Genealogy Chat

Thanks all for your ideas. nell

I've been searching for a marrige of my great great grandfather for over a year and Have come to the conclusion , that either he didn't marry or he was known as something else when he did. Have you checked via freebmd for phonetic spelling with just the surnames. he may have had John as a middle name rather than a first name ? Kim

Hi Helen Is it possible that John Garvie was not in a position to marry? Could they have married after census night, rather than before? I know this is teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, but I'm always amazed at how well hidden some skeletons are. Brenda

Nell, Have you checked Free BMD, there are a lot of Emma Matthews on marriages, one in Mar 1880 doesn't appear to have a matching bridegroom (only three on the ref number. A lot of Garveys but only one John Garvie in March 1879 but the other name is Emma Pollard so probably the wrong one. Ann glos

Is it possible that th enumerator had John's surname wrong. Have you tried searching for variants in the GRO. Garvy, Garby, Gardy etc? Can't think of any other eason why you can't find them, unless as you say they didn't marry at all! Ann glos

Here's what I know: 1st May 1879 Thomas Matthews dies unexpectedly. His widow, EMMA (nee Moore) aged 36 is left with two surviving children, Thomas Emmets Matthews & my grandmother, Annie Eliza Matthews. Their address is 13 Hornsey Rd, Lower Holloway, Islington. 3rd April 1881 census night. Emma is with new husband John GARVIE. Thomas & Annie are with them and they are living in Nelsons Buildings, Greenwich. John is an engine driver. [John was born Gloucester, and in 1871 was in Bootle). Emma is pregnant with their son who is born in June. So when and where did they marry? I've checked the GRO registers under Garvie/Garvey and Matthews/Mathews and also Emma's maiden name Moore. Zilch. I don't know definitely that they did marry of course, but from what my grandmother told my mum, it is almost unthinkable that they didn't. But how can I find out when and where - I could search the parish registers in Islington churches but there are tons of them, and they may have married in Greenwich. I also don't know when John Garvie moved from Bootle to Greenwich. Has any one got any bright ideas, or even some dim ones? nell

EMMA MATTHEWS & JOHN GARVIE see below