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I looked at the image of the marriage register om FreeBMD. If you go onto FreeBMD, then click 'View Images', Look for 'Marriages' in '1857' in 'June' starting with 'B', then open image 1857-M2-B-0266 you will be able to see her name as well. It's not easy to read, but it's there. (8th line up on the right.) This only tells you the reference so you can order the actual certificate from the GRO. To find out any other details, you will have to do that at a cost of around £7 per certificate. As Kath said, I took the Burgess name from the daughter with them in 1861, presuming that Ann married James in this name. It may or may not be her maiden name, but the certifictaes will confirm this.

David, The marriage reference I found for 1847 in Forehoe, doesn't actually mention Eliza. The 1837online site lists couples separately. Without a maiden surname for Eliza, I can't cross check to see if there is an entry for her name in the same qtr of the same year in the same district, volume and page. It's the same with the 1857 entry for James and Ann. Because we had a surname of Burgess it was possible to check her name and Tracy obviously found an entry for her with the same district, volume and page number as the entry you found for James. Kath. x

First I´d like to thank all of you for your help. Tracy, where do you see the name Ann Burgess? Could someone please mail me a copy of the transcription for James and Eliza since I can´t find it. Woolner AT gmx.net Thanks again and greetings from Munich !

The Eliza Woolner on the 1861 census is still recorded as being married, so if the James who marries Ann in 1857 is the same James, I would think it probably was bigamy, as most ordinary folk would find it too difficult to divorce in those days, and usually when they did just split up and go their own way, they described themselves as 'widowed'. Kath. x

David, there is an Ann Burgess on the same page in 1857.

David, You should be able to see the Forehoe marriage on 1837online. It is definitely there, and free to view as the quality is poor. Kath. x

Hi, ive found the marriage in Yorkshire. 1857 Driffield 9d 405.

The entry isn't there, but the image is. You have to go in a different way.

Hi, I can´t find any entry in FreeBMD. Are you certain ? Dave

Kath, I'd agree with you about the district. It would fit too, as Hingham comes under Forehoe. The image can also be found on FreeBMD.

I've had a look through a couple of years on 1837online (1846 and 1847) working on the idea he would be about 21 or 22 then, and there is this marriage:- March qtr. 1847, Forehoe, XIII, 235 (the district is very difficult to read, but going by the volume number I think Forehoe is the only thing it could be). Because the image is so bad it is free to view so you could check yourself. It could be a possibility. Kath. x

All marriages are listed on 1837online(.)com but it is pay per view and without a pretty good idea of when the marriage took place it would be quite expensive. Kath. x

Hi, but his birthplace is known. In 1861 and 1871 its listed as Norfolk not known, but in 1881 its listed as Ingham Norfolk. Maybe you are right and in 61 and 71 he was deliberately withholding the information. What I really want to trace are his marriage certificates. There was a site where the reference numbers of all marriage certificates were listed, and where it was possible to see the original transcriptions. I have forgotten the URL, does anyone know it ? Dave

I think this is probably the birth reference for the step-daughter Mary Burgess:- Dec. qtr. 1849, Driffield, 23, page 35. Garton would come under the Driffield registration district. This birth certificate would tell you whether the mother Ann had the maiden name of Burgess or if she had been married before. Kath. x

Hi Rosemary, Thanks but I have that already. In the 1871 census James was quoted as being born in ca 1825. I think the 1861 census was erroneous.

No, i´m certain that there is just one. Birth date 26/12/1825 (taken from IGI). I think that the 1822 was just for one census, in the others it was 1825.

Rosemary, James was born Hingham (Forehoe) in 1825, wife 1 Eliza was born 1825 also in Hingham (Forehoe). Son 1 John was born ca1857 in Hingham (forehoe). Wife 2 Ann was born in Garton Yorkshire, son 2 James May (Sometimes listed as just May) was born 1859/60 in Garton, and daughter Happy was born in Garton 1865. Thanks, hope the text isnt squashed this time. Dave

I think Ann must have been married before or had a child before marriage as on the 1861 census there is an 11 year old described as 'daughter-in-law', but this probably means step-daughter. The surname was Burgess, so this must be either Ann's maiden name or the name of her first husband. I've saved the image if you would like it. Kath. x

He was with Ann in 1861 too Mary Burgess abt 1850 Garton, Yorkshire, England Daughter-in-law Garton Yorkshire Ann Woolner abt 1824 Garton, Yorkshire, England Wife Garton Yorkshire James Woolner abt 1822 Not Known, Norfolk, England Head Garton Yorkshire Maye Woolner abt 1860 Garton, Yorkshire, England Son Garton Yorkshire They may not have actually married even though they claimed they were man and wife Beth :)

Hi Rosemary, how did you insert spaces between the paragraphs? I originally typed the message out with spaces. Dave