Genealogy Forum UK

There is a marriage record for William Barnsley & Elizabeth Downing at Rowley Regis & Burslem dated 23 Sep 1765 Wm. A Lee (officiating) Mary & Elizabeth James Witnesses.

I believe this to be incorrect.

There are no other records within the period (that I can find) identifying a 'William' Barnsley.
However, the baptism of Mary Barnsley is recorded seven months later on 13 April 1766 Parents Abraham & Elizabeth Barnsley.
Abraham & Elizabeth have other children and there are several death records of 'a child of Abraham Barnsley'.
Abraham appears as a witness to the marriage of Joseph Priest & Ann Barnsley 2 Jan 1764 and again for James Priest & Hannah Barnsley 19 Jul 1764. Elizabeth Downing was baptised 22 Jan 1744 but Abraham not until 22 Feb 1748 which makes him still a minor in that 1764/5 period.
I believe that Abraham married Elizabeth Downing as she was already pregnant and that the only 'William' was William A Lee.
As he was a minor, could there be a record Abraham's parents authorisation for him to marry?

Your opinions please!

The Marriage act of 1753 made it illegal for those under the age of 21 to Marry in England without the consent of their Parents. However unless this is recorded in the Parish Register I don't think you would find it recorded anywhere. It could have been a verbal consent. Boys could Marry aged 14 and Girls aged 12 with the said consent. The Baptism for Abraham Barnsley in 1748 does not necessarily mean he was Baptised as a Baby he could have been older.

William was often abbreviated Wm (with the m small and sometimes raised) so if a similar approach were taken for Abraham it could have been mistranscribed as William.

I've seen "Of Age" entered in the age column of a marriage so it's perfectly possible parental consent might have been recorded in the case of underage participants - however I haven't seen it.

Is it worth checking the bishop's transcripts? Sometimes errors in the register were not duplicated in the transcripts (though sometimes they had errors of their own!)

I don't know exactly what the coverage is for RR but someone will know for sure.

this looks like Abraham on bcc
http://bcconnections.tribalpages.com/tr ... =342096952

William A Lea Curate 1763 then Thomas Bagnall in 1767 RR.

Is this still a Brickwall, or have you solved it?

Unless otherwise advised this will be moved to the Brickwalls Archived section
within 24 hours