ELOPEES

[omegaguy]

As family lore hold, my grandmother Mary Jane Baines, not 100% sure of the first names, eloped with my grandfather probably around about 1890-1900. I can only find one record of a Baines marrying a Wakefield, but not my gran. I've checked the records at Gretna Green without success. Any suggestions of where else I might check for couples that eloped

[AdeleE]

Welcome to Gerry who has just joined our forum! More detail on this query can be found on his introductory thread here:

https://www.british-genealogy.com/for...78-Family-tree

If forum members can assist, please reply here, rather than on the Introduce Yourself thread.

[omegaguy]

Unfortunately, my grandfather's name is one of the pieces of info that I'm missing, to the best of my knowledge he had the nick name of wakie, I guess from wakefield. and until I hear from my source in England I'm not 100% sure that Mary Jane is her first name. I can say with absolute certainty that the Mary Jane Baines you mentioned is not my grandmother as I have her giving birth to Irene wakefield in the mid 1920s which wold put her in her fifties and apart from that she died circa 1959 which would put her over 100, not sure of her exact age but definately not that old but thanks very much for the info

[Geoffers]

From your other thread:

On my mother's side I've only been able to come up with my grandmother's maiden name, which was Baines, Who married a Wakefield, first name unknown, year unknown

The only way to proceed with certainty is with documentation and in this case you need to begin with your mum's birth certificate - does she have a copy? This will provide you with the names of both her parents and also the maiden name of her mum. If you are not sure how to search and apply for a copy, please ask.

The name should hopefully match up with the certificate found by your cousin's mum (as per your other thread).

From there you can then begin the search for your grandparents (hoped for) marriage with greater certainty (the marriage certificate will provide ages, marital condition, also names and occupations of fathers; along with other useful detail).

If there is the possibility that your grandfather married whilst serving in the army (I am guessing this may have been around the time of either the South African or First World War) you do need to also check the index to army marriages - if only for the purposes of elimination.

[AdeleE]

Here's a potential marriage index grouping, once you determine the names of both parents from a birth certificate of one of your direct ancestors:

Mary Jane Bayne
George Cowell
Ann Coyne
John Wakefield

September quarter 1904
Barrow in Furness registration district
Volume 8e, Page 1633

[Kerrywood]

Here's a potential marriage index grouping, once you determine the names of both parents from a birth certificate of one of your direct ancestors:

Mary Jane Bayne
George Cowell
Ann Coyne
John Wakefield

September quarter 1904
Barrow in Furness registration district
Volume 8e, Page 1633

Cumbria BMD index confirms that this couple married at Barrow in Furness register office (or registrar-attended). Hopefully this marriage will be supported by the birth certificate, when you get it.

[Geoffers]

Something to just bear in mind in case it is connected.

Looking at GRO index for the birth of your aunt and other WAKEFIELD births where the mother's maiden name is shown as BAINES; I see that there are seven entries from 1912-1925. The last five were registered in Middlesbrough, the first two in Stockton.

If the mother was perhaps in her mid 40's by 1925, or perhaps was at least 16 by 1912, this gives a birth period of 1880-1896 - suppose she was a local girl and had her first two children where she grew up; also that her name was Mary BAINES. There is one entry in the 1901 census that might fit, have a look at RG13/4625 f63 p18, Fenny Street, Stockton.

On the evidence presently available this is nothing more than speculation - something to keep in mind as a possibility.

[omegaguy]

Thanks for the tip, I know he fought in WW1, but that was after my mother was born, however I supose it's possible he could have been in other campaings, where can I find the index you mentioned?

[omegaguy]

That's extremely interesting as I do know there is a conection with Barrow in furnace, probably on my grandfather's side as I remember my mom saying that her mom came from the same place as as Graci Fields, which is Rochdale, and strangely enough I may have a distant relative that was that was related to her through marriage. There is a Douggie Wakefild who was an actor that married Gracie Fields' sister

[Geoffers]

Thanks for the tip, I know he fought in WW1, but that was after my mother was born

Once you get a name for the chap, you could try searching the surviving WW1 army service records available on the pay-per-view site, Ancestry

however I supose it's possible he could have been in other campaings, where can I find the index you mentioned?

The General Register Office (GRO) index is available on most/all pay-per-view sites, e.g. Findmypast, TheGenealogist, 1901censusonline, Ancestry. A project exists to transcribe the index and make it freely available online - it is known as freebmd and turns up with a search engine.