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**Mike Fisher** · 07-04-11, 15:29

before the start of Civil Registration on 1st July 1937 parents did not have to be recorded on marriage registers. So all you will get is which parish each belonged to, if it was by banns or license, if they signed or made their mark and the names of the witnesses (generally two people) also their marital status

**zoejg** · 07-04-11, 16:31

Ah, OK - thanks, Mike. Guess I'm at a full stop then :(

**Janet** · 07-04-11, 18:23

Not necessarily at a full stop. Not sure where you live but if you were able to visit the nearest County Record Office to Dudley and see if you can find the baptism of Benjamin Bourne/Lowe at Dudley. Once past 1837 you are into Parish Records and although you can do some work on ancestors online, there is a long way to go to be able to do all the research online. I presume you have tried Free Reg? The marriage details at the CRO will give you whether or not the people were of this parish when they married. If they married by licence you may be able to get to see the details at the CRO. Being of this parish (OTP) just means they were living in the parish at the time of marriage. If you have an occupation you may also foind out more from the CRO if say he was working asa gardner/manservant/bailiff for the local landowner. Tithe maps of the area around 1820 may also help you locate an ancestor. If you live near London Tithe maps are available at the BL.

I see you have a birth date for the parish of Brockmoor nr Dudley so yes a trip to the nearest CRO to Dudley would help you a lot unless the details are on Free Reg. Sometimes you get a father's name if a child is illegitimate and of course a Bastardy order may be around so a lot to do at a CRO!

Janet

**zoejg** · 08-04-11, 05:48

Hi Janet,

Thanks for the detailed reply.

I live in Spain but I will be in England for a week at the end of the month, so I can go then. Maybe the witnesses names will give some clues. It would be great if a Lowe witnessed the marriage, but probably too much to hope for. I guess also a bastardy order is worth looking for, because the evidence is indicating that he was born a Bourne but knew his father was a Lowe.

I've tried FreeReg but drawn a blank. So at present all I have is the LDS marriage record (which lists just the bride, groom (Bourne), date, church and the fact that they were both single) and 1851 -1881 censuses. Benjamin was a forgeman, listed as Bourne in 1851, Lowe in 1861, 1871, and 1881 (all backed up by profession and other members of the family). And I have a death record for a Benjamin Lowe Bourne b. 1812 (Jan 1887).

So it appears that Benjamin stopped using the name Bourne between 1851 and 1861 but that his family (presumably his daughter registered the death, he was living with them in the census previous to his death) knew about the Lowe component since his death was registered with both names.

There was an illegitimate Benjamin Bourne born in Brierley (censuses give Brierley Hill/Brockmoor as birth place) in 1809 to an Anne Bourne. Overall, the dates are pointing at a birth date slightly later than this, but it's the only one that looks possible to me. No later marriage found between an Anne and a Mr. Lowe.

Are there any special records for forgemen?

Many thanks,
Zoe

**HeleninGlos** · 08-04-11, 05:57

Dudley Archives close for the last full week of each month so bear that in mind when you are planning a trip. They do operate a research service for £10.20 per half hour but if you know the names, place and date of a marriage they have in the past looked them up just as a one off and at no charge. It would be worth emailing them to see, all the details on their website http://www.dudley.gov.uk/leisure-and...-local-history.

Good Luck

**zoejg** · 08-04-11, 06:21

Thanks, Helen - I'm there at the start of May... I'm going to be tight on time and won't be staying in Dudley so might go for their research service

**Janet** · 08-04-11, 09:06

Would forgeman relate to Blacksmith? Blacksmith is the oldest trade in the UK and you may well find something in the archives. I am not familiar with Dudley though possibly it is connected to the iron industry and that maybe where the forgeman comes from? You willl need to check that with others more familiar to Dudley.

Janet

**zoejg** · 08-04-11, 09:52

Yes, I think so - in one census he was listed as an "iron forgeman" rather than just "forgeman". I know Dudley had a big coal industry, not so sure whether it was an iron hub, although I know that nearby places were.

**Janet** · 08-04-11, 17:31

Where there's coal there are always other industres like iron works etc but all my ancestors are ag labs so I am not into the Industrial scene but I am sure others will know.

Janet

**HeleninGlos** · 08-04-11, 19:30

My Dudley ancestor was an iron puddler and I seem to remember other iron puddlers on the same census page so their certainly was some iron industry thereabouts but I have not investigated in any great detail. I seem to remember that Dudley lay upon mineral deposits including coal and iron and this was what contributed to its industrial growth.

**zoejg** · 08-04-11, 20:46

Thanks, both. I e-mailed Dudley CRO this morning to ask about their search service and am awaiting a reply. Don't know if it's going to work because the Website says you have to pay in Sterling cheques and I live in Spain and we don't use cheques at all, let alone in Sterling. Fingers crossed they'll accept a credit card over the phone.

This has been a dead end for me for two years. Would love to break it.

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