Genealogy Chat

I've been searching for months now for my Gr grandparents marriage but can't find it anywhere! I have no idea what to do next. My Grgrandfather was Henry Dodd born c. 1856 in Halstead, Essex. He married Mary Jane Cooper born 1865 in Wisbeach, Cambridgeshire. I estimate that they got married about 1892ish as Mary is single in 1891 and had her first child in 1892. All 7 of their children were born in Custom House Essex. Of course they may never have married but I think that was pretty much unheard of in those days. Has anyone got any ideas? Any help would be greatly received. Ursula

Pretty unheard of - no, youre wrong there! Lots of couples never married or they married decades after they had a child - perhaps conscience pricked them - so if you have only looked just before the birth of the child, try looking in the years after. Where was Mary in 1891?

''that was pretty much unheard of in those days'' - not in my family lol Where have you looked so far? There's a marriage for Henry Dodd and Mary Cooper, but it's in 1867 lol

There is a Chas. H. Dodd married to a Mary A on the 1881 census, he is born abt.1856 Halstead, Essex. They are in West Ham and he is a bricklayers labourer. Looking at the correct chap on the 1901 I don't think it is anything relevant tho'. Gail.

At a wild guess, this chap is a customs officer - Wisbech is also a port so he must have been stationed there when he met Mary,. I believe Kew has Customs Officer records?

My great grandparents lived together for twenty years and had seven children before they got married. It was more common than you think it would be. Sylvia.

When you say you can't find the marriage 'anywhere'..........have you checked the full records? Not just the freebmd extracts........... If you have found these people on 1901 census, please could you post the details for info. Reg

Did you get the mother's maiden name from the birth cert of one of the children? Reg

1901 for information Henry Dodd born Wilstead, Essex, (image says Halstead) Age: 50 (1851 Head Spouse's name: Jane Civil parish: West Ham Ecclesiastical parish: St Luke Street address: 21 Hill Street. Occupation: Dock Labourer Clarence Dodd 8 months Henry Dodd 50 Head. Henry Dodd 9 Jame Dodd 8 Jane Dodd 38 Wife. Cambridge, Wisbech. Maud Dodd 2 Rose Dodd 5 William Inch 50 Boarder Alfred Jones 22 Boarder Blanch Jones 22 Boarder Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 1580; Folio: 61; Page: 17. Also the 1881 that I mentioned earlier... 1881 Chas.H. Dodd born Halsted, Essex Age: 25 (1856) Head Spouse's name: Mary A. Civil parish: West Ham County/Island: Essex Street address: 33 Shipwright St Condition as to marriage: Married Occupation: Bricklayers Lab Alice Dodd 3 (image says 3 months) born Essex, Cann Town. Catherine Dodd 1 Born Essex, Cann Town Chas.H. Dodd 25 Laura Dodd 3 Born Durham, Coxhoe. Mary A. Dodd 20 Born Durham, Source Citation: Class: RG11; Piece: 1717; Folio: 123; Page: 57; Line: ; GSU roll: 1341410. Gail.

I cannot find Chas. H Dodd or Henry Dodd on the 1891 census.. I am posting this 1891 census................Children's names are DODD on the actual image.......purely because they are the children from the 1881 census above. Husband Chas. H. Dodd may have died. 1891 census. Laura Crosby (image says DODD) Age: 13 (1878) Daughter Father's name: John Mother's name: Mary A Where born: Coxhoe, Durham, England Civil parish: West Ham Ecclesiastical parish: St Luke Street address: 126 Lyles Road. Alice Crosby 10 Image says DODD, born Canning Town Harriett Crosby 8 image says DODD, born Canning Town John Crosby 48 born East Indies, Brit Sub, General Labourer. Laura Crosby 13 Image says DODD, born Coxhoe, Durham. Mary A Crosby 30 born Darlington, Yorkshire. Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 1317; Folio 25; Page 14; GSU roll: 6096427. Gail.

Where is Mary Jane in 1891? A Mary Jane Cooper from West Ham married a Samuel Arthur Louth in 1887 but I don't see them in 1891. Rose

I cannot see Mary J Cooper in 1891 either. Gail. x

Was looking for a birth for her eldest Henry and found this: Births Jun 1891 Louth Henry Dodd W. Ham 4a 156 Looks like she married Samuel Arthur Louth after all. That would explain why she didn't marry Henry. Samuel was born in 1854. He's a soldier in 1871. Rose

There's also this: Births Dec 1889 Louth Mary Jane Wisbech 3b 586 A daughter perhaps? Rose

Hi I'm trying to find my Gr grandparents Henry Dodd and Mary Jane Coopers marriage, I've had no luck and have hit a brick wall and it's driving me crazy! Has anyone got any ideas? In the 1901 census: Henry Dodd head age 50 Dock Labourer born Essex, Halstead. Jane Dodd wife age 38 born Cambrideshire, Wisbech. Henry Dodd son age 9 born Essex, Custom House. James Dodd son age 8 born Essex, Custom House. Rose Dodd daughter age 5 born Essex, Custom House. Maud Dodd daughter age 2 born Essex, Custom House. Clarence Dodd (my grandmother, real name Clarrisa) daughter age 8 months born Essex, Custom House. Not on the census, Bertha Dodd was born after 1901, my dad met her a few times All living at 21 Hill Street, West Ham. Haven't found Henry Dodd in the 1891 census. Mary Jane Cooper was still single in the 1891 census which reads: Mary A Cooper Servant? single age 21 or 27 (27 would make her the right person as shown above) occupation ??? born Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. Living at 21 High Street, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. On my grandmothers (Clarissa Dodd) birth cert. Father Henry Dodd, Dock Labourer. Mother Mary Jane Cooper. Clarissa was born at 21 Hill Street, West Ham. The same as the census. I have all the info I need and have searched for months but can't find a marriage. Any help would really be appreciated. Thanks Ursula

Sorry, just jumped in to see this one. So if she married the Louth chap - Births Jun 1891 Louth Henry Dodd W. Ham 4a 156 and that is the eldest boy Henry, the question is why did she give the name Dodd to him??? I see Ursula has added some more info re her Gran - which gives Dodd as the father and a dock labourer. It seems you had the wrong Mary in Wisbech 1891 Ursula.

Yes it looks like I had the wrong Mary Jane Cooper, never mind I'm on the right track now, I think

So were the children called Mary Jane Louth Dodd and Henry Loath Dodd, or vice versa. I'm still struggling with all this info! It's great but mind boggling Urs

Oooh.. looks like they did what my GGGrandparents did! Mary married one chap, and had a couple of children with him. He vanishes and she shacks up with Henry. Can't marry him cos she's still married to the other chap, but has a few kids with him anyways. Some of the children will be registered as Louth, and some may be as Dodd. Having said all that, if the eldest is registered as Dodd Louth, that implies that Henry was his father too. So maybe the first marriage only lasted a few months. For ref: Births Jun 1891 Louth, Henry Dodd W. Ham 4a 156 Births Jun 1893 Louth, James Dodd W. Ham 4a 131

It is always worth looking for missing marriages about 1910 as people had to produce a marriage certificate to get the married rate of old age pension. I think vicars suddenly got a lot busier. Anne