I need a word detective

[Diabalo]

Need a bit of help with family research. This is the marriage of my Great Grand Mother Gertrude Eliza Lawrence, any ideas what the witness name is underneath James Henry Smith on the bottom of the doc? I can see Mary Ann but not the surname apart from ending in what looks like a Y

 

[Speve]

Looks like Thay ?

 

[Diabalo]

Looks like Thay ?

Not a bad shout it does look similar to the TH in the Thomas Field name top right?

 

[Speve]

Not a bad shout it does look similar to the TH in the Thomas Field name top right?

On a magnifier it looks like the second letter is a K so that could be Tkiy or Tkay?

 

[Diabalo]

There are a few possibilities.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Speve]

There is a Mary Tkay in the ancestory search but I can’t get the record as I’m not paid up

 

[namwaldog]

First thing to establish is the origin of the image....

At that date there would be two copies of the marriage...

(a) the actual marriage register in the church

(b) the Bishops Transcripts

In (a) the vicar would fill in all the details as given to him by the Bride and Groom EXCEPT the 4 signatures (bride, groom and two witnesses)

In (b) the Bishops Transcripts , copies were prepared by the vicar on separate sheets to be sent to the Bishop (hence Bishops Transcripts) These details would be handwritten IN FULL by the vicar so he would read the signature of the witnesses and write his interpretation of the name.

Looking at the handwriting, on your image, I would say it is a photo of the actual Church Register as all four signatures (bride, groom and two witnesses) are a different handwriting.

So if you were able to see the Bishops Transcript you would have a second bite at the cherry so to speak.

Failing that, (and it's a long process) try and find the witness in the 1881 census, using an asterisk for unknown letters.

Also consider searching for the bride as a witness to any marriage as it was often reciprocal.

Look to see if the bride or groom had any siblings called Mary Ann as the undechipherable name may be her married name.

Good Luck.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Need a bit of help with family research. This is the marriage of my Great Grand Mother Gertrude Eliza Lawrence, any ideas what the witness name is underneath James Henry Smith on the bottom of the doc? I can see Mary Ann but not the surname apart from ending in what looks like a Y

View attachment 644360

If you can access 1881 census, search around the neighbourhood in Battersea where they lived. It is likely Gertrude and Mary Ann lived near each other and were friends if not family. Trouble is the difficult surname of Mary Ann could be her married name and so different on the census. Looking for all Mary Anns on the census though could just throw up a a clue.

 

[Riverbankannie]

First thing to establish is the origin of the image....

At that date there would be two copies of the marriage...

(a) the actual marriage register in the church

(b) the Bishops Transcripts

In (a) the vicar would fill in all the details as given to him by the Bride and Groom EXCEPT the 4 signatures (bride, groom and two witnesses)

In (b) the Bishops Transcripts , copies were prepared by the vicar on separate sheets to be sent to the Bishop (hence Bishops Transcripts) These details would be handwritten IN FULL by the vicar so he would read the signature of the witnesses and write his interpretation of the name.

Looking at the handwriting, on your image, I would say it is a photo of the actual Church Register as all four signatures (bride, groom and two witnesses) are a different handwriting.

So if you were able to see the Bishops Transcript you would have a second bite at the cherry so to speak.

Failing that, (and it's a long process) try and find the witness in the 1881 census, using an asterisk for unknown letters.

Also consider searching for the bride as a witness to any marriage as it was often reciprocal.

Look to see if the bride or groom had any siblings called Mary Ann as the undechipherable name may be her married name.

Good Luck.

Took me ages to type my reply as I had a cup of tea in between, didn’t mean to copy your reply

 

[Diabalo]

namwaldog looking at your response I take it you are into geneology also. It's really frustrating sometimes isn't it?. We are trying to use the witnesses as search criteria to unblock a log jam on Gertrude Lawrence but as usuall with family history research it has opended another can of worms. Hey ho onwards and upwards.

Thanks for your input, will try the Bishops Transcripts now.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}