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Abberline's First Marriage

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  • Abberline's First Marriage

    Hi All,

    First off, my apologies for losing track of who first posted this information, but my thanks to whomever it was. It's an intriguing subject, to which I have added some further information.

    Abberline's marriage to Martha Mackness
    Quarter 1 1868
    Islington
    Vol 1b Page 244

    Martha's death registered as follows:
    Quarter 2—June 1868
    Oundle—[Northamptonshire, south-west of Peterborough]
    Martha Abbeline (sic) aged 25
    Vol 3b Page 123

    This would suggest that Martha was born in 1843. There is no birth of a Martha Mackness registered in that year. However, there is a birth registered in Oundle as follows:

    Quarter 4—December 1847
    Martha Mackness
    Oundle
    Vol 15 Page 272

    If this is the Martha who married Abberline, she was 21 at the time of her death, not 25.

    This Martha Mackness is listed in 1861 as follows:
    Exeter Arms, Middleton, Northamptonshire
    Head: Joseph Stafford aged 46 born Ashley - Wheelwright and Publican
    Wife: Ann Stafford aged 49 born Middleton
    Daughters in law:
    Martha Mackness aged 15
    Jane Mackness aged 13
    Sons:
    John Stafford aged 9
    Thomas Stafford aged 5

    (I would suggest that "daughters in law" is, because of the girls' ages, unfeasible. The most likely explanantion is that this should read "Step daughters" i.e. they were the daughters of Ann Stafford by a previous marriage).

    In 1851 the two girls, Martha and Jane, are again listed as "daughters in law" to the same couple.

    In 1871, Jane Mackness is listed in service at Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

    Martha is listed in the household of Joseph Stafford under the name of Martha Sarrington with her husband, Samuel, which obviously excludes her from being Abberline's Martha.

    But it does seem odd that this Martha was born at Oundle and Martha Abberline's death was registered in the same place.

    I have added the following information—

    Samuel Sarrington married Martha Mackness at Aston (Warwickshire) in March 1871, three years after Abberline's wife died. So they are definitely not the same person.

    In exactly the same month and year as Martha Abberline's death, we find another death—
    Quarter 2—June 1868
    Wellingbro' [(Wellingborough) is about 16 miles south-west of Oundle].
    Martha Mackness aged 67
    Vol 3b Page 84

    If the age is correct, this Martha Mackness was born in 1801, 36 years before BMD records began.

    A search through the BMD between 1837 and 1855 reveals only two instances of a male Mackness marrying a woman named Martha—

    June 1851—George Mackness and Martha Dixon—Huntingdon (16 miles south-east of Oundle)—Vol 14 p 255

    Sep 1854—Josiah Christopher Mackness and Martha Anne Bell in Bath—Vol 5c p 1081

    SUBSEQUENT BIRTHS

    Sept 1853—Martha Jane Mackness born in Thrapston (6 miles south-west of Oundle)—Vol 3b p146

    Sept 1855—Martha Mackness born in Huntingdon—Vol 3b p233

    Presuming these children weren't born out of wedlock suggests perhaps that Martha Jane was the child of George Mackness and Martha Dixon, and Martha the child of Josiah Christopher Mackness and Martha Ann Bell. The same presumption rules out Martha Sarrington (b.1847) being the child of these parents.

    If either of these children were Abberline's first wife, then the Martha Mackness born in 1801 gave birth late in life (aged either 52 or 54). And it also means that when at the age of 25 Abberline married Martha Mackness in 1868 she was either 15 or 13 years of age.

    Interesting, too, that mother and daughter may have died within days of one another.

    It's all very perplexing. I don't know what the legal age of marriage was in 1868, so it would be appreciated if someone could throw some more light on this subject.

    Regards,

    Simon
    Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.

  • #2
    Hi All,

    Following on from my earlier post—

    Before the Age of Marriage Act (1929) a lawful marriage could be contracted by girls aged 12 and over. It was the 1929 Act which made 16 years the minimum age at which males and females could marry.

    Regards,

    Simon
    Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi Simon,

      According the source I have read, Martha died in Elton which was (and still is) a beautiful village just outside Peterborough (now Cambridgeshire, but then Northamptonshire). It is likely her death was registered in Oundle, the nearest registration district at the time.

      I think the most likely explanation is that Martha was sent to Elton because she was suffereing from tuberculosis. This would have been to provide her with fresh country air, away from the city. It is possible she had relatives there but I think that she was most probably from London (where she and Abberline married) or perhaps from Abberline's home town.

      I think you need to be looking for her birthplace away from Oundle and the surrounding area. If you could trace their marriage certificate, it would record where each of them was living at the time of the marriage and it would also record the name and occupation of each of their fathers.

      I would like to bet Martha was not local to Elton or to Oundle as it would be extremely unlikely that she would meet and marry a man from London.

      Good luck.

      Limehouse

      Comment


      • #4
        Frederick Abberline was from Blandford Forum in Dorset. Had his first wife been from that area, I suspect she would have been sent home for fresh country and sea air both of which were thought to have curative powers. Since she was sent elsewhere, I suspect she was not from Dorset.

        I believe the Inspector's second wife was from Dorset.

        Comment


        • #5
          Hi Limehouse,

          As a matter of interest, which source gave Martha's place of death as Elton.

          Regards,

          Simon
          Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.

          Comment


          • #6
            There is another Martha Mackness on the 1861 born in Oundle/Elton c 1847, maybe this is her.

            1861
            MACKNESS, Tobias Head Married M 43 Agricultural Labourer
            Welton
            Northamptonshire VIEW
            MACKNESS, Frances Wife Married F 40
            Bourne
            Lincolnshire VIEW
            MACKNESS, John Son Unmarried M 17 Agricultural Labourer
            Elton
            Huntingdonshire VIEW
            MACKNESS, Rebecca Daughter Unmarried F 15
            Elton
            Huntingdonshire VIEW
            MACKNESS, Martha Daughter F 13 Scholar
            Elton
            Huntingdonshire VIEW
            MACKNESS, William Son M 9 Scholar
            Elton
            Huntingdonshire VIEW
            MACKNESS, Thomas Son M 0 (1M)

            Duck Street Elton
            RG number:
            RG09 Piece:
            963 Folio:
            175 Page:
            24

            Registration District:
            Oundle Sub District:
            3 Fotheringhay EnumerationDistrict:
            14 Ecclesiastical Parish:
            Ely

            Comment


            • #7
              Hi Debra,

              Nice find. Thank you very much.

              Regards,

              Simon
              Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.

              Comment


              • #8
                That's brilliant Debra. Well done. In which case, Martha and some of her family are probably buried in the church yard at Elton. I live nearby and know the village well. Next time I pass through (possibly this weekend) I will have a look and perhaps take some photos.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi Simon and limehouse
                  If this is the right Martha Mackness and her family then it seems like all Martha's sisters listed on the census died at quite an early age too.

                  Rebecca Mackness appears on the 1871 census in Bedford as housekeeper and sister in law of the widowed William Wildman, checking the marriages there is a marriage between a William George Wildman and a Rhoda Mackness registered in Oundle in 1862.
                  Rhoda died early in 1871 aged 28.
                  William then married Rebecca, his sister in law in 1872, Rebecca dying in 1879 aged 33.

                  Martha's brother William also became a widower by the age of 30, his wife Mary Ann died in 1878 2 years after the marriage in 1876.

                  Regarding the name Rhoda Mackness, there is also an older Rhoda Mackness who married in the East End of London in 1843 to William John LLoyd. They appear in Bethnal Green in the 1861 census and Rhoda was born in Huntingdonshire, the same as Martha Mackness and her family. There are only 3 Rhoda Mackness's listed in the BMD's, 2 of them born in Huntingdonshire,( Martha's sister and this London lady )so it's possible they were related in some way and may give a link for Martha to have spent some time in London and been able to meet Abberline?

                  Comment


                  • #10


                    Here is the church and churchyard at Elton where Abberline's first wife died.



                    Here is a mackness grave. It's not Martha's grave - we will have to return to look at the records to find hers. Many of the grave stones are impossible to read.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi all.

                      Information I have for Martha Mackness;
                      Birth Ref; Oundle Dec 1847, Vol 15, page 272.
                      Chr; 14-Nov-1847 Elton,
                      Marriage Ref; Islington Mar 1868 Vol 1b page 244.
                      Death Ref; Oundle Jun 1868 Vol 3b page 123.
                      Martha moved to London to look for work and ended up with Frederick. but when she become ill she moved back in with her parents who where still living in Elton.
                      Martha had 4 Brother's and 2 sister's.

                      Her parents were Tobias Mackness and Frances Marlowe who married on the 30-Aug-1841 Elton.

                      Tobias was Chr; 4-May-1818 in Elton, Father Tobias, Mother Catherine,
                      Frances was Chr; Frances Marlow 5-Oct-1820 in Bourne, Lincoln. Father William, Mother Elizth.

                      Regards

                      Rob

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hi Roblee,

                        Could you kindly offer some provenance for the statement— "Martha moved to London to look for work and ended up with Frederick, but when she became ill she moved back in with her parents who where still living in Elton."

                        Many thanks.

                        Regards,

                        Simon
                        Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          1851 census

                          Name: Martha Mackney
                          Age: 3
                          Estimated Birth Year: abt 1848
                          Relation: Daughter
                          Father's Name: Tobias
                          Mother's Name: Frances
                          Gender: Female
                          Where born: Elton, Huntingdonshire, England

                          Civil Parish: Elton
                          County/Island: Huntingdonshire
                          Country: England

                          Registration district: Oundle
                          Sub registration district: Oundle
                          ED, institution, or vessel: 12b
                          Neighbors: View others on page
                          Household schedule number: 3
                          Household Members:
                          Frances Mackney 30
                          John Mackney 9
                          Martha Mackney 3
                          Rebec Mackney 5
                          Rhoda Mackney 8
                          Tobias Mackney 33

                          1861 census

                          Name: Martha MacKness
                          Age: 13
                          Estimated Birth Year: abt 1848
                          Relation: Daughter
                          Father's Name: Tobias
                          Mother's Name: Frances
                          Gender: Female
                          Where born: Elton, Huntingdonshire, England

                          Registration district: Oundle
                          Sub registration district: Fotheringhay
                          ED, institution, or vessel: 14
                          Neighbors: View others on page
                          Household schedule number: 146
                          Household Members: Name Age
                          Frances MacKness 40
                          John MacKness 17
                          Martha MacKness 13
                          Rebecca MacKness 15
                          Thomas MacKness 1 Mo
                          Tobias MacKness 43
                          William MacKness 9

                          Marriage
                          Frederick George Abberline 1868 Jan-Feb-Mar Islington Greater London, London, Middlesex

                          Martha MacKness 1868 Jan-Feb-Mar Islington Greater London, London, Middlesex

                          Death
                          Martha Abberline age 25 Oundle Jun 1868 Vol 3b page 123.



                          Assuming this is our girl, thats all there is in the records as far as I can see. Of course as someone pointed out, the only way of being sure would be to order a marriage certificate, to see if dad's name tallies.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Hi Simon

                            So sorry about the statment, I have been researching family history for a number of years, I should of said I believe Martha Moved to London to look for work, (Many young people moved away to the bigger towns looking for work if no work could be found in the village or smaller towns).

                            As for her death I again have no prove, but her death was registed in Oundle and Elton comes under Oundle, Her parents lived in Elton and once she know about her illness, I believe she wanted to be with her parents.

                            Regards

                            Roblee

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Not sure if people are still looking for information on Abberline's first marriage. I've just obtained the marriage certificate and according to that:

                              Married on 5 March 1868 at St James' Church, Islington

                              Martha Mackness simply listed as "a minor". Father's name is Tobias Mackness, a "laborer".

                              Residence of both Martha and Frederick at time of marriage given as "St James, Holloway".

                              Looks to me like Debra A, Roblee and John Casey were right.

                              Now all I need is for GRO to send me that death cert!

                              Comment

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