Was Matilda Turner married before she married John Barry?

Question

I'm trying to unpickle my Turner line, which seems to be quite messy!

I found my great grandmother Helena Gee (Gee-1579) in the 1881 UK census, listed as a niece living with a couple called John and Matilda Barry in Anglesey Road, Woolwich. I've traced John Barry's family back to 1841, and I've worked out that Helena Gee is Matilda's (Turner-28175) sister Helena's (Turner-24468) daughter.

I can't find a marriage for Matilda Turner and John Barry. I can find one for John Barry and a widow called Matilda Palmer in Stoke Damarel, Devon in the 1870s, which ties in with 1871 census returns for both Turner and Barry families. I can find a marriage for a James Palmer and a Matilda Turner in 1861 in Greenwich, but I need more information to confirm my suspicions that this is "my" Matilda.

I have some other questions but I'll post these separately.

Thanks for any help

Ailsa

Answer 1

Here is a free-to-view image of the marriage record for James Palmer and Matilda Turner in 1861, which shows that Matilda's father was Thomas Turner, a moulder - https://www.ancestry.co.uk/sharing/19641026?h=8a39a5. This matches the information you have on Turner-24469, so I think this confirms that she is "your" Matilda.

Comments

That's fantastic, thank you!

I know from the census they lived in Joseph Street, and that Thomas Turner worked in the foundry, so it's pretty certain it's my Matilda. And I see here that Matilda was "under age". Interesting that Matilda's second husband (John Barry) was a shipwright.

Thanks again!