Part 158g – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1912 Marriage - Grandparents Frederick Henry and Madge (née Goodey) Robertson

Morning and Merry Christmas Eve,

I thought today I would begin and start a continuation of the vital key points of my grandmother Madge (née Goodey) Robertson's life. In Part 76g I began with the presentation of her Birth Entry, 16 February 1891.

My grandparents Frederick Henry Robertson and Madge Goodey were married 5 December 1912 at the Register Office in the District of West Ham in the Counties of Essex and West Ham. And as luck would have it, I was able to get a hold of a image of their original Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage. Thank-you to Shirley, Derek, and Jenny.

As the copy was in two pieces I have attempted, with today’s technology to piece the parts together and best as I could to provide you with one image.

Transcribing –

Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage.
Superintendent Registrar’s District of WEST HAM.
1912 Marriage Solemnized at the REGISTER OFFICE
In the District of WEST HAM, in the Counties of WEST HAM AND ESSEX.
No. – 14
When Married – Fifth December 1912
Name and Surname. – Frederick Henry Robertson; Madge Goodey
Age. – 21 Years; 21 Years
Condition. – Bachelor; Spinster
Rank or Profession – Secretary of Public Company; -
Residence at the time of Marriage. – Mount Ford, Upper Walthamstow Road, Walthamstow; 40 Woodstock Road, Walthamstow
Father’s Name and Surname. – Alexander Pirie Robertson; Joseph Goodey
Rank or Profession of Father. – Commercial Clerk; Commercial Clerk
Married in the REGISTER OFFICE, by ? Turner? before me,
This Marriage was Solemnized between us, { F. H. Robertson; Madge Goodey } in the Presence of us, { Joseph Goodey; W.T. Robertson }
A. Sayer, Registrar. Alfred Hall, Superintendent Registrar.
I, ALBERT WILLIAM SAYER, Registrar of Marriages for the District of WEST HAM, in the Counties of WEST HAM AND ESSEX, do hereby Certify that this is a True Copy of the Entry No. 14 in the Register Book of Marriages, for the said District, and that such Register Book is now legally in my custody.
Witness my Hand this 5 day of December 1912
A. Sayer

And with this information I was able to find the corresponding Marriage Index entries from the General Register Office, London via Ancestry.co.uk.

And my transcriptions –

96 MARRIAGES REGISTERED IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 1912. ROB
Names of persons married. – Robertson, Frederick H.; Goodey
District. – W. Ham
Vol. – 4 a
Page. – 763

377 MARRIAGES REGISTERED IN OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 1912. GOO
Names of persons married. – Goodey, Madge; Robertson
District. – W. Ham
Vol. – 4 a
Page. – 763

And subsequently I was able to order a Certified Copy from the General Register Office.

As you can see the information is almost word-for-word as that on the above Certified Copy dated 5 December 1912. But as I examined the second copy more closely I noticed that there is a difference. The two Witnesses are not the same on the two different Copies. On the first, the Witnesses are Joseph Goodey and W. T. Robertson; on the second, they are Joseph Goodey and A. Robertson. All-things-being-equal I believe I can identify the three individual persons. Joseph Goodey is my grandmother Madge’s father, my great-grandfather. W. T. Robertson is, I think, my grandfather Frederick’s brother, William Thomas, my granduncle. The second signature, A. Robertson, is possibly that of my grandfather Frederick’s father, my great-grandfather Alexander.

And what could this mean? It means that all three; great-grandfather Joseph Goodey, great-grandfather Alexander Pirie Robertson, and granduncle William Thomas Robertson were present at the civil marriage ceremony of my grandparents Frederick Henry Robertson and Madge Goodey. This also means that one can never be 100% certain about information on any document that one has in his or her possession. There may be more information to be had on subsequent or different copies which represent the same event. Just a thought…

Enjoy,

Jim