Genealogy Chat

I'v been looking or the marriage of Joseph Thompson to Hannah Robinson c1866 in Sheffield for sometime. After searching through lots of pages on 1837 the nearest I have come is Joseph Thompson, April/May/June 1867, 9c 453 & Hannah Robinson October/November?december 1866, 9c 452. my thoughts are, are these the same wedding but entred separate hence different pages or is it just one of those things. i know no guarantees. But what would you do? would you risk it and order the cert & if so which reference number would you order it under.

I had a similar dilemma: five possibilities for my Great Grandparents' marriage (there are SO many Davies in Wales!!) I phoned the local register office. The lady there was really helpful and told me to write in with all the information I had, the GRO numbers of the possibilities and they would check for me. I enclosed a SAE for their convenience (but haven't heard back from them yet). Maybe you could try calling them? Ellie

You will find that each Reg District tends to have similar page numbers in the "Master Volume" for years on end. The fact that you have found two adjacent numbers six months apart having the names you were looking for certainly does NOT indicate a clerical error and you can be SURE that they were different marriages.

I had a look on Yorkshire BMD but I don't think they've got as far as Sheffield in their coverage yet. There are Thompson-Robinson marriages, but not with the right names, and mostly in Leeds. Have you looked at alternative spellings? Thomson, for instance, or Ann(e) for Hannah? I'd agree that it's extremely improbable that you get different GRO refs for the same marriage. good hunting Christine

If you look on FreeBMD/Ancestry the June-Qtr 1867, 9c 453 set of names is: COCKER John Sheffield 9c 453 HARTSHORN Mary Hannah Sheffield 9c 453 MEARBECK Emmeline Sheffield 9c 453 THOMPSON Joseph William Sheffield 9c 453 Tantalisingly, Hannah Robinson appears to be by herself on 9c 452 in 1866. Marriages Dec 1866 ROBINSON Hannah Sheffield 9c 452 If you apply for that cert, specifying the husband's name as Joseph Thompson (or variant spelling), then you either spend the full £7 and get the cert, or you'd spend the £3 for an abortive search and no cert. good hunting! Christine

The marriage pages for Dec 1866 are available to view on FreeBMD. I'm busy looking but each page takes a minute or so to load and I can't find the right one.

Sorry Kerry but there's no corresponding Joseph Thompson entry for Dec 1866. When you've been looking for Sheffield have you also been considering the other registration districts used for the city, Ecclesall Bierlow, Brightside, Attercliffe, Ecclesfield, Bradfield. Also outlaying parts of Sheffield may have come under Wortley, Barnsley or Rotherham. I live in Sheffield so if you want any local knowledge just ask.

thanks everyone. yes Helen ive tried all over, im also in sheffield. the family were in Greenhill so come under EB district but have tried all other surrounding arears. the search for this marriage is driving me mad. i've searched from 1857(when Joseph would have been 15) through to 1870 which is after the birth of 3 of the children & most be missing it as just cant find it,(maybe they never did). Have searched 1837, BMD, & have started searching at the archives (incase prev missed on 1837)