Genealogy Chat

Thanks for all your suggestions. I will have to add it to the list of certificates to buy.

Have looked on 1837online for the marriage and it has the same two names for the spouse. There are 5 other entries on the same page all with an either/or and two names for the spouse (maybe the transcriber was having an off day). If you haven't got the marriage certificate I would order it in just the Habberfield name and see what it actually says on the certificate. If it was a second marriage for the bride it should say 'late......., formerly.......' Kath. x

With a relatively unusual surname like Habberfield I'd guess the birth registrations are both for children of the same couple and that whoever registered the births gave the correct details on one of them: Habberfield, late Oakes formerly Griffiths (or the other way round depending on which was her maiden name) and on the other they only gave her maiden name.

The 2 births are definitly for 2 separte people, one is Paul the other Stephanie. Both of whom I have found marriages for.

Are the refs for the two births very similar? If so, it could be an original entry and an update entry. It happens if the baptismal name is different from the registered name, for instance, and would happen (I imagine) if a child had to be registered under the mother's maiden name but is later re-registered with the father's name after a belated marriage. Christine

I thought it could be that she had more than 1 marriage. But I then found 2 births in the same area. 1 to Habberfield/Oakes in Swansea June 1953 and 1 to Habberfield/Griffiths in Neath June 1958. As you say it looks like I will have to spend some money.

David I had this for my gran - its how I found out she'd been married previously. i dont know what years exactly it covers but theres a certain timespan in the GRO marriages where they include previous married names AS WELL AS maidennames for divorcees and widows. The only way to find out which she was is to order the cert where it should be written as either 'widow of' or 'former wife of' Hope that helps Zoe

Its the marriage of a Gwyn Habberfield in Neath District, September 1951 , vol 8b page 1100. The wifes are down as Oakes or Griffiths. Both of whom are in the index's as Margaret E with a husband of Habberfield.

What is the name of your relative, and the date and district of the marriage. I can have a look on 1837online and see what name they have on there if you like. Kath. x

David Do you know if it was a 2nd marriage for the wife ? I would have taken that to mean that one was her maiden name and the other a previous married name. Joan

I have found a relatives marriage in the index's at the Local registry office. In the column for wifes name it says Oakes or Griffiths. I have then found a birth with maiden name Oakes and a birth with maiden name Griffiths in the same area and time frame. Any thoughts