St Mary's Church Kingswinford Marriage Record

[Lyn Riley]

Hi, I live in New Zealand and am seeking help from a distance with transcripts from the St Mary's Church, Kingswinford parish records for my relative who I believe was married there (potentially twice) but unable to confirm. I am wanting to know who the witnesses were to these two marriages to ascertain the Groom's father and/or mother/siblings if possible. Details are:

Richard Wallis married Elizabeth (Betsey) Potter in this church on 4 June 1820. Betsey Potter (Wallis) died/buried on 25 Nov 1829 Bromsgrove.

Richard Wallis then married Mary Ann Butler in Kingswinford on 14 Feb 1830. I would also like to know the witness names to this marriage to ascertain whether it was the same Richard Wallis or not.

If anyone could steer me in the right direction for access to these records on line (ie I need the original witness names) then I would be eternally grateful. Thanks Lyn

[warncoort]

Freereg has the information.
https://www.freereg.org.uk/

[Lyn Riley]

OMG you are brilliant thank you! Pity the witnesses weren't family names but this is a most helpful link thank you again.

[Lyn Riley]

Can you advise whether there are many transcriber mistakes on the above records? I have located what I believe is my family member's death record on this site you recommended for Staffordshire(right place, right name, right person abode) however the age is incorrect (stated 35 instead of 43). Is there any way to double check these parish records/transcriber, or does one have to buy the death certificate to confirm or not(1849)? I should state I am looking for Mary Ann Wallis b. 1806 died after 1848 and before 1851 census in Birmingham.

[warncoort]

Not certain,but i believe transcribers are told to use what is in front of them,no corrections or adjustments.
GRO will have age recorded at death.
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/c...cates/menu.asp

[Lyn Riley]

thank you. Have done a quick search and while there is a death entry for 1849 it does not give her age. It also states registration district Peterborough which is different to the St Matthew's Church Walsall, Staffs on the freereg.org website. Peterborough is in Cambridge isn't it?

[warncoort]

You cite Kingswinford then Walsall as her place of death,where were they living in 1841?

[Lyn Riley]

She was married in Kingswinford to Richard Wallis in 1830 (was looking for their relatives), then they lived in Bromsgrove where my ancestor was born (Richard Wallis Jnr) in 1831 and on 1841 census they were living in Edgbaston St Birmingham. Richard Wallis Snr died in Park St Birmingham Feb 1849 (death certificate verifies)where Mary signed as witness so I know she was alive and at Park St at that time. Can't find her on 1851 census so assumed she had also died young and have been checking between 1848 and 1850 death records to locate her. Have located the one in question states Walsall 1849 abode listed as Park st, church named as St Matthews Church Walsall (Birmingham?)but aged 35 which I question. She would have been around 43 years old in 1849. will probably have to buy the death certificate to ascertain correct age?

[Pam Downes]

thank you. Have done a quick search and while there is a death entry for 1849 it does not give her age. It also states registration district Peterborough which is different to the St Matthew's Church Walsall, Staffs on the freereg.org website. Peterborough is in Cambridge isn't it?

The burial of Mary Ann Wallis in St John the Baptist, Peterborough, is for a fourteen-day old baby. (FreeREG). Shown as aged 0, in the GRO Historical deaths index. (Link in post #5).

The age at death for the record you refer to in post #4 also says 35 in the GRO's Historical deaths index.
Ages at deaths can be wrong as the information is only as good as the informant's knowledge of the deceased.
You might have to order a PDF death certificate to see who registered Mary's death.
Just to confirm, that burial was at St Matthew's, Walsall.
Have you found a burial in Kingswinford - which is not in Walsall registration district.

However, from what I can see on the FamilySearch site, if you have a local LDS Family History Centre then you should be able to view the parish register images for St Matthew's there.

Why are you so certain that Mary Ann died between 1848 and 1851?

Pam

[Pam Downes]

Sorry Lyn,
I took ages to type my post so ended cross-posting with yours which answered most of my questions.
However, my post should have answered some of yours - mainly about the difference between Mary's likely age at death and the one given on her death certificate. If her husband was already deceased then it may have been a neighbour who registered her death. (I know the age of one of my neighbours because she had a big O one last month, but only have a rough idea of her husband's age, and those of my other two neighbours.)

I'm not necessarily happy that both addresses say Park Street. I think it may be a complete coincidence (there's more than one Park Street in England), because Richard's death registration is Birmingham while that Mary's is Walsall, and the two are entirely different registration districts. There's no information given about parishes being transfered from one to the other in 1849. (Click on the registration district name on FreeBMD and follow the link.)

Have you checked for Mary re-marrying after Richard's death?

Pam