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Hello again,
I'd be really grateful if anyone can have another look for the marriage of John George Bowen and Louisa Clark.

I have recently received a copy of their son, Alexander William Bowen's birth certificate which has his parent's correct names.

I have also been looking for a birth for John George Bowen and haven't come up with much. There is a John James Boman on an 1851 census, age 4, his mother Elizabeth Boman. Surname has been edited as Bowen. Apart from John who was born in St. George in the East, the rest of the family were born in Wiltshire. The names 'John James' match details on 1871 census which MaureeninNY found.

If you need anymore details or clarification on the info I have given, please do not hesitate to ask.

Many Thanks

Wow! Thank you everyone. Your research astounds me! Its amazing! I am taking notes on how you guys work things out.
Jo xx

That's the couple I was looking for in 1871 (having matched them by eliminating the other two parties on the page) - but no luck with either one.

Unless Louisa was Martha and didn't like her name either.

Well whaddaya know.

Births Mar 1850
Woodward Louisa Stepney 2 541

Awful danged coincidental!


Except this is that one in 1851:

Name: Louisa Woodward
Age: 1
Estimated birth year: abt 1850
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: John
Mother's Name: Sarah
Gender: Female
Where born: Stepney, Middlesex, England

Civil parish: Bethnal Green

John Woodward 24
Sarah Woodward 24
Louisa Woodward 1


Always possible she didn't know her father's name properly ... or he was another John/James ...

Don't see a Martha in 1850 with father James in that vicinity, just one in Buckinghamshire.


And there ain't no Woodward-Matthews (or Wood*-Mat*) marriage for either a Louisa or a Martha!!!

Name: John Bowen boiler maker
Age: Full Age
Estimated birth year: abt 1870
Spouse Name: Martha Matthew widow
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 9 Oct 1870
Parish: St James the Great, Bethnal Green
County: Middlesex
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Father Name: William Bowen dec
Spouse Father Name: James Woodward dec.
address Bethnal green rd
not much help then ?

1911 census - household transcription
Person: BOWEN, Louisa
Address: 3 Stratfield Road Bromley by Bow E


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BOWEN, John Head Married
40 years M 62 1849 Labourer St George in East VIEW
BOWEN, Louisa Wife Married F 62 1849 Bethnal Green VIEW
BOWEN, J George Son Single M 37 1874 Labourer General Stepney VIEW
BOWEN, Sarah Daughter Single F 22 1889 Servant Domestic St George in the East VIEW
BOWEN, Elizabeth Daughter Single F 20 1891 Stepney VIEW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RG number:
RG14 Piece:
1680 Reference:


10 children all living

Aha. James J/John went by his middle name very possibly. (That's the common reason for specifying a middle initial in the census. The other configuration commonly seen is that his name was John James but went by James and shifted the John to be the middle initial.)


Births Dec 1846
Bowen John James St Geo East 2 97


(John Cooke Bowen was born in West Derby in 1846, btw.)

I can't find a marriage either.

1871 Ancestry
Name: Louisa Bowen
Age: 23
Estimated birth year: abt 1848
Relation: Wife
Spouse's name: James J
Gender: Female
Where born: Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England
Civil parish: St Anne Limehouse
Ecclesiastical parish: St John
County/Island: London
Country: England
Registration district: Stepney
Sub-registration district: Limehouse
ED, institution, or vessel: 6
Household schedule number: 140
Household Members:
Name Age
James J Bowen 24 born St Geo* East
Louisa Bowen 23
Source Citation: Class: RG10; Piece: 549; Folio: 139; Page: 21

Same address (Samuel Street as daughter Louisa's baptism.)

Maureen

In 1881, daughter Louisa is stated as born in Limehouse. Limehouse was in Stepney registration district.

Births Sep 1871
Bowen Louisa Stepney 1c 446

So you'd think we'd find the parents in that vicinity in 1871 ...


The Bowen + Hollis marriage that caza suggested was in Knighton reg dist so it seems unlikely, unfortunately, given the spouses' birthplaces per the censuses: "The district Knighton spans the boundaries of the counties of Herefordshire, Radnorshire and Shropshire"

btw, they aren't the John and Louisa Boram in Dagenham; I found their daughter's birth, and the name was Borham.


I think a child's birth certificate is the only good way to figure this out!

What I wonder is whether that isn't your John marrying Martha in 1870, and then becoming estranged from her and partnering with Louisa without marrying. Eventually it might be a good idea to get a birth cert for a child who is obviously Louisa's, and also, say, that 1871 Louisa one, to see who her mother was too.


Actually, this is interesting in 1871:

Name: Martha Bowan
Age: 27
Estimated birth year: abt 1844
Relation: Head
Where born: Limehouse, Middlesex, England

Civil parish: St Anne Limehouse
County/Island: London
Registration district: Stepney

Martha Bowan 27
David Bowan 2 - born Limehouse
Florence Bowan 9 - born Limehouse


She is married, but husband isn't present, per the image -- which definitely says BOWEN.

Nope -- kill her, but I'll leave her here to rule out -- she is with husband David and same children in 1881.


But -- here's an interesting Martha Bowen in 1881 -- "widow" is more respectable than married but not with husband, and a living wife would prevent remarriage by the husband:

Name: Martha A. Bowen
Age: 32
Estimated birth year: abt 1849
Relation: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: West Ham, Essex, England

Civil parish: Bethnal Green
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street Address: 41 Brady St
Condition as to marriage: Widower
Occupation: Office Cleaner (Keeper)


Oh, well, again. What the stupid record doesn't show is that she has a daughter Louisa E aged 4 born in Stepney with her. Oh, and a son Alfred, 2, Ancestry having decided that he's the son of Louisa ...

Keep on throwing 'em and ruling 'em out ...

Well, I'm not finding that John Bowen, but William Gummet and wife Mary A, aged 23 and 24, are in Shoreditch in 1871, so I think by process of elimination, that John Bowen married Martha Matthews.

Ah, in fact, someone has corrected her surname from Gummel to Gummet, and said: "Mary A Gummet married William Thomas Gummet"

You did know to click on the page number and get the full list, right?

Marriages Dec 1870
> BOWEN John Bethnal Green 1c 525
Gummet William Thomas Bethnal Green 1c 525
? HENDERSON Mary Ann Bethnal Green 1c 525
? MATTHEWS Martha Bethnal Green 1c 525

So those are the two possible brides. Do you want to just confirm that you're still interested before I/we (or you) go off hunting for John with one of those wives in 1871?

There's a database at Ancestry now that does have London area marriages from parish records, I think. It's part of the UK deluxe package, which I'm too cheap to pay for. ;)

Someone will come along who has it, if it's there!

The other way, that we've always done and recommended, is to test out the two possible wives in the next census -- you're lucky that this marriage was just before the 1871. Lemme have a look ...

Dear all,
I feel a bit uncomfortable asking for more help, as I didn't exactly give clear concise information previously. Please accept my apologies Janey. Anyway, I have found a marriage for a John Bowen and was wondering if there was anyway of finding out who the spouse was without ordering the certificate??? The marriage details are John Bowen - Bethnal Green - Vol No. 1c - Page 525. The year is 1870 and the quarter is Oct Nov Dec. Please don't worry if this cannot be done. Thank you

Yes, I found details of the family from census records. This is my husband's family and I have been told that they came from Ireland, but so far I have found little to suggest that this is correct. That is why I want to find marriage records so I can find John and Louisa's fathers and take the family back a little further. Oops - I'm sorry, the census does give ages, John and Louisa are both 53 on the 1901 census. I thought I'd done well finding information but got stuck so I thought I'd ask for some help. I thank you all for taking the time to help me discover some more ancestors. I really do appreciate you all taking the time to look through records.
Jo

Thank you for finding this information. I'll definitely get a birth certificate for Louisa's maiden name. I'm finding different birth places for both John and Louisa. I have now found John born in St. George In East and discovered Louisa was born either in Bethnal Green or Southward, Middlesex???

Your info is a little confusing, Joanne, since it's hard to tell how you could have some of those details without having others!

Have you found the family on a census? Doesn't it give an age and place of birth for wife/mother Louisa? How do you know Louisa was about 23 when her first child (Alexander?) was born?

Before setting off on searches it's good to know the sources of the information one is using for hunting, to be sure not to be looking for the nonexistent, or following red herrings. ;)


Ah well, others have set off anyhow.

snap

Name: Alexander William Bowen
Record Type: Baptism
Date: 28 Aug 1878
Father's Name: John Bowen
Mother's Name: Louisa Bowen
Parish: St Dunstan and All Saints
Borough: Tower Hamlets
County: Middlesex
born aug 7

One of the childrens birth certificates should give you Louisa's maiden name:

Births Sep 1878 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bowen Alexander William Stepney 1c 443

1881:
Name: Louisa Bowen
Age: 33
Estimated birth year: abt 1848
Relation: Wife
Spouse's name: John
Gender: Female
Where born: Southward, Middlesex, England

Civil parish: Ratcliffe
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street Address: 7 Raby St
Condition as to marriage: Married
Education:

Employment status: View image

Registration district: Stepney
Sub-registration district: Ratcliff
ED, institution, or vessel: 7
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
John Bowen 35
Louisa Bowen 33
Louisa Bowen 10
John Bowen 8
Eliza Bowen 5
Alexander Bowen 3
William Bowen

This is a challenge.... I am trying to find marriage details for John and Louisa Bowen (sorry, no maiden name for Louisa!)
According to census records, John was born about 1846 in Romford, Essex and was an Engine Driver at Gas Works. I do not have a year of birth for Louisa. Their children were Alexander William, Alfred, Eliza, Elizabeth, George, Hallie, John, Louisa, Sarah, William. The children were born around the Limehouse, Stepney, Bow areas of London. It seems that the first child, Louisa was born when Louisa was about 23. So its possible that they got married shortly before then???
I'd be so grateful if someone could help me.
Many thanks
Jo x