Doris Ivy Fordham b. 1908 Essex & Duncan McKay Spence b. 1909 Scotland

Question

I'm having trouble finding sources for my step-mother's parents:

Duncan Spence and Doris Fordham and would appreciate any help you can give. I'm primarily looking for their marriage certificate (the data given is from my step-mother so there could be some flexibility as to accuracy) and either of their parents. If I can discover my step-mother's grandparents that would be a be fantastic!

Many thanks all! :-)

Answer 1

 

Duncan M Spence

England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007

Name	Duncan M Spence
Event Type	Death
Registration Quarter	Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration Year	1960
Registration District	Deben
County	Suffolk
Event Place	Deben, Suffolk, England
Age (available after 1866)	51
Birth Year (Estimated)	1909
Volume	4B
Page	799
Line Number	136

•  
•  
• No image available

England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007

Citing this Record

"England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVCG-WSQ3 : 4 September 2014), Duncan M Spence, 1960; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Deben, Suffolk, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

Answer 2

Mary T Spence

England and Wales Birth Registration Index

Name	Mary T Spence
Event Type	Birth Registration
Registration Quarter	Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration Year	1943
Registration District	Ipswich
County	Suffolk
Event Place	Ipswich, Suffolk, England
Mother's Maiden Name (not available before 1911 Q3)	Fordham
Volume	4A
Page	1525
Line Number	85

•  
•  
• No image available

England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008

Citing this Record

"England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVQ5-SSQB : 1 October 2014), Mary T Spence, 1943; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Birth Registration, Ipswich, Suffolk, England, citing General Register Office, Southport, England.

Comments

Mary J Spence

mentioned in the record of Vidler and Mary J Spence

Name	Mary J Spence
Event Type	Marriage Registration
Registration Quarter	Oct-Nov-Dec
Registration Year	1965
Registration District	Deben
County	Suffolk
Event Place	Deben, Suffolk, England
Spouse Name (available after 1911)	Vidler
Volume	4B
Page	2001
Line Number	153
Mary J Spence probably married one of the following people
Name	Richard S Vidler

•  
•  
• No image available

England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005

Citing this Record

"England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV63-NR2Z : 8 October 2014), Mary J Spence and null, 1965; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1965, quarter 4, vol. 4B, p. 2001, Deben, Suffolk, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

---

Thanks Frank, these are all great. I already have a source for Mary's birth and Duncan's death certificate. Any sign of either Duncan or Doris' parents?

Answer 3

Robert Clears Fordham married Eva Kate Cottee in Risbridge, Q2 1908.

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=NMG7YVmGyV9Hlk%2FsFaaAPw&scan=1

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=Yu6LVxvv3bIIkcXor5z3qg&scan=1

FORDHAM, DORIS  IVY       COTTEE
GRO Reference: 1909  M Quarter in LEXDEN  Volume 04A  Page 829

Incredibly there are two Robert Clears Fordhams born in 1885 and 1890.

Eva's birth in 1886 was easy to find:

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=OQGna5ccHMA%2BFsHZ4%2B429A&scan=1

So now we need to find the couple in the 1911 census and there both Robert and Eva are 25. So the earlier Robert is correct:

http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=JBbxRBj18i%2B7L9LwVf1lVw&scan=1

Comments

This is fantastic Matthew, thank you so much!

---

Hi again Matthew, am having trouble finding them in the 1911 Census. Do you happen to remember where you found it?

Thanks :-)

---

Ignore that, I found it. I was looking in Suffolk and not Essex!

Answer 4

Duncan McKay Spence born 1909; RD: Larbert; Ref. 485/A 254  [Note: Larbert is in Stirlingshire].

1911 Census – Larbert, Stirlingshire; Ref. 485/A 4/ 29 :

SPENCE, Richard, age 29 / SPENCE, Joan, age 29 / SPENCE, Louise, age 6 / SPENCE, Huggeton (male), age 5 / SPENCE, Susan, age 3 / SPENCE, Duncan, age 1

Richard SPENCE married Joanna McKAY in 1904; RD: Larbert; Ref. 485/A 22.

All of the above information is available at Scotlands People for FREE. If you would like to view the actual census, birth, death or marriage records you will need to purchase credits.

A search of the Statutory births for a Richard SPENCE born c1881 produced no results. 

FMP has Scottish Census transcriptions for 1841-1901. The 1901 Census @ Binnies Lane, North Road, Larbert, Stirlingshire states:

Hamilton Spence, Head, Married, Male, 42, Fdy Steam Hammerman, Ireland / Susan Spence, Wife, Married, Female, 50, Ireland / Marjory Spence, Daughter, Single, Female, 21, Ass Confectionery, Ireland / Richard J Spence, Son, Single, Male, 19, 1882, Gratefitter, Ireland / Mary, Spence, Mother, Widow, Female, 70, Ireland.

Richard's birth certificate is available at https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/civil-search.jsp - born 1881 in Armagh; Group Registration ID: 11629331.

Also on Scotlands People, Richard's parents Hazelton SPENCE & Susan BAXTER married in 1879; RD: Partick; Ref. 646/2 29.

Comments

Vivian this is incredible. My step mother is going to be blown away by this information. I don't think she thought it would be possible to find it!

---

Also on Scotlands People:

Duncan McKay Spence & Doris Ivy Fordham married in 1941; RD: Stirling; Ref: 490/118.

Scottish marriage certificates will also state full details of both parents

---

Thanks Vivian! Do you have a subscription to scotlandspeople? I've been buying credits so I can print off the original documents for my step-mother but am wondering if there is a cheaper way to do it, especially as I have a lot of Scottish ancestry myself...

---

No subscription option available - just a flat rate of £0.25 per credit.  Sometimes they offer FREE credits. I find it very reasonable compared to certificates from England & Wales. It's cheaper now because searches are FREE whereas up until late last year, you had to pay 1 credit for every 25 search results. I also have a lot of Scottish ancestry on my paternal line.

---

Am grateful they don't charge for searches anymore! Thanks for all your help. It's been brilliant :-)

---

My Gran is Louise Spence.

one of her brothers was Hazelton Spence. There are 2 of them in my tree.