Richard Heighway & Maria Sargeant - Inmates 1824

[Newwriter]

Hi Folks,

On FindMyPast I have come across three documents relating to the marriage of Richard Heighway and Maria Sargeant in 1824. The actual marriage document shows them as married at St Chads Shrewsbury on 28/06/1824. There is then a Banns notice for St Chads which says they are "both of this parish". However there is also a Banns notice for Rushbury for one month earlier stating that they are "both inmates of William Speak Wall's Bank".

I assume that they left whatever circumstances they were in at Rushbury and moved to Shrewsbury and asked for new banns to be read at St Chads prior to their marriage (is that legal). I have looked at the census for 1841 and there is a William Speak of Walls Bank, Wall Under Heywood who is an Agricultural Labourer. It is too much coincidence to suppose that there could be another William Speak of Walls Bank.

My question is does anyone know of a convention at that time for describing people as "inmates" rather than lodgers or employees or whatever Richard & Maria's status might have been at the time? Or could this have been a wry comment from them about the draconian attitude of their landlord :-)

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[ShaunJ]

There is an archaic meaning of inmate as "one of several occupants of a house".

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/inmate

I too struggled with "inmate" some 12 years ago: https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=207599.9

[Newwriter]

Thanks Shaun,

That is interesting. The things you learn while looking for the family!

Does anyone know about my second point. Is it legal to have your banns read in one place and then move to a different place and have them read again a month later? I was thinking for instance, if there was someone who gave "just cause why they should not be married" in one place could they just move to somewhere where no one knows them and have them read again?

I suppose in those days how would anyone know if they did that anyway, but was it legal?

Thanks

[garstonite]

confusing - you say 28TH JUNE 1824
these are on familysearch.org
......................................................
Name    Richard Heighway
Spouse's Name    Maria Sargeant
Event Date    13 Jun 1824
Event Place    St. Chad'S, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England

Citing this Record

"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NN7F-NYF : 10 February 2018), Richard Heighway and Maria Sargeant, 13 Jun 1824; citing St. Chad'S, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, reference item 3 p 9, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,702,196.


............................

Name    Richard Heighway
Spouse's Name    Maria Sergent
Event Date    02 May 1824
Event Place    Ryton, Shropshire, Salop, England


Citing this Record

"England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NN7F-NYF : 10 February 2018), Richard Heighway and Maria Sargeant, 13 Jun 1824; citing St. Chad'S, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, reference item 3 p 9, index based upon data collected by the Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City; FHL microfilm 1,702,196.

.........................
TWO different couples - or did they marry twice ??  so the question now is where is Ryton ?  23 miles from Shrewsbury  and 25 miles from Wall Under Heywood ....and where did you find the date of 28th June 1824

this looks very interesting now - love a challenge 

[ShaunJ]

Did you notice that the 3rd reading of the banns at Rushbury is endorsed "Banns forbid"?  Presumably someone came forward to declare knowledge of an impediment to the marriage.

[Newwriter]

Hi Garstonite,

Sorry that I haven't replied sooner. I think the record you are talking about for the 13th is the first reading of the Banns at St Chads. The third reading was on 27th and the actual marriage took place on 28th. I did take a snapshot of the relevant page of the register and it definitely says 28th.

I tend to jump around with my membership of family history sites to take advantage of good offers. Annoyingly my current membership is now with Ancestry (£5 a month) but they only show the results of searches for Shropshire but not the documents so I can't check further at the moment.

ShaunJ, thanks for pointing that out, it does indeed say "Banns forbid". Now I am frustrated that I will probably never know why. I might go and ask in the records office if they have copies of any responses to Banns. Maybe Maria was too young and her parents objected.

Thanks again both

Newwriter



A search on Ancestry shows

[osprey]

working from their ages on the 1851 census if I have the right family in Much Wenlock HO107/1989 folio 608 pg 19, it looks like it may have been Richard who was under age, not Maria. His age is given as 45 in 1851 and 55 in 1861 when he is a widower, Maria's age given as 47 in 1851  and born Eaton. Burial in Much Wenlock 26 March 1858 aged 54
There's a possible baptism 3 June 1800 at Eaton under Haywood for Maria, dau of  Benjamin & Ann Serjeant.

Richard was buried in Much Wenlock 11 March 1866 aged 58, possible baptism in same parish 17 Jan 1809 son of Richard & Sarah, abode Farley. - not this one middle name given as Husband

[osprey]

noticed that on at least one entry, Richard is recorded as Richard Collins Heighway and there's a baptism in Smethcott, which he gives as his place of birth on 1851 census, 21 April 1804 for Richard Collins Heighway son of Richard & Sarah of the Walkmills. Same couple had a son with the same name 2 years previously. 1861 census his place of birth recorded as Walks Mill.

[osprey]

Baptism of first child 28 November 1824 Hannah Heighway daughter of Richard & Maria of Wallsbank