Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

I have picked up this curiosity from another forum and hope local expertise will solve the puzzle!
This refers to a wedding which cannot be found in the church register, and Free BMD gives only the groom's name, not the bride's, under West Derby regn, 20, p.962.
The actual wording of the notice in The Liverpool Mercury on Friday 18th July 1845 was,' Same day, at St. Bride's Church, Charles Broad, Esq., of Hitchen, Herts, to Mary only daughter of the late Jeremiah Godde, Esq., of the same place.'
The notice above this one was 'on Monday last'. This would have been the 14th July 1845.
Oddly, the same wording appeared in the paper a week later, on 25th July.

Was there another St Bride's, apart from the one between Catherine St and Percy Street? Would that one be in the WD registration district?
As the first Mercury notice followed another announcement for a wedding at St Bride's, could the church have been another altogether, the printers having got it wrong?
Any ideas, people?
Daggers

Hi Daggers
I'll leave the crew to sort the church out.

My idea was to find Mary with her father, hoping for a new slant on the surname. To do that I need to find her with Chas.

1841 (census ages rounded down)
You'll see why this jumped out at me.
Hitchen Herts, John Broad 30 Baptist Minister, Eliza 30, Charles 12
quite a few more kiddies, Mary GODDE 70 Independent means.
It also said none born in the county.

Interesting!

Tina

added later: Mary Godde is still with them in Hitchen 1851 as a friend.

Tina
I thought you might have a view on this one! That adds to the curiosity. I shall wait for any daytime contributions [here, on a fine sunny morning] before relaying your findings to the other forum.
We never get let down, do we?
D

My immediate thought when I read this was that the marriage took place in hertfordshire possibly Hitchin but was posted in the Liverpool mercury as the couple had Liverpool connections.

I then google and noticed you had asked the same question on the Rootschat board. There someone else has had the same idea that the marriage wasn't in Liverpool.

Their suggestion of tracking the couple backwards and forwards seems a good idea to me.

If the census entry Tina found is the correct family maybe Baptist ministers moved often as Methodist ministers did and do.

Have you checked the full marriage indexes searching both under Broad and variants and Godde and variants.? If you haven't I suggest that could be your next move. I would also check if there is a St Bride's church in the Hitchin area. Lastly do you have a birth certifictae for one of the couple's children - if so where were they living and how is the maiden name of the mother spelt?

Hope this helps

Ed Officer

Hi E.O
Many thanks for input.
It looks like the older Broad kiddies were born in London, Msex etc & the littlies in Herts. (Chas sibs)
I've had no luck at all with Charles B. in census.
Don't know where Mary was born.
As for Jeremiah G
Chas marriage listed for West Derby with no spouse.
Is he the same one? only 18yrs old??
Toughie this one.

Tks Daggers

Tina

Added later: St Mary's is the church in Hitchen

Thanks Tina and Ed Off for input. I shall relay the latest to the other forum, where it has been suggested that the newspaper item was a hoax. I'm starting to agree!
D

Hi Daggers
I can't believe it was a hoax, they sent young reporters to do these society weddings etc.
We need to see the full transcript from the Mercury and to confirm the year of 1845, there could be a typo from the original post?

Tina

The Liverpool Mercury Supplement July 18, 1845
On Monday last, at St Bride's Church, Mr Henry Hope, of this town, to Susannah, third daughter of Mr D Greenwood, of Trim Meath, Ireland.

Same day, at St Bride's Church, Charles Broad Esq. of Hitchin, Herts, to Mary, only daughter of the late Jeremiah Godde, Esq., of the same place.


There is also a comment
Marriages, births, and deaths, not properly authenticated cannot be inserted in this paper, and for this reason numbers sent to our office do not appear.


Liverpool Mercury Friday, July 25, 1845.

On Friday last, at St Bride's Church, Charles Broad, Esq., to Mary, daughter of J.S. Godde, Esq. both of Hitchin, Herts.

Seems to me like the only thing to do is check the Register.

http://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Liverpool/Tox ... dexbr.html

It's a very nice looking church, can see why people would choose it for their marriage - but all the way from Hitchin? it does seem strange.

Mary
Yes, that is what I saw, repeated a week later.
Tina
I think these are notices submitted by or on behalf of the family, rather than a reporter's item.

It is someone who has checked the register for St Bride's who has raised this elsewhere. I have suggested she drops in here to see what you have all been thinking...

D

Although Celia on Rootschat stated that Mary was "Miss", the entries don't actually say so, and it's possible that Charles married Mary under a married name whereas her maiden name was Godde. This doesn't change the fact that there is not a Mary amongst the spouses for the marriage entry.

The person who originated this quest elsewhere [on behalf of an enquirer from New Zealand] has called off the hunt, accepting that the marriage announcement in the Mercury may well have been a hoax after all and bearing in mind the ages of various parties involved.
Thanks all round for interest and input!
D

Well it was good to realise that they had a sense of humour 160 years ago, something like our own kids might get up to today