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My great-grandmother Mary Ford (maiden name) married my great-grandfather Daniel O'Shea late in life. On their marriage certificate she is said to be a widow. I would like to find out two things; who her first husband was and where she was born. There was talk that she was Irish. However, I have found a birth entry for Mary in Northumberland which could be plausible. I am open to suggestions. I know that she was born in 1888 or 1889, her father was William Ford and he was a farm labourer.

To note, this query relates somewhat to a post that I made on the Records Office board on 13 March and to which many of you were kind enough to reply.

Apologies if I don't reply immediately I will certainly do so this evening.

Thanks

Beth

What was her name when she married Daniel O Shea and where and when did they marry

When did she marry Daniel please? Even an approximate year would help. Thank you.

I think this relates to the same couple and is from a previous posting.

1911 census: Looking for whereabouts of Daniel (O')Shea - born 1879 in Cork, Mary (O')Shea - born circa 1888, Mary (O')Shea - born 1905 in Llanwonno, Mountain Ash, Glamorgan and Alice Margaret (O')Shea - born 1908 in same place. Mary and Alice were Daniel's children from his 1st marriage to Annie Roach. In October 1911 Daniel's 2nd wife Mary gave birth to their 1st child together, Hannah Mary (O')Shea in Llanbradach, Glamorgan but given that the census usually takes place in March they might have been living somewhere else then and not necessarily together. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks. Beth

Add

Yes that is also my post. Daniel and Mary married in 1942 in Glamorgan. They had their first child in 1911. Mary Ford was her name on the marriage certificate.

This is where I get lost. If her maiden name was Ford and she married under that name how could she be a widow.(Unless she married another Ford) Did the marriage certificate not list her previous name?

Name: Mary Ford
Spouse Surname: O'Shea
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1941
Registration district: East Glamorgan
Registration county (inferred): Glamorganshire
Volume Number: 11a
Page Number: 2503
Find Spouse: Daniel

I'm Confused too! They actually seem to have married in 1941. So are you saying that they married 30 years after they had their first child? (Not impossible, I know I have a couple who for some reason didn't marry until their son was 25 years old in 1925, although they were free to marry at the time of his birth!)

I agree completely, I'm perplexed too. the only name written for her is Mary Ford, so I don't know if that was her parents surname or the surname of her first husband.

My apologies I got my dates mixed up yes they married 22 April (my birthday) 1941.

Beth

Yes, they married 30 years later

As she was only about 21 years old when their first child was born it is unlikely (though not impossible) that she had been married before. If her father's name on her marriage certificate is Ford the it is quite probable that the 1941 marriage was her first marriage. Was Daniel married before? Could that be why they waited so long to get married?

Yes Daniel was married before but his first wife died in 1910.

1891 Census - possibily the Mary whose birth you found??

All born in Northumberland

Name: Mary Ford
Age: 3
Estimated birth year: abt 1888
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: William
Mother's Name: Mary A
Gender: Female
Where born: Tweedmouth, Northumberland, England

Civil parish: Ord
Ecclesiastical parish: Tweedmouth St Bartholomew
Town: Murton
County/Island: Northumberland
Country: England

Registration district: Berwick
Sub-registration district: Berwick upon Tweed
ED, institution, or vessel: 21
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
William Ford 33 Agricultural Labourer
Mary A Ford 32
Margaret Ford 7
Henry Ford 5
Mary Ford 3
William Ford 1
Margaret Bruce 57 Mother, Single(?)


Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 4268; Folio 134; Page 6; GSU roll: 6099378.

Still in Northumberland in 1901

Name: William Ford
Age: 44
Estimated birth year: abt 1857
Relation: Head
Gender: Male
Where born: Northd, Bamburgh

Civil parish: Ancroft
Ecclesiastical parish: Scremerston
Town: Scremerston
County/Island: Northumberland
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Berwick
Sub-registration district: Norhamshire and Islandshire
ED, institution, or vessel: 8
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 77
Household Members: Name Age
William Ford 44
Margaret B Ford 17
Henry Ford 15
Mary Ford 13
William Ford 11
Elizabeth Ford 9
Ellen J Ford 4
Margare Bruce 70 Mother-in-law, Single

Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 4847; Folio: 74; Page: 14.

Yes this is her. Why would widow be written on a marriage certificate if she never married until 1941?

Beth

1911

HOUSEHOLD FORD WILLIAM M 1857 54 Berwick Northumberland
HOUSEHOLD FORD ELLEN JANE F 1897 14 Berwick Northumberland
HOUSEHOLD FORD ELIZABETH ANN F 1892 19 Berwick Northumberland
HOUSEHOLD FORD MARGARET BRUCE F 1884 27 Berwick Northumberland



So Mary and some of the other have left home and it looks like William is a widower.

Who knows Bethan - just for appearances as she was older? Who were the witnesses please?

Brilliant, that's good to know. Thanks you. I have been unable to find a Mary Ford or Mary O'Shea in the 1911 census though! Nightmare!

Now, I wonder if this is a marriage for Northumberland Mary??

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marriages Dec 1907 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FORD Mary Glendale 10b 808
TAYLOR William Evison Glendale 10b 808




1911 Census

HOUSEHOLD TAYLOR MARY F 1889 22 Berwick Northumberland


Perhaps it would be worth having a look at that census entry?