Genealogy Chat

thank you all so much for your help it is much appreciated. i think it is fair to say that it is going to be one of those mysteries that never gets solved.
thank you once again and i am sorry that i didnt reply last night but this bad cough and cold getting on top of me.
linda

Looking at the 1891 Census Edward Tally was living in Pontefract - not a million miles from Oldham - maybe he got a job in Oldham ??
You have not said anything about the age or job of the bride or groom, but there was a John O'Neill living in Oldham in his family in 1891 and he was a labourer in the iron works.
Though it was general for marriages to take place in the bride's home town there is no reason why it could not have been the other way round and maybe Sarah moved to Oldham because that's where 't brass came from(?) and why they married there. ... and it is not as though it was a great distance from Leigh

I have come across churches where at least half of the weddings in any given month are witnessed by the same two professional witnesses, or at least one of them, along with somebody else.

However, this was very common in the early 19C and before, but NOT in the time frame you refer to, unless the couple was really short of a second witness to call on. This could have been the case if they were living in an area where they were relative strangers.

It's also possible Edward was the then fiance/boyfriend of the groom's sister. I've come across this a lot i.e. where an unmarried couple would act as witnesses at a sibling's wedding.

Even if this Edward Tally were completely unconnected to them, he still existed (obviously) and it's odd he doesn't appear on a census. It's possible it wasn't his real name. No ID was required.

Carter, I too am puzzled as to why the couple married in Oldham if they had previously lived in Leigh and then later returned to Leigh. Knowing both areas - Leigh moreso than Oldham - there were no more, or better, work opportunities in Oldham than in Leigh, with both being busy mining and mill towns.

Is it possible they ran off together to a place they weren't known? Could the match have been frowned upon by one or both sets of parents? They may once again have been on good terms later on and returned to their home town.

Have you checked who else lived in Thorn St, Oldham? There could be a clue there.

Good luck

Amanda

As Shirley says, he may not even be connected to the family. I have looked through Parish Records where the same people are witnesses to several weddings.

What was John's Occupation? If he worked in the docks, Edward may have been a work mate.
As for moving away from the area where their families lived, there are many reasons - work being an important factor.
One set of my g grandparents came from London and Suffolk, yet in the 1901 census, they were both in Boscombe (then Hampshire, now Dorset), great grandad in lodgings, g grandma a live-in servant at a hotel - a long way from home for a 22 year old country girl. By 1902 they were living together in Southampton.
It was only by searching and piecing things together I found out that g grandad had been married in London and had left his wife, and in Suffolk, my gg grandparents had a 4 year old grand daughter living with them- g grandmothers first illegitimate child.
Hence both of them moving away from the areas they grew up in!! They had 9 children together before g grandad's first wife died and he made an honest woman of g grandmother.

maggie

Its a long time ago, current rellies wouldnt really know the circumstances - they may both have had jobs in that area at the time.

Edward Tally may not have been connected to them in any way .sometimes it was the verger or someone at the church on the day.
I have several marriages in Essex where the same witness appears but he had no connection .was just a "professional" witness around at the time when a witness was needed

thanks kath i have put him to one side just incase thanks for all you time and effort it is much appreciated. you never know it might be one of those where a couple of months down the line it all connects - who am i kidding but thanks again linda

Have just searched again for Edward Tally not putting in a county and he's the only one that comes up anywhere in England. In fact there are only 60 Tally's anywhere in the country.

Kath. x

hi kath thanks for the edward tally but i cant see any connection he is far older than john or sarah we have no connection with liverpool so dont think there is any connection thanks again linda

thanks kath i thought as much but hoped that they might have thanks anyway linda

This isthe only Edward Tally that comes up in Lancashire on the 1901 census:-

Name: Edward Tally
Age: 50
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1851
Relation: Brother
Gender: Male
Where born: Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Civil Parish: Liverpool
Ecclesiastical parish: St Martin in the Fields
County/Island: Lancashire
Country: England

Street address: 15 Benledi (?) Street

Occupation: Dock labourer

Condition as to marriage: Widower

Education:

Employment status: View Image

Registration district: Liverpool
Sub-registration district: St Martin
ED, institution, or vessel: 12
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 162
Household Members: Name Age
Charles Mallon 15
Ellen Mallon 2
John Mallon 36
Mary A Mallon 4
Susanna Mallon 35
William Mallon 8
Edward Tally 50

Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 3408; Folio: 200; Page: 24.


Kath. x

hi kathlyn i have tried but had no luck thanks linda

As far as I can remember witnesses don't have to give any details other than their signature.

Kath. x

Try the 1901 census, I have done this for witness info and been quite successful.

Kathlyn

Hi I wonder if someone could give me some advice . My grandparents JOHN O'NEILL and SARAH ANN ASPINALL were married in oldham in 1896. nobody in the family knows why they married in oldham as they both lived in leigh lancashire.they gave different addresses john at 3 thorn street and sarah at 11 thorn street. i have their marriage cert and i am trying to get as much info from it as posss whith hopefully finding a clue as to why they married in oldham - both of their families lived in leigh non of them moved to oldham. one of the Witnesses was an EDWARD TALLY the other was john's sister mary. i am trying to find out anything on edward tally . if i contacted the church it was Our Lady and st patricks rc chapel oldham if there are any parish records available would the witnesses have had to give their address of any other details. clutching at straws i know.
thanks linda