children if the parents were not married?

How would the church know if they were married or not?

Debra 

[amondg]

1881 census Tottenham,
10 Seven Sisters Road
William Walker 39 born Surrey   Hardware Merchant
Elizabeth 20 born Woodford Essex
Elizabeth 17 born Ireland
Leopold 1 born Leyton Essex


If there was a marriage I would check Woodford and Leyton in Essex first, it may be in parish register but not BMD.

ADDED in 1901 Leopold states born Leytonstone

[avm228]

If a marriage isn’t showing, the most likely reason is that they didn’t marry.  Elizabeth was very young; perhaps parenthood took them by surprise and they didn’t make it up the aisle.  It’s not an uncommon finding.

[maureenz]

And the best way to check parish records for Woodford and Leyton is???

[amondg]

Essex Record Office in Chelmsford.

They have digitized the majority of parish registers. It is pay to view.

The search function is SEAX 

[maureenz]

Thank you. That’s what I thought