John Devney/Devine Mary Ann Watkins. Walsall

[boddso]

I have a marriage reference for John Devine and Mary Ann Watkins in Walsall in the December quarter of 1897. The trouble is I was expecting his surname to be Devney. The couple had moved to Limehouse, London by 1904 when their daughter Elizabeth was born so is this a transcription error or do I have the wrong marriage (though the date fits in with the number of years marriage stated on the 1911 census, and no other fits) - any suggestions?

[boddso]

Thanks for the advice - I know for certain that the bride was a Mary Ann Watkins, and the marriage I quoted was the only one I could find that matched, so I shall have to send for a certificate.

[Mutley]

There are two public trees on Ancestry that look to belong to Mary Ann. Neither owner has married her or have her past the marriage that you have found. Maybe they did not consider this marriage as being hers either.

I cannot find a Devine couple in 1901 or 1911 with children John (born 1901) and Mary Ann (born 1902) so that also points to your Devney family being the Devine couple.

If you ask for a variation or sounds like of Devney then Devine does appear.

The clincher on the marriage certificate would be the word Galvanised in the occupation column.

In 1911 they state that a child had died, I wonder if it was born in Staffordshire or London? Though I don't know what help that would be unless the address of the birth/death and marriage were the same.

I cannot find a Devney marriage that fits as well as that one.

I've run out of reasons......

[boddso]

Wait till you try and find Mary Ann in earlier censuses! This family really didn't want to be found.