Genealogy Chat

I have printout from LDS site regarding a David Jonathan Springett born 1831 in Maidenstone, Kent. He married Mary Evenden in Sept. 1880. My greatgrandmother was Mary Elizabeth Springett born 1860. How would I find out if David Jonathan had been married before. as this would mean that Mary Evenden could not be her mother. I seem to be really stuck here. Have checked freebmd and LDS sites, but can get no further.

Hi, The marriage cert will say if he was a bachelor or widower. Search the GRO index for the entry and send for the cert. The LDS info is not reliable much of it is invented or mistranscribed. Always check anything you find on that site (or in their CDs) with the original documants. Gwynne

Dear Gwynne Thank you for your help. Could you tell me how I go about searching the GRO index. I am beginning to think that some of the information may have been transcribed incorrectly.

The 1881 census has this: Household: Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability David J. SPRINGETT Head M Male 49 Barming, Kent, England Master Painter Mary A. SPRINGETT Wife M Female 41 Gravesend, Kent, England Mary A. EVENDEN Step Daur U Female 17 Wateringbury, Kent, England Abigail SPRINGETT Daur U Female 17 Maidstone, Kent, England Dressmaker Frances LOYD Serv U Female 14 Nettlestead, Kent, England General Serv The fact that there is a stepdaughter of THE SAME AGE as a daughter surely suggests that they had children before they married each other and that one/both of them had probably been married before. As he had Abigail as well as your ggm I think it likely that they were the products of an earlier marriage.

I would research the name Evendon

Thank you, everyone, for all your help. And thanks, Geoff for those details. At the time 0f the 1881 census Mary Elizabeth would have probably left home. Still having trouble tracing her. Seems to have been a second marraige there, but can find no record of who David Jonathan Springett was married to first. This is the person I would like to trace. Mary Elizabeth's marraige certificate did not state her mothers name. I seem to have hit a brick wall. Is there some way of getting details of an earlier census.

Violet, Mary's birth certificate will list her mother's name. Crista

Could this be her in 1881? Household: Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability Matthew WOODWARD Head M Male 55 Broseley, Shropshire, England Vicar Of Folkestone M.A. Rosamond WOODWARD Wife M Female 45 London, Middlesex, England Bertha WOODWARD Daur U Female 23 Folkestone, Kent, England Scholar Louisa M.E. WOODWARD Daur U Female 20 Folkestone, Kent, England Scholar Mary J. KEMPE Serv U Female 19 Eastry, Kent, England Cook Dom Serv Mary SPRINGETT Serv U Female 21 Harsmonden, Kent, England Housemaid Serv -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source Information: Dwelling Vicarage Census Place Folkestone, Kent, England Family History Library Film 1341239 Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 1009 / 73 Page Number 34 Horsmonden (note the spelling) is about 10 miles south of Maidstone.