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Archiver > LONDON > 2005-05 > 1114946968


From: "John Brown" <>
Subject: Re: [Lon] Information required for Marriage by Certificate
Date: Sun, 1 May 2005 12:29:28 +0100
References: <025601c54e2c$5d6e3b80$0501a8c0@pc3>


"June Chan" <> wrote :


>I have a Certificate of Marriage, 1906, Marriage solemnized at the Regster
>Office in the >district of Woolwich. No 38, December 24, 1906 between
>Thomas Smith age 22 >Bachelor, Driver RFA, father Charles Smith, Collier
>and Isabel May Harper, 22, >tailoriss, High St Plumstead, father Albert
>Harper. It says - Married in the Register >Office by Certificate.
>
>This is a last desperate chance to try and fid where Thomas Smith was
>born - can >anyone tell me if there is any information held anywhere with
>regard to this marriage >certificate that might indicate where he was born.

No chance; the certificate information, as stated, is all you will find.
Names of the witnesses to the marriage may be useful - have you tried any
research using them ?

>I might add I have tried various census records as well as paying 3
>researchers to try >and find his army records.

This seems a bit strange as a birth at that time should have been
registered. If he was 22 in December 1906, then he was born in 1884; you
also have the name of his father, albeit a SMITH. Thomas is likely to have
been recorded in the 1901 census, unless he was a very young recruit to the
army in the South African wars.

If his father was a collier, then perhaps you need to look at coalfield
areas. There is a birth registration for Isabel May HARPER in the Woolwich
district in 1883, and a 1901 census record for Isabell Harper, aged 17 and
also in Woolwich, suggesting that she did not venture very far from home;
Kent was a coal mining area at that time, so it seems quite probable to me
that Thomas was also from Kent initially (although he may simply have been
stationed in Woolwich). A Thomas SMITH was registered as born in Woolwich in
1884; have you tried this and any of the other birth records from that part
of Kent at that time ? I know this may not be a cheap option but with such a
common name, you may have no alternative. Does his age at death coincide
with a birthdate in 1883/84 ? If he survived past 1969, his death
certificate should also give place of birth.

Thomas' service, or other military, records should be available at either
TNA or with the MoD, if his service extended after 1920 (which is quite
possible), and his original recruitment details should include place and
date of birth; it's unclear to me why some record can't be found. You could
also try searching the 1891 census for a Thomas of the right age with father
named Charles and employed as a collier; there is a website that gives
details of mining accidents, including details of deaths, which might be
useful, though I can't find the url at present. Someone else may know.

You may already know, and have covered, all of the above, but, if not, I
hope something helps - not too confident though :-(

John B
Leic., Eng

"Helpful Advice & urls for London Listers" at
http://londongenhelp.blogspot.com/

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