Missing marriage registration

[jonw65]

It could be the "missing" marriage entry in the GRO index for Sep 1928, Poole, vol 5a 641
Missing because it didn't happen! And that entry left blank in the returns from the church to the GRO

On page 641 is just one marriage, Frederick N Dyke + Dorothy M Barton
Which was at St. Aldhelms, Branksome, 14 July 1928, indexed on FamilySearch
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VCRX-MJ5

"Source info" says entry number 3421, image number 312

On FamilySearch, Rowland De-Cuff Mccabe + Elsie Maud Laws is entry number 3422, image number 313

Then on FamilySearch we have, married at St Aldhelms
Edward Albert Brown + Annie Laurie Derrick, 25 August 1928, entry no. 3423, image no. 313
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VCRX-MV9

and then
Harry Wilfred Averill + Florence Grace Young, 30 August, entry no. 3424, image no. 314
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VCRX-MV7

Both marriages in the GRO indexes on page 642
Sep 1928 Poole 5a 642
Averill, Harry W    - spouse Young   
Young, Florence G - spouse Averill
and
Brown, Edward A - spouse Derrick   
Derrick, Annie L     spouse Brown   

[LizzieL]

Thank you for working that all out. It makes sense now that the marriage was intended to be in July but was cancelled for some reason. Then Elsie seems to have had a child in December 1928. In 1939 it looks like Elsie is single. But there is the marriage to Walter Pitcher. the only Walter Pitcher and Elsie Laws I can find in the area are "my" Elsie and the Walter who married Edith Flippant. Maybe Elsie was really unlucky - her first marriage was cancelled and her second was bigamous.

[jonw65]

Yes, Elsie in 1939 with daughter seems to match Elsie Maud Laws, born 1909, Branksome, daughter of Albert Edward.
There are possibly two Walter Charles Pitchers around. The one born in 1897, Wimborne district, who likely married Edith.
And then another one, registered March 1908, Poole. Mother Scott
Possibly this is him in 1911
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7KL-TH7

A bit more mystery!

Added, Burnley Express, 27 Feb 1952
Walter Charles Pitcher, 44, hotel waiter, no fixed address, pleaded guilty to stealing a wage packet.

[LizzieL]

That younger Walter Charles looks a strong possibility, thank you.
A Wilfred Charles Pitcher married in Christchurch district Q2 1907, one possible bride is Amelia Louisa Scott, so that could be the correct family in 1911, if she used an abbreviation of her middle name.

Just looked at the marriage of Walter C Pitcher and Elsie Laws and it doesn't give her middle name / initial, maybe a different Elsie 

Yes it does give "M", looking at wrong entry. There is an Elsie M Laws, birth reg Christchurch Q2 1913 mmn Turner. Could be her.

[LizzieL]

Just found a Merchant Seaman record for a Walter Charles Pitcher born 2 Feb 1908 in Bournemouth, might be him

[LizzieL]

The 1913 Elsie was Elsie Mary Laws

[LizzieL]

A bit more mystery!

Added, Burnley Express, 27 Feb 1952
Walter Charles Pitcher, 44, hotel waiter, no fixed address, pleaded guilty to stealing a wage packet.

Just found that newspaper article. It says Walter had a number of previous offences dating back to 1924! He would be 16 then.

I can't find another Walter Charles of right age, so I think it must be him.

[jonw65]

The 1913 Elsie was Elsie Mary Laws

She might be the one. In which case Walter Pitcher has been a bit of a red herring!
We do know that "our" Elsie married Mr Walker in 1941. Died in 1985.

[LizzieL]

The daughter with her in 1939 also married (a Mr Welch) according to the surname added to her 1939 entry, and died a year after her mother in the same registration district. But the daughter does not seem to have married using the surname Laws. Was she using the surname of her true biological father and he wasn't Rowland after all?
I can't find that the daughter had any children, so no one to have a potential DNA match with.