Marriage certificate on SP (had a few credits) states:
Edward Beech 32 Valet son of Harry Beech, baker (deceased) and Mary Beech, nee Thain?? (deceased) and Adelaide Williams 31 Ashford Common, nr Staines, Middlesex dau. or Richard Williams, farmer and Emma Williams, nee Andrews.
Adelaide easy to trace - 1881 Census in Ashford with parents Richard and Emma. Her birth reg'd Dec.qtr.1869 Staines, baptised 30/10/1869 Sunbury on Thames.
However, Edward Beech not so easy (but not born in Surrey).
His birth registered as Beech in Dec.qtr.1866 Ashby de la Zouch, mmn Shaw. (Looking at mothers maiden name on marriage certificate think it might actually be Shaw - badly written I think and there's a dot above it.
After finding the birth entry looked on census under Beech and couldn't find him, nor could I find a Harry (or Henry) who was a baker. After a great deal of rigmarole, it seems the family name was actually Beet! Henry Beet, baker married Mary Ann Shaw 23/2/1857 - aside from Edward who's birth registered as Beech his siblings born between 1861 and 1873 are all registered as Beet. Youngest was a Frank born 1873, died 1874 - looks like mother Mary's death also in 1874 but she is registered as Beech. Cannot find father's death under Harry/Henry Beet/Beech at all.
Eventually found family on 1871 at Measham, Derbyshire under Beet - has a Harry bc.1862 Measham, William bc.1865 Measham, Edward bc.1867 Woodville, Derbyshire and Joseph bc.1870 Measham.
By 1881 Edward is in Seals, Derbyshire as 'Bet', Harry is now Henry Beet, a boarder in Measham, William Beet is in Ashby Workhouse (perhaps ill as died shortly after the census), Joseph is shown as 'cousin' to a family named Insley in Measham.
Cannot find Edward at all in 1891 and by 1901 he is in Scotland as Edward Beech.
The only way to confirm if the 1866 birth entry is your man is to get the birth certificate to confirm his birthdate - registered Beech, raised as Beet and Beech as an adult. All very odd I know.
Annette
