Sunday 31 May 2009

Dorchester district marriage certificates

I have received two "faux" marriage certificates from Guild member Mary Brinson which she found for me in her recent Dorchester Marriage Challenge. The details are as follows:

- 1855 Melbury Bubb, Dorset: Maria Cruse, daughter of James Cruse, blacksmith, and James Cooper, railroad labourer, son of James Cooper, labourer.

- 1882 Christ Church, West Fordington, Dorset: Robert Edwin Cruse, guard, son of Jacob Cruse, market gardener, and Elizabeth Louisa Hawkins, daughter of James Hawkins, stonemason (Imber Cruse tree of Wiltshire).

I did not previously have Maria Cruse in a tree in my database, but after some preliminary research it appears that she is the daughter of James Cruse and Maria Shepherd who married on 12th April 1830 in Burlescombe, Devon. Maria's father James Cruse was born about 1807 in Milverton in Somerset. The Milverton parish registers have been transcribed by David Cheek and made available online. There is however no sign of James's baptism so I presume he was baptised in another nearby parish instead. As always, if either of these certificates is of interest please get in touch.

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