Is there an image for this marriage record? Thomas Wood & Mary Parker in Chatham, Kent in 1799

+2 votes
164 views

Hi, 

I'm looking for more information about the origins of Thomas Wood and Mary Parker - either parents or residence. 

They bounced in between Hull, in Yorkshire (FamilySearch only accepts the full name Kingston upon Hull) and Chatham, in Kent. If anyone knows why they might have moved I would love to know. - Thomas was a joiner.

  • 1799: Married in Chatham
  • 1804 - 1808: Children born in Hull
  • 1811 - 1822: Children born in Chatham

I was hoping an image of their marriage record may reveal more.

WikiTree profile: Thomas Wood
in Genealogy Help by A. C. Raper G2G6 Mach 5 (52.6k points)
edited by A. C. Raper

1 Answer

+1 vote
It's possible that if Thomas Wood was originally from Yorkshire, or they were a wealthy family there could be this move from Yorkshire to Kent, but I think the most likely explanation is that you are looking at two different families.
by John Atkinson G2G6 Pilot (619k points)
Here is one of the Yorkshire born children with her Kent born brother in 1851 https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPMJ-DBC

And the marriage record showing Margaret was born Margaret Wood https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N2K8-8VS
I have found the parish records for St Mary, Chatham, Kent and the marriage register for that time period is here https://cityark.medway.gov.uk/Details/archive/110002242 and the record you are after is in P085-01-50(4). pdf in about page 32 of 67 BUT I am certain that Thomas surname is Bell or Ball in the record not Wood.

I am finding these files are opening very slowly and that may be my internet connection and the time of day/year but they do open eventually.

If you agree that the surname isn't Wood, then I would suggest that perhaps the marriage took place in or near Hull, given that's where the eldest children were born?

You are right that the census record does indicate children born in Yorkshire and Chatham and given both places were related to the sea, perhaps Thomas was a mariner or involved in trade/shipping somehow?
I was just on that site but couldn't figure out how to access records - thank you : ). I will let you know when the record opens.

FreeReg shows on the eldest Chatham children's christening records that Thomas was a Joiner.

This was the order of my research starting with Margaret Tesseyman:

  • The 1851 census shows she was born in Hull in about 1808, and she had a brother named Charles Wood who was born in 1818 in Chatham, Kent.
  • A search for a James Tesseyman who married a Margaret before 1837 (the 2nd eldest child's estimated birth date on the 51 census) shows only one record in all of England between James and a Margaret Wood - confirming Charles was very likely her relation. 
  • A search for a Margaret Wood who was born in Hull, in Yorkshire between 1802 and 1813 shows two records one for a Margaret in 1807 born to Thomas and Mary, and the other in 1809 born to a James and Dinah.
  • A search for a Charles Wood who was born in Chatham, in Kent between 1813 and 1823 shows a Charles was born in 1816 in Chatham whos parents were Thomas and Mary. - Very likely Margaret's parents were Thomas and Mary then. 
  • A search for a Thomas Wood and Mary who married in Hull or Chatham between 1750 and 1810 shows only one marriage in Chatham in 1799 to a Mary Parker
So the 4th of Feb 1799 we have a Thomas Meado?roft and Mary Leverrett, and a Thomas ? (It does look more like they are l's then d's) and Mary Parker.

Hmm so they probably did start in Yorkshire, since that its clearly not their marriage.
I was just about to say, that I'm not sure where you can go from here, when I found the original of Margaret's baptism on Ancestry.com which has "Margaret the daughter of Thomas Wood & Mary his wife of the Parish of Myton was born the 7 April 1807, baptised 24 May 1807, by me John Mather"

So presumably this is Myton-upon-Swale.  

I also found this list of warships launched (and presumably built) at Kingston-upon-Hull  https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/ERY/Hull/WoodenHulledWarships and given Chatham was the main Naval dockyard, as a joiner, Thomas Wood may have worked on building wooden hulled warships and this explains his move?
There is a myton street in hull, and I think a myton sub area also in hull which is right next to the Humber, and the quey. Perhaps the vicar meant that Myton instead?

Related questions

+4 votes
1 answer
117 views asked Aug 23, 2023 in Genealogy Help by Nick Miller G2G6 Mach 2 (25.9k points)
+2 votes
0 answers
+4 votes
1 answer
134 views asked Feb 6, 2013 in Genealogy Help by Mary Hook G2G Rookie (250 points)
+4 votes
1 answer
244 views asked Sep 5, 2014 in Genealogy Help by Matt Salkeld G2G Crew (830 points)
+4 votes
0 answers
82 views asked Mar 11, 2020 in Photos by Susan Durant G2G5 (5.0k points)

WikiTree  ~  About  ~  Help Help  ~  Search Person Search  ~  Surname:

disclaimer - terms - copyright

...