Summary of Victorian Weddings in St. Mary's Church
The complete file of Victorian marriages is attached to the bottom of this page (Details)
In the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) there were 247 weddings in St. Mary’s, East Chinnock. The following analysis is based on the original records as recorded in the Register of Marriages.
Frequency
Although 247 weddings in 64 years approximates to four weddings a year there is a wide range of actual weddings per year.
Years with No Weddings
1846
1892
1896
1897
1900
1901
Years with High Number of Weddings
1862
10
1859
9
1844
8
1861
8
Comparing Decades
there were 56 weddings in the 1850’s and only 19 in the 1890’s.
The Most Popular Single Date for Weddings
Christmas Day
There were 9 weddings on Christmas Day and another 4 on Boxing Day. Presumably this was because this was a general holiday period for most people.
Weddings in Each Month
January
11
None on the 1st
February
18
March
11
April
25
None on 23rd (St.George's Day)
May
13
June
17
July
23
August
23
September
28
October
22
November
21
December
35
First Names of Groom
By far the most common first name of the grooms was John.
Groom’s first name (those with 10 or more mentions)
John
30
William
21
James
16
Charles
15
Joseph
15
Thomas
13
Robert
11
Unusual First Names for Grooms
Abner
Cains
Demas
Ishmael
Job
Levi
First Names of Bride
The three most frequent first names account for over one third of all the brides.
Names with 10 or more mentions
Elizabeth
33
Mary
28
of which 18 were Mary Ann(e)
Sarah
25
Jane
20
Ann(e)
12
Eliza
11
Unusual First Names for Brides
Temperance
Thomasin
Mercy
Kezia(h)
Hephzibah
No bride was named Victoria
Ages of The Groom and Bride
Many of the early records do not give the age of the groom or bride. They are merely noted to be “Of full age”, presumably meaning to be over 21, or “Minor”. From 1862 the age is given in almost every case.
Age
No. of Grooms
No. of Brides
17
0
1
18
0
4
19
4
7
20
10
13
21
23
19
22
9
13
23
19
20
24
11
9
25
6
13
26
12
6
27
6
7
28
11
5
29
1
3
30
5
13
30+
15
11
Total
132
134
Early twenties is clearly the most common age for these marriages.
Profession of Groom
The profession of the groom is recorded in every record.
151 of the 247 grooms, over 60% were labourers.
Groom’s Profession
Labourer
151
Yeoman
9
Carpenter
8
Weaver
7
Shoemaker
5
Baker
4
Butcher
4
Mason
4
Blacksmith
3
Profession of Bride
Only 5 of 247 records note the profession of the bride.
These are:
Coal-carrier
Dress-maker
Glover (2)
Publican
Profession of the Groom’s and Bride’s Father
As with the grooms most of the fathers were labourers.
There were a few unusual professions:
Higgler - a pedlar
Huckster - an itinerant carrier who buys up poultry and dairy produce and supplies in exchange petty commodities from the shops in town
Whitesmith – a tinsmith or a worker in iron who finishes or polishes the work
Re-marriages
There are several examples of grooms marrying for a second time in the church, and one marrying three times. There is only one definite instance of a bride marrying for the second time.
Abraham Garrett married Elizabeth Bidgood in 1855 and Rebecca Hallett in 1863
Absalom Trask (26 years old) married Emma Barlett (27) in 1867 and aged 41 married Sarah Jane Adams (23) in 1881
Charles Churchill (21) married Charlotte Susan Mabey (22) in 1871 and aged 28 married Elizabeth Shire (30) in 1878
Edwin Voizey married Mary Ann Prior in 1848, Elizabeth Hains in 1852 and aged 44 married for the third time to Eliza Adams in 1868
This same Eliza Adams is the only bride to have definitely remarried. As Eliza Norman she married Robert Adams in 1844 before, at the age of 58, marrying Edwin Voizey in 1868.
William Whebby was a widower for both his recorded marriages. First to Hannah Newman in 1841 and to Priscilla Matilda Thomas in 1865. There is no record of his earlier marriage.
The Oldest Groom and Bride
The oldest groom where a definite age is given is William Whebby who was 73 when he married Priscilla Matilda Thomas. This was at least his third wife. She was a 60 year old widow and is the oldest recorded bride
Residence of Groom and Bride
For two-thirds of marriages, both bride and groom came from East Chinnock. Of the 247 brides 240 were from East Chinnock, 2 from West Coker and the other 5 were not recorded. Of the grooms 164 were from East Chinnock and most of the others were very local.
West Coker
11
West Chinnock
7
Hardington
7
Yeovil
7
Odcombe
6
Haselbury
5
Officiating Priests at Victorian Weddings in St. Mary’s
Register of Marriages number(s)
Total
Priest
1-9,11,12
11
Chas. Alston*
10,13
2
Wm. Thompson
14-20,22-70,
72-75,77-83,
86-97,99-127,
129-184
164
Chas.S Coxwell.*
21
1
Henry Helyar
71
1
Charles Penny
76,84
2
A.N.Beamish
85,98,128
3
F.P.Voules
Rector of Middle Chinnock
185-192
8
Overstreet Fletcher*
193
1
William Vassall
Rector of Hardington Mandeville
194-199
6
Edward C.Lutley
Curate in charge
200,202-211,
213-219,221
19
Sydney H.Fleming*
201
1
Edward Rogers
Rector of Odcombe
212
1
John Neale Henry Long
220
1
Henry J.Williams
Rector of Brympton
222-226
5
C.B.Shirres*
227-239,241-243
16
C.I.Wimberley* (For entry 231 only, described as “Curate of Llandaff Glamorgan”)
240
1
Augustus George Edwards
Rector of Norton sub Hamdon
244-247
4
Henry P.Leakey*
*Rectors of East Chinnock
1837 Chas. Alston
1839 Charles Smith Coxwell
1840 Henry William Overstreet Fletcher M.A.
1841 Sydney Hall Fleming
1842 Charles Buchan Shirres
1889 Charles Irvine Wimberley M.A.
1896 Henry Palmer Leakey M.A.
1900 John Danby Downing Keilor
Compiled By Bruce Murdoch
Wedding Number 231
Rev. Charles Irvine Wimberley's eldest son Charles Frederic Arabin Wimberley was ordained at Llandaff (deacon 1889, priest 1892) and was a curate there 1889-90.
Perhaps it was he who officiated at wedding n° 231.
Geoffrey Allen (G.Grandson of Rev. C.I. Wimberley)
There are 3 versions of the same file called: EC_Marriage_Records
The 1st one is an Excel file, sorted alphabetically on groom’s surname. Click on it and it should open up on your computer depending on which browser you are using and which spreadsheet program you have on your computer. Save this onto your computer to have full spreadsheet searching facilities. If this doesn’t work for you try the second one.
The 2nd one is a text file exported from Excel which can be imported into any spreadsheet program. Save the file onto your computer by right clicking on it, Save target as (or Save Link as ), Save. Open the saved file with your spreadsheet program.
The 3rd one is an Excel file sorted by register number, in date order. Click on it and it should open up on your computer depending on which browser you are using and which spreadsheet program you have on your computer. Save this onto your computer to have full spreadsheet searching facilities.
A map of St. Mary’s Churchyard showing the location of the graves is attached at the bottom of the page. The file is called St_Marys_Churchyard_1.pdf
A key to the map of St. Mary's Churchyard giving headstone inscriptions is also attached at the bottom of the page. This file is called Key_To_Map_Of_Churchyard.doc
Thanks to Greville Bartlett for allowing us to use content from his CDs on this website
