Two Marriages!

[PhilGee]

I've been following the "Two baptisms" thread, so thought I would ask for suggestions regarding an anomaly in my wife's family

In the family of a direct ancestor there are two children named Prudence Meyrick - 1845-1850 and 1853-1919. Prudence's age drifts and was 5 in 1861 and by 1881 matches 1859Q2 (instead of 1853Q2), reverting to 1856 in 1911. A search of FMP for the name with birth in 1853+/-10 gives 10 results, 9 about the two siblings and 1 a false positive and a similar search using South/Soath returns 3 census and one death. There are also two burial records for Prudence Myrick in 1850. All "place of birth" entries link to Taibach/Margam/Port Talbot/Wales.

In the results are two marriages between William South and Prudence Meyrick, with images on Ancestry. The first is by Banns July 1887 in Croydon and the second by License April 1889 in Kilburn. The former is signed by William James South, with the original detail amended to add "James", and both have Bachelor, list the occupation as Musician and father as William South (Deceased); both results have Prudence, Spinster, with no occupation and father as Howard in 1887 and Thomas in 1889 (actual name is Howel/Howell) - both match a birth in 1859Q2.

I am happy with the 1887 marriage, as it fits very well and is in Croydon, near where Prudence and William worked at a school, and one of the witnesses is Dinah Cunningham, the widowed sister of Prudence, who also worked at the school.

Though there doesn't appear to be any evidence it could be a different couple, the 1889 image has a signature for Prudence that is markedly different from 1887, though William's is similar. Interestingly, one of the witnesses has the surname Cunningham (possibly Mary) whom I have not identified.

Because of the other thread, I'm now wondering if there may have been a "religion" aspect that caused them to think the marriage may not have been valid, though I believe both were CofE (based on the discharge of a matching William J South being a musician in the 2Btn Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry before a being a yardmaster/drillmaster at the school).

I would appreciate any comments, suggestions, insights - thanks.

Phil

 

[Susan48]

My grandmother married her second husband twice, first in 1923 and second in 1932. As my grandfather died in 1920 my grandmother was correct in giving her status as widow in 1923. Her husband gave his status as widower but his first wife may well have still been alive in 1923. I suspect the second marriage took place when the first wife had died or a divorce had taken place.

This doesn't really help your particular case, Phil, except that there must be a good reason for the second marriage to take place or, to put it another way, that the first marriage is in some way invalid. Where did the 1887 and 1889 marriages take place? Were they in church or a register office?

Good luck with finding the answer.

 

[peter]

The fact that the second marriage was by licence hints that there was a defect in the calling of the banns for the first marriage.

However the discrepancies in the signature make it really hard to believe that it was the same bride on both occasions. Have you found Dinah Cunningham's marriage? It would be interesting to compare her signature.

 

[MelG]

Phil:
In tracing ancestors for a friend I came across two marriages for the same named people in the same area of London but different by a year. It turns out that one of them was C of E and the other Roman Catholic, so to prevent a family "melt-down" they decided to marry again in the local Roman Catholic church. This resulted in the two registry entries for the same people so perhaps your two marriages are down to religious/family differences.

 

[PhilGee]

Thanks, Peter. Looking again at the signatures I am beginning to think it may have been a literacy problem as the first signature "lacks confidence". Prudence is listed as "Attendant" or "Housemaid" in the three school census returns and, whilst the signatures are markedly different, there is also an underlying similarity - which makes me now wonder if she was taught to write at the school and/or helped at the first marriage.

Regarding Dinah, the marriage was probably in Margam (Neath District) in 1867, so a visit to the West Glamorgan Archives is required to see her signature from 20 years earlier - her census return in 1911 was completed by her niece

Phil

 

[PhilGee]

Susan48, I somehow missed your message, but see below

MelG, I believe they were CofE (or should that be CofE and CiW?); the Meyrick baptisms are church rather than chapel.

The marriages were in St James (Parish of St James, Croydon) after banns and in The Parish Church (Parish of St John, Kilburn) by Licence.

Phil

Note: In the previous post, literacy was meant to explain the change of signature and not imply anything regarding validity.