Why go to Bethnal Green to get married?

[Ed Bradford]

Myth, I have the Bethnal Green marriage certificates for my lot but you bring up an interesting twist with the "married in Bethnal Green" expression. I know that several of my ancestors that lived in the area were not married. I don't believe that I've run across the expression used in that manor. However, I will go back through some of my research to see if it was used and I didn't catch the drift of what they were saying. Thanks for adding that to our knowledge of the area. ..............Ed

[Mythology]

At the risk of pointing out the obvious ...
Your lot *lived* in Bethnal Green.
Grandma lived in Romford - if she'd been a Bethnal Green girl, then I very much doubt that she would have used the expression.
To her, Bethnal Green was the cesspit of London, where there was no such thing as a respectable citizen, they were *all* thieves, liars and whores - somebody who lived there might have held a slightly different view!

(But, out of respect to grandma, I still close my eyes for five minutes when I pass through there on the train on the way to Chelmsford. )

[Cali]

Hi All,

With both couples, they were all born and bred in Enfield, Middlesex of very lowly stock ...... don't imagine there was much money at all. One couple were married in Shoreditch in 1866 and the other in Lambeth in 1854. I haven't been able to see any links to these areas.
Elaine

Hello Elaine

What were the surnames of your Enfield couples?

Thanks,
Cali

[R A KING]

"The parish of Stepney may be considered a refuge for the destitute. All persons born on the "high seas" can claim support, when in distress, from the parish of Stepney. In the making of this law, we presume that the legislature considered the fact that more seafaring men were spliced at Stepney church than at any other"
Is Stepney near Bethnal Green? Are your family seafaring?
There is a lot about Bethnal Green and surrounding areas on this link.
https://www.mernick.co.uk/thhol/subjects.html#marriage
Might help

thanks for this link I have bookmarked to have a really good read later

[Dorset Girl]

There is also some information on this https://ca.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-Ky...IM-?cq=1&p=732 concerning "The Red Church" (same church - which says that people travelled long distances for a "penny marriage"
Marion

[Penny Gallo]

This thread has confirmed my suspicions that another couple of my ancestors might have been having a bit of hanky-panky before their marriage and both he and his wife were indeed significantly younger than "21". Both Matthew Cooper and Eliza Shakespear give their address as Boundary Street - a rum area even in Charles Booth's time. Their certificate is for 1852 at St Philip's Church in the Parish of Bethnal Green. Her father was a "Fancy Cabinet-maker", a trade which Booth describes going on still in the area 40 years hence
https://booth.lse.ac.uk/notebooks/b351/jpg/197.html
- summarised as "the worst bit of the district".

Mind you, his daughter who got married in 1889 (to an immigrant, this time at "St Philip's Stepney) and they gave their address as not only the same street but the same number.

I suppose that when we talk about "Victorian values", we are really talking about "Middle Class Victorian values", and the very poor were much more concerned with day-to-day survival and trying to wrest some enjoyment out of the chaos of their surroundings. My rural ancestors in contrast HAD to demonstrate at least lip-service to conventions as the Squire and the Vicar were important figures upon whom chances of employment or charity rested.

[benny1982]

Hi

A lot of my Spitalfields and Shoreditch ancestors wed in Bethnal Green in the 1700s.

In 1835 and 1845 my 4xgreat uncle married at the same church in Paddington but he never had premanantly lived there as he lived in Marylebone and the East End mainly.

I think some churches in London had discounts or was a favourite place to marry.

Ben

[Ladkyis]

Mind you, his daughter who got married in 1889 (to an immigrant, this time at "St Philip's Stepney) and they gave their address as not only the same street but the same number.

Don't read too much into the fact that the address was the same for both people on a marriage certificate. To save the cost of having Banns read in two churches they would say they were living at the same address.

[Penny Gallo]

That's very useful information. I thought it was a bit odd, and wondered first if it was coicidentally both families sharing the same house, but you have shed new light upon it! Many thanks

[Waitabit]

My Gt.G'Parents Humphrey were married in St.Matthew, Bethnal Green, 3rd April 1865. Both lived in St.Olave parish Southwark.She was a house servant in Park st., + He was a Brewers Servant (B.Kent) lodging at Barnham St. Southwark.

I always thought it was perhaps to do with what Church was available on the day both could get off work, & saving money.

Glad they made it what ever the reason.