Genealogy Chat

Looking for information on Francis (Frank) E Walton who married a Mary A J Short in Brighton in 1935. She was I believe a nurse and he a doctor. The marriage was bigamus as he already had a family up North somewhere. Any info would be bery much appreciated.

How old was he on that 1935 marriage cert ?

Does the marriage certificate (if you have it) give his middle name?

Kath. x

Hi, sorry that I am not beiong very helpful here. I am not sure of the middle name or where he came from. Is it possible for me to find the marriage certificate? Not sure how old he was either. He was already married with a family (poss in Manchester area) so could have been quite a bit older than her I suppose. I know that he was sentenced to two years in prison for bigamy and apparently he was a Freemason but at which lodge and where I am unsure. My grandmother I think knew that he was already married as she registered my father's birth in her maiden name the following year when he was born.
Bev x

Marriages Jun 1935 (>99%)
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Walton Francis E Short Hove 2b 800



Certs can be ordered from here. Cost is currently £9.25

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/default.asp

Thankyou for the info. I will order one today.
Many thanks again.

If it was later proved to be a bigamous marriage, there may be a block on ordering that certificate.
If they married in church, there is a chance that you could find the entry in the church registers, but that would mean knowing which parish to search.

Her parents parish might be a place to start, if you could find that.

Gwyn

You can still order a marriage certificate even if the marriage was bigamous. I know this because a friend was in a similar situation. Her father married her mother bigamously in the 1940's after he had gone AWOL from the army. Her mother found out whilst pregnant with my friend when the army tracked him down and he was court marshalled and charged with bigamy. My friend was registered with her mother's maiden name when she was born as that was legally her mother's surname since the marriage was bigamous. She was still able to order her parent's bigamous marriage certificate.

Kath. x

Kath
That's good to know for Beverley.

I was going by a friend's experience when she tried to order a copy of a bigamous marriage. It was back in 1800s, but was blocked by GRO although I was able to find a parish register entry, when I was visiting a Record Office in that locality.

Gwyn

I have now ordered a copy so will see what info it throws up for me. Thanks for all your help :)

There's no middle initial, but UK Medical Registers, 1859-1959 records :

Francis Walton MB Ch B 1917 U Leeds. Registered 1917 Dec 28 E.

1927 354 Old Chester Road Rock Ferry Birkenhead.

1935 105 Downs Road Clapton London E5

1947 Address as for 1935.

1951 96, Lea Bridge Road Clapton London E5.

As I said, this chap has no middle initial, so may well not be your chap.

Seems the Dr in my previous post is not likely to be your chap as London Electoral Registers have him in 1938

Name: Francis Walton
Year: 1938
County or Borough: Hackney
Ward or Division/Constituency: Hackney
Street Address: 105 DOWNS ROAD coutd
Abode 96 Lea BridgeRoad E5

However he is living at the same address as an Alice Lilian Walton, so I guess that eliminates him.

It could be; he may have lived at two addresses. I think my Grandmother perhaps knew he was married after all as they had a daughter Barbara the year before they 'married' and she was registerded in the name Short. My father was born a year after the marriage and was registered Walton. Hmmm, the plot thickens.
Thanks for all your help on here

Re: the medical records Kucinta found - I've found a 1933 newspaper report of a divorce where the co-respondent was a Dr Francis Walton who practised at Old Chester Road, Birkenhead.

He had an affair with the wife of a bus driver (a Mr King) which went on from around 1929 to 1931, the wife left her husband to be with Dr Walton but later return although it looks like the affair may have continued. Dr Walton had to pay £200 damages.

Francis Walton per the medical registers was at the Birkenhead address until 1931 and is then at the 105 Downs Road address as stated above.

I can see no other Francis Walton on the medical register around this time. The only other appears to be possibly his father Francis Fielder Walton who qualified 1883. They appear to be in practice together in 1919 at 19 Charlotte Street, Hull.

It would be interesting to see the father's name if Beverley does manage to get that 1935 certificate.

I might be scandal-mongering a bit but my hunch is that the errant doctor from Birkenhead was a bit of a one for the ladies and legged it after the divorce and then married bigamously.

I have sent for the certificate so will hopefully receive it very soon. I think you may be right about him being a bit of a ladies man!! There is a Francis E Walton who married a Lilian E Dobson in Steyning in 1934. My Grandmother Mary A J Short had my auntie Barbara in 1934 and registered her in Steyning under the name Shortt (2 t's?). She then married FEW in Brighton in 1935. Am assuming that this could all tie in somewhere. I don't know a lot about my grandmother except that she originally came from Ireland (possibly Dublin) but will be speaking to an aunt this week who will hopefully give me some more details on this part of my family. I am so grateful for all your help on here.

Right, have received the certificate today and here's what it says:
Francis Edward Walton (31 years) married Mary Agness Josephine Short on (25 years) 28th May 1935 at Hove registry office (by certificate). Her fathers name was put down as Thomas Short and he was a hairdresser; his father was put down as John Walton (Senior? - difficult to make out) and he was a civil engineer. Strange - because this does not really tie in with what my older relatives have told me - unless they were not being totally honest when they got married? My family are certain that they married bigamously. I'm beginning to get a headache :)

If he told the truth about his age in 1935 when he married Mary A. J. Short then he was born about 1904 ish.

The only likely marriage I can see that could be described as "up north somewhere" is this one:-

Name: WALTON, Francis E
Registration district: Stoke on Trent
County: Staffordshire
Year of registration: 1923
Quarter of registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Spouse's last name: Crosson
Volume no: 6B
Page no: 319

Name: CROSSON, Letitia
Registration district: Stoke on Trent
County: Staffordshire
Year of registration: 1923
Quarter of registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
Spouse's last name: Walton
Volume no: 6B
Page no: 319

There are 6 children possibly born to this marriage - the last one in the quarter after the marriage to Mary Short so I'm not sure whether this could be the same person you are researching.

You sometimes have to take things family say with a pinch of salt. Family stories often turn out to be wrong.

Kath. x

This is another marriage:-


Name: WALTON, Francis E
Registration district: Hammersmith
County: London
Year of registration: 1929
Quarter of registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Spouse's last name: Magrath
Volume no: 1A
Page no: 827

Name: MAGRATH, Sheila M
Registration district: Hammersmith
County: London
Year of registration: 1929
Quarter of registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
Spouse's last name: Walton
Volume no: 1A
Page no: 827

There are two possible children for this marriage.

On the marriage certificate you have to Mary Short, does Francis say he is a bachelor?

Kath. x

Yes, I suppose they could get it wrong somewhere along the line. it does say that he is a bachelor.