Did they really marry in England in 1895?

Question

I'm researching a side branch of my husband's line-- the ancestry of the first spouse of his grandmother...

Albert Porter was born in England about 1851; per the 1900 census, he emigrated in 1882, and his wife Kate Godfrey emigrated in 1895-- the same year they were married.

There is a British newspaper notice about their marriage (the Western Gazette.) The way familysearch indexes it, it looks like the marriage took place in Yeovil, Somerset, England (which means Albert went back to England to marry), but I want to confirm this-- it's possible that the "event" on the familysearch index page was the marriage *notice* not necessarily the event itself.

Wondering if anyone with access to newspaper archives in the UK can look up the actual notice and tell me what it says.

Here's the familysearch citation:

"British Newspaper Archive, Family Notices", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPCL-PD55 : Fri Oct 27 16:01:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Albert P Porter and J D Porter, 22 Nov 1895.

Many many thank you's!

Answer 1

I found the notice on page 8 of the Western Gazette. It reads as follows:

PORTER-GODFREY,-Nov.12, at St. Lawrence's, Reading, Albert P. Porter, third son of the late J.D. Porter, of Glastonbury, to Katie, second daughter of the late Walter Edmondbury Godfrey, of Fairmount, Romsey."

I also found the transcript for the marriage register on FindMyPast. Albert was a bachelor, aged 44, Journalist, resident at St Laurence, Reading. Kate was a spinster, aged 39, resident at Christ Church, Fremantle, Hants. Groom's father was Job Doel Porter, Commercial Traveller. Brides father was Walter Edmond Brey Godfrey, a Merchant. Witnesses were George Franklin, Car? Godfrey, Frances Anne Franklin, Alfred Dwerell Porters. Here's the citation for it.
<ref>'''Marriage''' "Berkshire Marriages Index"<br/>

Archive: Berkshire Archives; Reference: D/P97/1/21; Page: 127<br/>

[https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FBERKSHIRE%2FMAR%2F000299956%2F1 FindMyPast Transcription] (accessed 6 December 2023)<br/>

Albert Paxton Porter (44) marriage to Kate Godfrey (39) on 12 Nov 1895 in Reading, Berkshire, England.</ref>

Comments

Thanks for the additional details, Roy!

This suggests that the 1882 emigration data on the 1900 census was inaccurate.

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Roy, would you be willing to look up another for me in this line?  The "J.D. Porter" referenced above was "Job Doel Porter".  I found the following marriage notice that I believe is this Job Doel Porter. The notice names the bride "Miss Devereaux" a surname used as a middle name by Job Doel Porter's grandson.

 "Berkshire Marriages Index" Archive: Berkshire Archives; Reference: D/P97/1/21; Page: 127: [https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBPRS%2FBERKSHIRE%2FMAR%2F000299956%2F1 FindMyPast Transcription] (accessed 6 December 2023): Albert Paxton Porter (44) marriage to Kate Godfrey (39) on 12 Nov 1895 in Reading, Berkshire, England.

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That link was the one I gave you, so didn't help.
However, I found a marriage registration for Job Doel Porter to Joanna Deverell, registered at Malmesbury, Wiltshire, in the fourth quarter of 1844. There is also a probate record for Job Doel Porter, in 1862. On Ancestry, the citation is:

<ref>

'''Probate''':

"England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995"<br/>

Original data: Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England<br/>

{{Ancestry Sharing|8196851|7b22746f6b656e223a2234345941436565696268544e4d39464744684f413272745a554e4e754947476d415749706a4968513751383d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d}} - {{Ancestry Record|1904|5669114}} (accessed 7 December 2023)<br/>

Job Doel Porter probate on 11 Mar 1862 in Wells. Died 10 Feb 1862 in Somerset, England.

</ref>

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Roy, this is wonderful. Thank you!

Answer 2

Here it is:
PORTER-GODFREY - Nov. 12, at St Lawrence's, Reading, Albert P. Porter, third son of the late J. D. Porter, of Glastonbury, to Katie, second daughter of the late Walter Edmondbury Godfrey, of Fairmount, Romsey.

BTW: The marriage was registered in the Reading Registration District (Berkshire) in the December quarter of 1895, Vol 2c, page 823.  The 'Yeovil' mention is where the newspaper was published, not where the marriage took place..

Comments

Ros,

You rock! Thank you!  This is what I wanted to confirm.

So he went back to England to get married (or his emigration date on the 1900 census was inaccurate).

Thank you!

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"Reading Registration District (Berkshire) in the December quarter of 1895, Vol 2c, page 823"

And, if you are unable to find the actual parish registry entry for the marriage, you can use that citation to buy the Marriage Certification online at the GRO.  Marriage Cert would have names of B&G's fathers and fathers' occupations, and the names of the witnesses.  Also residences of the B&G (at the time of the marriage).

It would have been info copied from the parish register, which is why the PR is better.

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Thanks, S Brooks.

Answer 3

Porter-Godfrey Nov 12, at St Lawrence's Reading,  Albert P Porter, third son of the late J.D. Porter of Glastonbury to Katie, second daughter of the late Walter Edmondbury Godfrey of Fairmount, Romsey.

Oops 2 posts already there!

The Western Gazette is published in Yeovil.

Comments

Thank you, Helen!