Who was his first wife?

[KiwiChris]

I have William Maurice Arnold b 1876 Rochester, in 1911 he is a widowed clergyman in Crowhurst Vicarage with 2 small children, the youngest Margaret Fanny Emma just 4 months old. Her birth was registered in Godstone Dec q 1910. The same quarter in Godstone is the death of Margaret K Arnold age 37.

1901 William is single and with the eldest child in 1911 born 1909, he must have married between 1901 and 1908. I cannot find that marriage. He did remarry in 1913, and I have that marriage information and that wife sorted out.

I have searched for Margaret K b c1873 on the 1901 census and got quite excited about a couple of daughters of clergymen, but I can either find them still unmarried in 1911, or married to someone else.

Can anyone else see a likely marriage to Margaret K? I would love to be able to name his first wife.

[kiterunner]

The first child seems to have been born in 1908 rather than 1909, Chris: Maurice Augustus Arnold Jul-Sep 1908 Godstone vol 2a p 241. Doesn't really help much though.

[KiwiChris]

You have to wonder if the marriage did not happen in England/Wales. I have gone through the William Arnold/Margaret combinations on Free BMD and it does not seem to be any of them. I guess she could be Scottish or somewhere else that does not make it onto Free BMD??

[kiterunner]

Surrey Mirror 18 Nov 1910
SAD AFFAIR AT CROWHURST
DEATH OF THE VICAR'S WIFE PLACES THE VILLAGE IN MOURNING
Quite a gloom was cast over this village and neighbourhood at the sad news of the death of Mrs Arnold, wife of the Rev W. M. Arnold, which took place at the Vicarage on Sunday, the 6th inst., leaving a baby girl only born a few hours. Mrs Arnold came to the parish as the Vicar's bride some four years ago, when he entered on his duties there, and has not enjoyed very good health since then, having had one or two serious illnesses, so that only those in close contact with her knew of her charming and benevolent disposition. The funeral took place at the Parish church on the 10th inst. The service was beautifully rendered. The Rev G H Marten, vicar of Tatefield, read the opening sentences and collects, the Ven G W Daniell, Archdeacon of Kingston, read the Lesson and gave the Benediction, and the Rev S L Buckwell, Limpsfield, took the service at the grave. The 90th Psalm was chanted by the choir and congregation, who also sang the hymns, "They whose course on earth is o'er" and "Now the labourer's task is o'er" in the church, and "Jesus lives, no longer now can thy terrors death appal us" at the graveside. There was a large gathering of relatives, friends, and parishioners to show their sympathy towards the Vicar in his bereavement. The mourners were the Rev W M Arnold (husband), Mr and Mrs R A Arnold (brother and sister-in-law), Mr A W Booth (brother-in-law) and Nurse Sutton. Those also present included the Rev Canon Borradaile, the Rev F W Parsons (Vicar of Tandridge), Rev F G Deedes (Vicar of Blindley Heath), the Rev K Clarke (Vicar of Lingfield). Exquisite floral tributes were sent by: The bereaved husband, Mr Max Michaelis, "Bob and Olive", Rev F Deedes, Mr H H Konig, Mr and Mrs Donahue, Mrs Selwyn L Buckwell, Mr Frank Tweedale, "All at Tenchleve", Crowhurst School, Mr and Mrs J Clark, Mrs T Clark, Mr and Mrs M Stacey, Mrs Jones and Wilfred, "Maudie", Mrs Sollands, Oliver, and family, and Mr and Mrs T H Williams.

[kiterunner]

Scotland's People is going very slow today but there is a likely marriage on there. Will post the details when I have managed to get them.

[KiwiChris]

Oh, well done you! I wonder if the Brother in Law means she was nee Booth or he was married to Rev Arnold's sister.

[KiwiChris]

The only William Arnold/Margaret marriage in the right time frame on Free BMD is Walsall 1906, and I can find that couple in 1911 and it is not the right one.

[kiterunner]

William Maurice Arnold married Margaret Keith Harper in 1906, St Nicholas district, Aberdeenshire. That's as much as I can get out of the free search on Scotland's People.

[kiterunner]

Oh, well done you! I wonder if the Brother in Law means she was nee Booth or he was married to Rev Arnold's sister.

Or it could mean he was married to Margaret's sister.

[KiwiChris]

Oh yes, true! Thanks so much for that marriage, I hate leaving my clergy not properly wed LOL!

[KiwiChris]

Margaret Keith Harper b 23 March 1868 Foveran Aberdeen, so she is older than I thought.

[kiterunner]

There is an Arthur William Booth / Mary Bealy (or Besly) Arnold marriage Jan-Mar 1891 Medway district on FreeBMD. Some public ancestry trees have her as Mary Besley Arnold, sister of Rev William Maurice Arnold.

[KiwiChris]

Oh, well done, that sorts him out.

I have Margaret Keith Harper and parents sorted now I think, and what I have found matches a public family tree which looses Margaret after 1891, and I cannot obviously find her in 1901 either, but that is not really important, although it would be nice to know how she and William met, but more because I am nosy than that I need it!

This is a new project - 1147 clergy who attended the Anglo Catholic Conference in Oxford in 1921. That should keep me out of mischief for a while! The best bit is that so far they have all been really interesting people with a number of interesting famous links, and I am still doing the As :d

[kiterunner]

Let me know if the Rev Herbert Brown (1862-1933) is one of them, please.

[KiwiChris]

No, sorry not on the list, the only Browns are Cyril, Hugh and RN, possibly Ralph Noel, but I still need to confirm his names.

[kiterunner]

Thanks, Chris.