Genealogy Chat

I'm trying to trace my mother-in-laws family who originated in Suffolk. I've found her grandparents & mother in 1901, William & Alice Burlingham (nee Noble) with baby Rosa living in Wattisfield, but to move on I need to find William & Alice's marriage. Mother-in-law was told by her Mum (Rosa) that William returned from the war just in time to marry Alice before she had the baby Rosa, around 1899/1900. He had not known she was pregnant till she visited him at Woolwich Arsenal when he had returned. I would have expected to find the marriage in Walsham le Willow where Alice was born, but cannot for the life of me see anything close. I'm also wondering what the situation would have been with regards to someone so heavily pregnant getting married at that time? And can anyone suggest a way forward with this please?

Have you just looked on freebmd or have you searched the images in case their marriage hasn't been transcribed? Or have you looked outside of Walsham le Willows?

I've looked on Freebmd, Ancestry, not 1837 as yet. I've looked all areas 'just in case'.

Denise are you sure of Alice's surname because there is this marriage & Greenwich covers Woolwich... Marriages Sep 1900 Burlingham William Greenwich 1d 1892 Dodd Ernest Victor Greenwich 1d 1892 Hornby Frances Gertrude Greenwich 1d 1892 Spinks Alice Greenwich 1d 1892 Georgina.

This is possible, I suppose, if Alice was known by more than one surname: Marriages Sep 1900 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Burlingham William Greenwich 1d 1892 Dodd Ernest Victor Greenwich 1d 1892 Hornby Frances Gertrude Greenwich 1d 1892 Spinks Alice Greenwich 1d 1892 Not sure what you mean about the situation for someone getting married when heavily pregnant? It would have been more acceptable for them to get married than not to get married, and a lot of people did get married with a baby on the way, but no doubt some people would be tutting about it. Kate.

Well, Noble came from my mother-in-law herself, who has always talked about her grandmother's family, the Nobles. Apparently they were a strong presence in the area, one of them being the mistress of a school for young ladies. However, I've started to wonder if she's got it wrong, and that marriage in Greenwich certainly looks likely, given the circumstances. Surely they wouldn't have lied about her name??? I've sent off for Rosa's birth certificate, which should settle whether Alice was a Noble.

Reg I have looked at the full records on Ancestry, I did come across an Alice marrying a Burlingham, but a different name again to Spinks and Noble! Denise

Just to complicate things a little further, if this is Rosa's birth... Births Sep 1899 Burlingham Rosa Annie Stow,S. 4a 869 And you said they married just before she was born, maybe this marriage is a possible? Marriages Jun 1899 Burlingham John William Stow, S. 4a 1517 Dew Harry Stow S. 4a 1517 Lord Alice Priscilla Stow, S. 4a 1517 Nunn Alice Gertrude Stow, S. 4a 1517 The Alice he would have married on this entry is Alice Gertrude Nunn. Georgina.

Alice Noble could have married Mr Spinks, who then died. or If you can't find a NOBLE / SPINKS marriage, consider whether there was yet another marriage for Alice. If the NOBLE family is so well remembered, it is quite likely that that is Alice's maiden name..... Rosa's birth cert. should clear this hopefully. Gwyn

Thank you so much everyone for all of these ideas. Gwyneth - it hadn't occurred to me that there could have been two marriages for Alice, but I definitely need to check that out. Georgina, I saw that marriage too, which is what set me wondering if Alice's name could have been different to Noble - I half thought it would have been the Lord one though - Lord/Noble??

Denise on the 1901 census Harry Dew has a wife Alice P so the other Alice must have married John William. Georgina.

Aha, so that's how you knew Georgina! lol