Blackman and Agar Divorce

[Zoe1805]

Hello

Wondered if anyone can help. My gg grandmother Ellen was married in West Ham in 1916 to George Agar. The certificate states she is called Ellen Blackman, is a spinster and her father is called Edward Blackman. I have since obtained the birth certificates of 4 of their children which list Ellen as Agar, late Blackman, formerly Coleman. I have not been able to trace the marriage or divorce - is anyone able to point me in the right direction?

Many thanks in advance

zoe

[notanotherminer]

Hi Zoe and welcome to Brit-Gen

I've searched FreeBMD for an Ellen Coleman who married a Blackman but it returns no results. Similarly there would appear to be no Ellen Blackmans who married a Coleman

The names shown on her childrens' birth certificates would normally imply that she was previously married to a Blackman and her maiden name was Coleman. However as it states her father's name was Edward Blackman this would not seem to be the case here.

Do you know her year and place of birth please? If you're unsure what was her age on the marriage certificate?

Using this information it might be possible to trace her back through the census and discover a little more.

I did wonder if the 2 names possibly referred to her natural father and a stepfather but I admit that I've not come across this use of a previous name before

[junedye64]

I wonder if she could have been born a Coleman and orphaned and brought up with the Blackmans and taken their name.
I have a similar thing with my Grandmother which I haven't solved yet.
She was Scott on her marriage cert naming her father as Thomas Scott but a couple of times on childrens birth certs her name has changed to Webb. I found her I think in census with Scott family as a child but no birth cert under Scott, although I think I found one under Webb.
On BMD there are a couple of possible births:
Ellen Louisa Coleman W.Ham 1893 4a 115
Ellen Maud Coleman W.Ham 4a 123

june

[Zoe1805]

Thanks for your quick replies - its much appreciated.

I am uncertain about her year of birth and definitely do not know her place of birth. When it comes to year of birth, her death records state that she died in 1963 Qtr 4, Age 74, Dartford - I assume that this would make her born in 1888 / 1889. However, her headstone says 1887-1963. Similarly, her marriage certificate differs again, listing her as 24 in January 1916 which I guess would mean 1891 / 1892? My mother always said Ellen was a lot older than George - so I wonder if 1887 is closer to the truth.

I also tried to cross check the Free BMD site. I did this in a very time consuming way (searched all Ellen Coleman Marriages in All districts between 1900 and 1917 and then cross checked all married in that quarter and that place to see if there were any Blackmans - I then did the same in reverse). The only one I came across was Sept 1911, Coleman, Ellen M, Woolwich, 1d, 2447 when I cross checked I found Sept 1911, Blackman, Albert J, Woolwich, 1d, 2417. Do you think it may be worth ordering this certificate to rule it out?

I will post something in the Brick Wall section - absolutely all of the information I have on George and Ellen in the hope that someone could tell me where would be best to start as I think it probably needs a fresh pair of eyes, I've been going round in circles for so long. I am also going to send for her death certificate in the hope that it will have a date and place of birth on there.

Thanks again for your time everyone.