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I have a Mary Ann Golding who was born in France. She married a William Ricketts in Bethnal Green in 1837. Does anyone know how to attempt to start to trace her origins in France, please?

As records in France are held locally rather than nationally, you would need to know where she was born.

Thank you. Haven't been on Genes for a while! Madeleine :-)

Hello Madeleine, what year of birth do you have for her?

It's not a very French name, perhaps she was of a British family?

Have you any idea how old she was when she married?
My 3xg grandfather was in the army during the Napoleonic War. He married in France in 1816 & his eldest son was born there in 1817 & baptised by the Army chaplain. However when the family returned to England, they had him baptised again in their local church at the same time as a couple of his siblings.
Worth looking at the Parish Records if you know where the family lived.

Madeleine, do you have them on a census please? Not seeing them, at least not with a Mary born in France!

EDIT have them - just for ref:

1861 England Census
Name: Mary A Ricketts
Age: 39
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1822
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: Wm Ricketts
Gender: Female
Where born: Fra Brit Sub

Civil parish: Bethnal Green St Matthew
Ecclesiastical parish: St Peter
County/Island: Middlesex

Registration district: Bethnal Green
Sub-registration district: Hackney Road

Wm Ricketts 29
Mary A Ricketts 39

Jan

Either the ages on that census are wrong, or it's the wrong marriage - William would only have been 5!

FMP have them both as 39, can anyone else take a look at the image and see what they think?

RICKETTS, Wm Head Married M 39 1822 Writer & Grainer Berwick on Tweed
RICKETTS, Mary A Wife Married F 39 1822 France Brit Sub

Piece: 252 Folio: 145 Page: 6
Registration District: Bethnal Green
Civil Parish: Bethnal Green

Address: 15, Warner Place, Bethnal Green, London County: London

They'd still have been very young ......

Name: William Ricketts
Spouse Name: Mary Ann Golding
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 7 May 1837
Parish: Bethnal Green St Matthew
Borough: Tower Hamlets
Register Type: Parish Register


Witnesses Edward Green and Sarah Callow.

William, Mary Ann and Edward all signed and Sarah made her mark.

Did she have a sister called Eliza Ann who married David Garrod 18.8.1839.
London Marriages shows father as Henry Golding, a grocer & both give address of 4 Derbyshire Street.

Having checked 1861 image, the ages are almost impossible to read, especially William's.

Thing is, I can't find them on any other census, especially not the 1851 which I'd expect if that 1837 marriage is correct (and I have doubts).

I'm struggling to find a William Ricketts of any age who is a writer & grainer from Berwick upon Tweed. Or anyone else of that name in the signwriting/decorating trade.

I wonder how Madeleine got back to them. Some further info would be useful, especially if she got the name of Golding from a child's birth certificate.

There are several Mary Ann Goldings who got married in London around 1837 (+or- a couple of years)
Is Madeline sure she has the correct spouse? Or indeed that the marriage took place in London.
A bit more background would be really helpful.

This looks like same couple as above, in that William has same distinctive occupation - but birthplaces are completely different!!!:

1851 England Census about Mary Ricketts
Name: Mary Ricketts
Age: 33
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1818
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: Wiliam Ricketts
Gender: F (Female)
Where born: Ramsgate, Kent, England

Civil parish: Bermondsey
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary Magdalen
County/Island: Surrey

Registration district: Bermondsey
Sub-registration district: St Mary Magdalen


Name Age
Wiliam Ricketts 36 Where born: London, Middlesex, England
Mary Ricketts 33