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I can't find any census records for William James Clarke b Southwark, London 1878/9. Married 7.1.1905. Soldier in Royal Artillery from at least 1902 but possibly in militia before. Any help?

Who did William marry and where? Did they have any children?

Is this the marriage!!

William James Clarke
Year of Registration: 1905
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Fareham
County: Hampshire
Volume: 2b
Page: 857
Elizabeth Sarah Ayers
or
Agnes Fanny Sharp

Possible birth :-
William James Clarke
Year of Registration: 1879
Quarter of Registration: Jul-Aug-Sep
District: St Olave Southwark (1837-1901)
County: London, Surrey
Volume: 1d
Page: 237

looks like he married elizabeth sarah ayers

Births Mar 1912 (>99%)
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Clarke William A Ayers Fareham 2b 1052

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Births Jun 1913 (>99%)
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Clarke Lucy Ayers Fareham 2b 1055

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Births Mar 1921 (>99%)
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Clarke Joan Ayers Fareham 2b 1007

Married Elizabeth Sarah Ayres (my great grandmother) in Fareham and had 7 children. Thanks for all your help, but still unsure as to why I can't find him in any census. Will get birth cert anyway.

1901 Census
William J Clark
Age: 21
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1880
Relation: Son
Mother's Name: Harriet
Gender: Male
Where born: Clerkenwell, London, England

Civil Parish: Southwark St George The Martyr
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary Magdalene Southwark
County/Island: London
Country: England

Street address: Flat 19, 34 Mason Street

Occupation: Labourer in Iron Foundery.

Registration district: St Saviour Southwark
Sub registration district: Kent Road
ED, institution, or vessel: 15
Household schedule number: 293

Florence S Clark 19
Harriet Clark 54
Walter H Clark 16
William J Clark 21

If that is your William that Netty found in 1901, Then there are some army records of his on ancestry,

Libby

Libby, thanks re army records. I've looked at them and there seems to be two william Clarkes with different service numbers muddled up. mine is 17985 william James Clarke but interestingly he has the same tattoos as the other. think I've got mine sorted . would servicemen be on service if was in militia before 1901?

Netty, think the william james clark in 1901 census may or may not be mine. Mine is service number 17985 and the one whose mother was Harriet I think is 4049. also Harriet's son seems to have been married to not my great grandmother but to a Bearnice or Beatrice. Can't read date well but think 26.12.1904. he married my great grand mother in jan 1905 and had my gran , Ellen Elizabeyh Clarke, in Oct 1905. I have her original birth cert (short version). Interestingly, memebers of my extended family refer to my gran as the step daughter. now I am confused!

Hi Claire

The 1901 census is correct, look at the pensions, it states his mother is Harriet address 34 Mason St, Southwark, father is Walter his address states unknown. States in 1902 his address 38 New Kent Road S.E.

William James Clarke
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1879
Age at enlistment: 23
Birth Parish: Southwark
Birth County: Surrey
Document Year: 1902
Regimental number: 17895
Number of Images: 17

Could he have been married twice?

Libby

Dear All,
I didn't know that when a solider transfered from the Militia to the regular army he was given a new service number. This has been confirmed by the Royal Artillery Museum. Therefore 17895 and 4049 William James Clarke could be the same man. However, the RA Museum question the service records as listed on Ancestry which show him married on 26.12.1904 to someone who is not my great grandmother whom he married 7.1.1905! The RA say my photo has him as a Gunner and a later photo as Sergant, backed up by the medal records for 17895 being a sergant. Even if Beatrice died the day after the wedding surely he couldn't have married Elizabeth Sarah Ayres 12 days later! Anyone any more ideas?

There seems to be a confusion in army records with 17895 William Clarke. I've found mine finally and can confirm he was married to my great grandmother and not anyone else. However, there is also another william Clarke with the same army number but completely different set of information.

My grandfather also had two army numbers so it may be more common than we think for this to happen.