Two marriages?

[Asa]

I appear to have two marriages for Charles Hucker and Eliza Davis on Ancestry's London PRs. 18 Jun 1878 at St Pancras Parish Chapel and 2 Oct 1878 at Holy Trinity Marylebone Road - am I missing something?

[Merry]

There's no instantly obvious reason, is there?

Apparently both of full age at the first ceremony, he's not in the forces, the churches are the same denomination,.....erm....what else?

[Olde Crone]

Well, I had a quick look and I cannot find St Pancras CHAPEL...where is it?

Could the first be Banns in the parish of residence, the second the actual ceremony?

Is the chapel a sister chapel or a chapel of ease? I've had that before where an over-enthusiastic cleric has recorded the event in the sister chapel and then in the mother church. that would not account for a difference in dates though, would it?

OC

[Merry]

The St Pancras marriage entry states the event took place at St Pancras Parish Church. In 1878 that should have been St Pancras New Church which is on the south side of Euston Road. The Old Church (Pancras Road, Camden) lost its status as the parish church when the New Church was consecrated in 1822, and became a chapel of ease.

So, the Chapel ought to be a ref to the Old Church, but I can't see any ref to it on the entry. Maybe I need to check out the first page of the register?

(none of which helps with the two marriage ceremonies!!)

[Asa]

I really don't know, Merry - everything is exactly the same.

OC, I think St Pancras Parish Chapel is St Pancras Old Church - a chapel of ease after St Pancras Euston Square was built. Both marriages appear as normal and in sequence. Odd.

[Asa]

Typing at the same time, Merry - I always have real problems identifying if I'm looking at the Old Church or the Euston Square one - it's rarely clear.

[Merry]

I worked back from the page with the marriage on it, until I reached page 1. The next image just has the highest page from the previous register, but also this rather dark slip of paper. I can't see the word chapel anywhere on it:

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1623/31280_197534-00049/?htx=View&r=5538&dbid=1623&iid=31280_197534-00049&fn=Maria&ln=Adams&st=d&ssrc=&pid=6763266#?imageId=31280_197534-00020

I expect guests regularly attended the wrong wedding at St Pancras!

[Merry]

Was Charles in the forces after the marriage? (not sure that would make any difference)

[Merry]

Oh, he seems to have joined up in Sept 1869 for 12 years (fmp) - if I'm looking at the right man - b Shapwick, Somerset about 1849?

[Merry]

The army papers only mention the second marriage ceremony at Holy Trinity, Marylebone.

[Merry]

He was tall for the times - 6'3½" at age 20 in 1869. Weighed in at 181lbs at the same date.

[Olde Crone]

There's the answer then - first marriage hadn't been authorised by the CO.

Cor, what a huge man!

OC

[Asa]

Oh that's interesting, thank you Merry. I'll look at those. This family (my great grandmother's) are so over researched online, I tend not to look at them too much.

It really must be some sort of blip. Looking on freebmd, both marriages are indexed.

[Asa]

Ah thanks OC, I don't know anything about that sort of thing. They were big people - a niece was known as Strapper:)

[Merry]

a niece was known as Strapper:)

lol!

[Olde Crone]

LOL, poor soul!

Yes, both marriages would be indexed. If you think about it, only the first would be valid in law - they were not free to marry the second time, even each other. However, I doubt if they ever told anyone they had married twice!

OC