Unconfigured Ad Widget

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Marriage puzzle

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Marriage puzzle

    David John Jackson Hill and Jane Maud (aka Dolly) Walford nee Hordern.

    According to FreeBMD, q1 1915 Portsmouth D J J Hill marries Jane M Walford/Jane M Hordern.
    At the time he would have been a Major. He was a widower whilst she was divorced so I assume this was a registry office wedding. Is there any way of checking, short of buying the cert?

    She was member of the very prominent Hordern family of Sydney, Australia. There are literally hundreds of references on Trove re her social life so I find it odd that I can find no reference to this marriage in Australian newspapers.

    However, in 1918, there are several references mentioning that she has married him in Natal, South Africa earlier in 1918 - no exact date given.
    First ref published in June 1918:
    News has come from England that the first Mrs. Leslie Walford (who was Dolly Hordern) was recently married in South Africa to Mr. David Hill - a man much liked by her family. Mrs. Hill is living in South Africa at present, where her sister, Priscilla (Mrs. Olivier), also lives. Her daughter, Phyllis Walford, is with her.

    Then in August/September 1918 fuller info:
    At Natal, South Africa, early this year, the marriage was celebrated of Colonel David Hill, D.S.O., Deputy Director of Ordnance Services in the British East African Expeditionary Forces, and Miss Jane Hordern, eldest daughter of the late Mr. Samuel Hordern, of Sydney.

    As both the 1915 marriage and 1918 newspaper reports definitely refer to the same couple, what's the explanation? Why would they marry twice - if that is indeed what happened?

    Can anyone find a newspaper reference (UK or Australian) re the 1915 or a South African marriage record that confirms the 1918 marriage?

    Thanks,
    Christine
    Last edited by Karamazov; 27-04-19, 14:58.
    Researching:
    HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

  • #2
    Per FMP which has Portsmouth area parish records, the David JJ HILL marriage does NOT show a church marriage so safe to assume registry office I think

    Comment


    • #3
      Usually when military is mentioned, the reason for two marriages is because the man did not have permission from his CO to marry, but that hardly seems likely here.

      Perhaps the family was religious and did not consider a RO marriage was respectable. Perhaps they were ashamed of the divorce. Do you know anything about the first husband, might he have died between 1915 and 1918 thus allowing her to marry as a widow. Whatever, it does smell of some sort of cover up on someone's part!

      OC

      Comment


      • #4
        If he didn't get permission from his C.O. then his 1st marriage wouldn't be counted, I had a similar experience with my grt grt grandad he had to marry my grt grt grannie twice! [didn't have permission from his CO]
        Julie
        They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

        .......I find dead people

        Comment


        • #5
          snap OC! :smilee:
          Julie
          They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

          .......I find dead people

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Olde Crone Holden View Post
            Usually when military is mentioned, the reason for two marriages is because the man did not have permission from his CO to marry, but that hardly seems likely here.

            Perhaps the family was religious and did not consider a RO marriage was respectable. Perhaps they were ashamed of the divorce. Do you know anything about the first husband, might he have died between 1915 and 1918 thus allowing her to marry as a widow. Whatever, it does smell of some sort of cover up on someone's part!

            OC
            OC - she was definitely properly legally divorced - decree absolute granted in Australia Feb 1914 where her first husband divorced her on the grounds of her desertion. They had a big society wedding in Sydney in 1902, and their daughter was born 1903. They seem to have lived more or less separate lives from about 1905 - she (with daughter) seems to have much preferred life in Europe. There were other divorces in her family - I don't get the feeling that shame played any part, or religion for that matter.
            I can't see there being any sort of "cover up" - he would have been aware of her daughter, plus both her maiden and previous married names are recorded in the 1915 marriage index.
            Christine
            Last edited by Karamazov; 27-04-19, 19:50.
            Researching:
            HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Darksecretz View Post
              If he didn't get permission from his C.O. then his 1st marriage wouldn't be counted, I had a similar experience with my grt grt grandad he had to marry my grt grt grannie twice! [didn't have permission from his CO]
              How does that work then Julie? Can a superior officer "void" a marriage that has taken place with a registrar and witnesses present? Would it involve the marriage being legally annulled, even if that wasn't the wish of either party and there was no other impediment to their marriage?
              Just a gut feeling, but I tend to agree with OC that not having permission seems fairly unlikely here...

              Christine

              PS - unless the senior officer had strong moral objections to one of his officers marrying a divorcee? But if permission was refused, wouldn't the superior officer have to present some more pressing military-based reason?
              Last edited by Karamazov; 27-04-19, 19:54.
              Researching:
              HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

              Comment


              • #8
                No, the marriage would not be void because he did not get permission, but all sorts of punishments were dished out and privileges lost including loss of rank and therefore pay. Also the wife and any subsequent children would not exist as far as the military was concerned.

                I meant that if the first husband died after the divorce, she could marry in church as a widow, but as no date is given for the alleged marriage in 1918, I wonder if it took place at all.

                OC

                Comment


                • #9
                  perhaps the 1918 was just the celebration, bit odd but maybe in 1915, he just went off to war, and no celebrations, by 1918 they had a big do?

                  No idea if this sort of thing happened, but wording could be read that way.
                  Carolyn
                  Family Tree site

                  Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
                  Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Karamazov View Post
                    How does that work then Julie? Can a superior officer "void" a marriage that has taken place with a registrar and witnesses present? Would it involve the marriage being legally annulled, even if that wasn't the wish of either party and there was no other impediment to their marriage?
                    Just a gut feeling, but I tend to agree with OC that not having permission seems fairly unlikely here...

                    Christine

                    PS - unless the senior officer had strong moral objections to one of his officers marrying a divorcee? But if permission was refused, wouldn't the superior officer have to present some more pressing military-based reason?
                    I don't really know, Christine is the honest answer, Though I did find this

                    01 General
                    We want to get married; does my soldier need to ask permission?

                    You no longer have to ask formal permission to get married but some units do retain the tradition of asking the Commanding Officer for permission. It is probably best the soldier checks the form at their unit. The soldier does have to ensure that they update their details on JPA to let the Army know they are married and any change of address. They should also update their Next of Kin details.
                    Julie
                    They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

                    .......I find dead people

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I can't currently find anything other than the belated Aussie newspaper reports to back up the 1918 South African marriage. I have looked at South African marriages on familysearch, including Natal but it's not recorded there - I'm not sure how complete these records are.

                      Are there any other South African BMD or newspaper sites that I can investigate?

                      Christine
                      Researching:
                      HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X