Ex-pat geordie just joined

[Geordielass]

Hi There

I'm an ex-pat geordie living in the wilds of Suffolk - been away from Tyneside for over 50 years now. I've been interested in tracing my family tree for a long time but got down to some serious research about 5 years ago.
I always thought my family were just from Tyneside/Co Durham but I've found a number of ancestors in Lancashire and Cumberland and of course there's an Irish Connection!
My biggest problem has been trying to find my Grandmother's family who came from Lancashire. My Great Great Grandfather was William Walmsley from Farnworth near Bolton and he married Ellen Holden from Blackburn in the late 1850s but there is absolutely no trace of a marriage for them so I'm stuck - I just can't trace Ellen's family! Any suggestions will be most welcome.

[Geoffers]

Welcome to the British-Genealogy forums.

Kick your shoes off, make yourself a cuppa and sit down to a good browse.

Looking for HOLDEN in Blackburn! I sympathise, there were lots of them - from experience do check alternative spellings - e.g. HOLDING. If you have just been looking on freebmd for marriages, don't forget that it is not complete and contains errors - you may have to trawl the full GRO index.

When do you first have this couple appearing together - in a census?
(Is that them in 1861 in Anvil Street, Blackburn with James, 6 - Jane H 3 and John Wm 4mth - RG9/3099 f15 p23??)

Do you have a birth certifiacte for one of their children to confirm the mother's maiden name? Do check marriages aftger the birth of children, some folk put the cart before the horse.

[Geoffers]

Further to my last..........

The GRO index has a marriage for a William WALMSLEY in March qtr 1854, Blackburn RD vol 83 page 319

There is a correspoding entry for a lass whose name is recorded on the index as Ellen HARDIN


A possible??

[birdlip]

I'm wondering if your date was a typo...I've found a William Walmesley marriage, with a Mary Ellen Holden on the same page, Jun 1884 Blackburn 8e 515. Any good to you?

regards birdlip

[Geordielass]

Thanks for all the suggestions
I've got them on the 1861 Census in Little Bolton and on all later census returns.

I haven't relied on FreeBMD - I've searched the GRO index myself and checked all likely entries. Yes I've got birth certificates for all their offspring and the name is shown on each as Ellen Holden

I've even paid for research and got nowhere - oh well this is just going to be one of life's mysteries. Must leave you all to it as I'm off to walk the dog!

[Danno]

Hi Geordielass

Just thought i'd pop a quick message on your post.
This may have no bearing on your search. I have been trying to find beyond the last Walmsley I have listed in my family in Australia.
William Walmsley married Margret Sharkey, 1843, Petersham,NSW, Australia
one of their offspring, William walmsley.b. 1852. Newtown. Sydney.Aust
as well as two more down the line from there.
Any chance your William may have taken to the high Sea's. |oopsredfa

these are the only records I could find in N.S.W BD&M
D. 4624/1883 WALMSLEY ELLEN JOHN ELLEN WATERLOO
D. 5991/1881 WALMSLEY ELLEN T ROBERT W MARY M ULMARRA
D. 1847/1896 HOLDEN ELLEN PATRICK WINIFRED GLEBE

Take care
Danno

[Geordielass]

Hi Danno,

Thanks for making contact. Sorry as far as I know none of my Walmsleys ever went to Australia. My William was born Lancashire "married" Ellen sometime late 1850s probably in Lancashire and ended up in Co Durham spent most of his life down the pit as did his sons who all married daughters of pitmen in the Usworth area of Durham, and his daughters married pitmen from the same area.

Good luck finding your Walmsleys - I was once told that Walmlsey is almost as common in Lancashire as Smith is in the rest of England

Cheers
Geordie Lass

[Mona]

Perhaps she was married before? So she would be listed under her married name?

I checked Lancashire BMD, you don't have to guess who married who.

http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/index.html

There are 3 marriages in Blackburn of an Ellen to a William Walmsley

Ellen Stead, 1854

Ellen Thornley 1855

Ellen Walkden 1859

Just a thought.

[Geordielass]

Hi Mona,

Thanks - I've checked them all and so has my researcher - there is no recorded marriage for William Walmsley and Ellen Holden and no I don't think she was married before or used a different name
If I ever find a marriage for them I'll shout it from the rooftops
Cheers

[Mona]

They must have got married in the same place as my GGgrandparents Thomas Wilson and Jane(t) M(a)cDonald.... 'cos I've searched the length and breadth of the land for that marriage too.|banghead|