Drawing a blank with marriage information

[Nats185]

Not sure if this is the right board to post in? I have drawn a complete blank in being able to find the information on a marriage between William John Bugden born 22 Jun 1890 and Esther Louisa Bugden born 14th Nov 1889. I am assuming they were married between 1911 and 1918. They were first listed on an electoral register together in 1918. William was 20 in the 1911 census and was in the navy. I don't know Esther's maiden name but based on other members trees which I assume to be slightly incorrect (in that they have her as marrying the wrong William Bugden) it may be Wilson - I have tried searching using this name but have found nothing. I am using ancestry.com but can't find any information about their marriage. Can anyone recommend any ways I can look for this information? I also have them together in the 1939 register so I am confident it is the right match.

Thank you in advance.

[Milliepede]

It might be the right match but it doesn't mean they necessarily ever married.  They may have simply lived together.

If they had children you can look up their births to find the mothers maiden name.

[avm228]

Mmn was Wilson on the Dec qtr 1919 birth reg of daughter Esther C Bugden in Thanet district.

[avm228]

So: Esther Louise Wilson, birth reg Sep qtr 1889 Thanet, looks interesting (born & living in Margate in the censuses).

[Nats185]

Brilliant, thank you very much! So if I can't find any evidence of a marriage but she was listed in electoral registers as Bugden could it be possible they didn't actually marry but lived as a married couple? Would it be too much to assume this if I can't find the marriage?

[avm228]

It’s the natural inference if after all the usual searches you don’t find a marriage.  Not that uncommon.

[Maiden Stone]

Could they have married abroad? Or in Ireland or Scotland? At sea? Isle of Man or Channel Isles?
Have you tried looking for a marriage under groom's name only and a separate search for marriage of bride only? Esther may have been married before and married William under her married name. Either of them may have had a previous, brief wartime marriage.

[avm228]

There’s a birth registration of a Daniel Henry Bugden mmn Wilson in Shoreditch in 1912.  Is he theirs?  If a pregnancy took them by surprise when young and away from home, they might not have got round to a wedding.

[Maiden Stone]

There’s a birth registration of a Daniel Henry Bugden mmn Wilson in Shoreditch in 1912.  Is he theirs?  If a pregnancy took them by surprise when young and away from home, they might not have got round to a wedding.

They would have been extremely young.