Can't find a marriage

[oliveriles]

Elizabeth Hepper gave birth to Walter Western in 1848 & Frederic Western in 1850.

The Birth Certificate for the 1948 birth show no father's name and records the mothers name as Hepper and the sons name as Western.

The Birth Certificate for the 1950 birth show the father's name as William Western - the son's name as Western and the mother's name as Western formally Hepper.

So logically there should have been a marriage between April 1848 & April 1850.

The births were in St.Sidwell, Exeter and Witheridge, Deveon.

But even with all this info I can not locate a marriage.

The 1851 census shows her living in lodgings with her younger son - no mention of father or the older son. Also she has recorded her name as Hepper again.

Anyone got any thoughts on where the marriage is?

[Kate P]

Could it be that the registrar recorded Elizabeth's name as an assumption without asking for direct confirmation? Given that she's rcorded her own name as Hepper in the next census I'd be very inclined to think that they never did marry.

[Lin Fisher]

On 1851 she is recorded as being unmarried. There is a marriage for Elizabeth Hepper in Jun qtr of 1851. Could that be her marrying some one else?

Look at the record and see if you can tie anything into 1861 census.

Would help you but am just on the way out!!

[Breckland Jane]

On the 1861 census Elizabeth appears to be married to Henry Ballen. Both Walter and Frederick are there named Western Hepper and she has three children with Henry Ballen.

Piece: 1484; Folio: 66; Page: 12

Jane

[Kate P]

And a possible marriage: for an Elizabeth Hooper and a John Bollen in Jun qtr 1860 Yeovil 5c 889 on freebmb. Was the only potential match at all, and only with phonetic search on too.

[Breckland Jane]

On the 1851 I think it's possible that Walter has become William.

Do you know who Elizabeth's parents were? I have found a possible in 1841 with parents John & Susan. In 1851 John and Susan have a grandson William with them. He is the right age to be Walter but of course this may be a grandson belonging to another of John & Susan's children.

Incidentally, there is a Western family living right next door - not William though.

[Breckland Jane]

I'm not having any luck finding a marriage for Henry Ballen to Elizabeth.

Jane

[oliveriles]

thank you for looking at this for me - I really appreciate it.

Henry Bulled is the correct name - think typo in translation.

Parents were John Hepper and Susan

[Olde Crone Holden]

When you say the son's name is recorded as Western...which column is this in?

As far as I remember, in the 1800s there was no column for the SURNAME of a child. The surname was inferred from the father's name, or the mother's name if no father on cert.

It was a very common workaround to give the child a second forename which was the natural father's surname.

She probably lied to the registrar about being married when registering Frederic's birth.

OC

[oliveriles]

Yep, I think she must have lied.

Column 2 - Name if any - states Walter Western - agreed is odd as should just read Walter

[Little Nell]

I think it very unlikely there was a marriage. If it says Walter Western that's the name given. If the father's column is blank that is a sign of illegitimacy.

If she was still married or widowed, she wouldn't have reverted to her maiden name for the census.