The strange case of the missing marriage

**dscriven** · 03-01-2010, 3:54 AM

Originally Posted by AdeleE

Well this is getting interesting... Minnie "married" two men, both names Charles Edward?

That sort of name combination was quite common at that time, so probably coincidence; however, she did seem to have a thing for carpenters named Charles Edward!

While it is possible that she didn't marry either man, I don't think it was likely - my sister, who met her in the 1940's remembers her as quite conscious of her station and remembers her proudly stating that she was originally a COMPTON.

**Kerrywood** · 03-01-2010, 11:22 AM

In April 1903 AMS (then AMC) and Charles Edward COMPTON (CEC), had a son, Reginald George, my uncle (d 1923) in London. The mother is listed as Alice Minnie COMPTON formerly FORD and the father as Charles Edward COMPTON, journeyman carpenter.

Could you please tell us the address on Reginald's birth certificate, and who registered the birth?

Kerrywood

**AdeleE** · 03-01-2010, 12:02 PM

This could be Alice Minnie Ford's family on the 1871 census:

Jeffrys Farm
Jas Ford, head, married, 57, farm labourer, b. Herts, Watford
Mary Ford, wife, married, 46, b. ditto
Emma Ford, dau, unm, 21, b. ditto
Jas Ford, son, unm, 19, occup: ditto, b. ditto
Thos Ford, son, unm, 16, occup: ditto, b. ditto

(next page)
Jeffry Farm
Alfred Ford, son, 14, farm laborer, b. Herts, Watford
George Ford, grandson, 5, b. ditto

Civil parish: Abbots Langley
Ecclesiastical parish: Chipperfield
Town: Great Westwood
County Hertfordshire
Registration district: Watford
Sub-registration district: Abbots Langley
RG10; Piece: 1384; Folio: 16; Page: 24 & 25

Now to find them on the 1881 census....

**AdeleE** · 03-01-2010, 1:05 PM

The family doesn't appear as a unit in 1881, so more searching to do there for the elusive Alice Minnie.

Here they are on the 1861 census, with a few older children:

James Ford, head, mar, 47, ag lab, b. Herts, Watford
Mary Ford, wife, 41, b. Bedfordshire, Flam????
Elizabeth Ford, unm, dau, 18, weaver of straw bonnet stuff(?), b. Herts, Sarratt
Jane Ford, unm, dau, 15, ditto, b. ditto
William Ford, son, 13, ag lab, b. ditto
Emma Ford, dau, 11, scholar, b. ditto
James Ford, son, 9, pig boy (ag lab), b. ditto
Thomas Ford, son, 6, b. ditto
Alfred Ford, son, 4, b. Herts, Watford

Hamlet of Cashin(?)
Civil parish: Watford
County: Hertfordshire
Registration district: Watford
Sub-registration district: Watford
RG9; Piece: 834; Folio: 44; Page: 6

I wonder if James remarried between 1861 & 1871 as Mary's age & place of birth are different.

Lizzy9 · 03-01-2010, 1:51 PM

Here's Emma and Elizabeth Ford in 1881, it doesn't help with finding Alice Minnie though we now know who she wasn't with.

George Richards head 39 farmer of 57 acres
Emma Richards wife 30 Sarratt Herts
Emma Richards dau 19 Birmingham
George Richards son 2 Warford
Lily Richards dau 1 Watford
Alfred Richards son 2 months Elstree
Elizabeth Ford wife's sister 38 Sarratt
Amy Richards dau 4 Abbots Langley
Joseph Smith 19 servant
Joseph Pollard 14 servant

Nichols Farm Elstree Herts. Class: RG11; Piece: 1368; Folio: 8; Page: 9

(Crown copyright in care of the TNA)

A marriage for Emma Ford and George Richards.

1st qrt 1878 Watford, vol 3a page 435.

I hope all above is correct, looks good to me.

BTW AdeleE, well done finding the Fords' at Jeffery's Farm in 1871, good detective work

**AdeleE** · 03-01-2010, 2:58 PM

Thank you Lizzy. And reading your post, I realize that in my excitement, I forgot to state that the census records I quoted are Crown copyright, in care of the TNA.

Your find looks good to me.

Obviously, we know that since the mother in the family, Mary Ford, is 46 in 1871, she would be too old in 1874 to have given birth to a daughter Alice Minnie.

Emma appears settled in 1881 as a Richards. Did daughters Jane & Elizabeth have anything to do with a Compton? Or for that matter Emma, prior to her marriage to George Richards in 1878?

Lizzy9 · 03-01-2010, 3:57 PM

Another brick in the wall, but this is getting more complicated.

In 1851 James and Mary Ford have a dau Ann aged 10 in the household.

Class: HO107; Piece: 1714; Folio: 568; Page: 12 (Crown copyright in care of TNA)

1891 we have
John Lowe head 42 Middlesex Publican
Ann Lowe wife 50 Sarratt
Thomas G Lowe son 12 Sarratt
Albert Lowe son 9 Sarratt
Alice M Lowe dau 11 Sarratt
James Ford father in law 75 Watford
Elizabeth Ford sister in law 40 Sarratt
Class: RG12; Piece: 1121; Folio 171; Page 6 (Crown copyright in care of TNA)

1881, same family
John Lowe 25
Ann Lowe 40
Thomas Lowe 2
Alice Lowe 1
James Ford 53
Thomas Ford 27
Sarah Blunt 15

Class: HO107; Piece: 1714; Folio: 568; Page: 12 (Crown copyright in care of TNA)

So far I haven't found a marriage between John Lowe and Ann Ford, maybe Ann was previously married, there's a dau Alice M but she's about 6 years younger than the Alice Minnie we are looking for.

**AdeleE** · 03-01-2010, 4:18 PM

Good find! There is a birth registration for:

Name: Alice Mary Lowe
Year: 1879
Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
District: Watford
County: Hertfordshire
Volume: 3a
Page: 455

You're doing a great job of accounting for the family.