Forest of Dean FHT Forum - FoD Register Office locations

FoD Register Office locations (reply)

slowhands — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 06:15:14 +0000

.... and in later years I understand that some Lydney marriages took place at a Lydney registry Office - the Town Hall.

In Glos BMD one entry that I know of, for Lydney, is showing as Forest of Dean Registry Office(post 1974), so getting a copy of the BMD register entry will reveal exactly where the ceremony took place

FoD Register Office locations (reply)

Jefff — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 01:27:26 +0000

Hi Alison,
thanks for correcting me, you're right of course, sorry to inadvertantly overlook Chepstow. I guess this was because my own family, working & social life in the Forest was largely spent in the eastern side and occasionally Monmouth but rarely if ever Chepstow; I must say it was a surprise to me as a Cinderfordian to discover so many of my Lydbrook/Coleford ancestors were considered as Monmouth/Wales.

Looking at the Genuki site, as I should have earlier, this excellent chart is a good guideline to the various parishes & districts and hence Registry Offices. I presume (but don't know) that the Cinderford Office was opened when the "new" Forest of Dean District was introduced in 1937, out of the older Chepstow, Monmouth and Westbury Districts.
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/forest%20of%20dean.html

Following the above site's links will give this table listing the parishes within Chepstow District from it's formation in 1837 until, for the Forest parishes, about 1937:
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/chepstow.html

So, to answer Tony's question, despite what the GlosBMD Records seemed to be stating as I posted earlier, it seems that St Briavels was indeed considered to be under "Chepstow" Registration District until 1937 when it became "Forest of Dean", and again in 2006 when we all became "Gloucestershire".

PS
I gather Chepstow Office shut in 2012, so preventing Marriages taking place there, altho' they still have a "One Stop Shop" to register Births and Deaths.
http://www.freepressseries.co.uk/news/9532582.Chepstow_s_registry_office_is_due_to_clos...
Monmouth also has a One Stop Shop. Westbury Office shut in about the late 1960s when the old Workhouse Buildings in which it was housed were redeveloped for housing.

Thanks again Alison for your help.

FoD Register Office locations (reply)

alison2 — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:54:55 +0000

Members of my St Briavels Families married in Chepstow Register Office, I am suggesting Chepstow as another possibility.

FoD Register Office locations (reply)

Jefff — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 14:42:25 +0000

Hi Tony,
I stand to be corrected but as I understand it in the 1800s or so two Register Offices served the Forest of Dean area, Monmouth to the west and Westbury On Severn to the east. These towns had been important centres of local government etc when the Forest was still a largely unpopulated area, before the coal & iron industries really took-off and generated a huge influx of workers. The "Early Map Of The Parishes" from this page may help illustrate
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/joomla/the-forest-of-dean/maps-of-the-forest

In this instance being a St Briavels marriage I would very much suspect nearby Monmouth.
The full GlosBMD database Marriage record appears to confirm this, see below;

Interestingly I searched the Marriage using just the surnames, no dates, they may not all be related of course but the GlosBMD lists a few R.O Marriages. In case it's of interest/help to you I've included all their results.

Number of entries matching criteria entered: 5

Groom Surname Groom Forename Bride Surname Bride Forename District Parish Building Year Register Entry
WATKINS Ephraim HOWELLS Mary Ann Forest of Dean Monmouth Register Office 1860 4 100

WATKINS John HOWELLS Hannah Forest of Dean Monmouth Register Office 1894 16 171
(WATKINS John WATKINS Hannah Forest of Dean Monmouth Register Office 1894 16 171)

WATKINS William HOWELLS Leah Forest of Dean Monmouth Register Office 1896 18 122

WATKINS Roy HOWELLS Emily Elsie Forest of Dean Ruardean St John the Baptist 1921 1 325

WATKINS Richard John HOWELLS Pamela Violet Forest of Dean Coleford Baptist Chapel 1950 5 47

see http://ww3.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bmd/MarriageSearch.aspx

In more modern times and presumably due to the great increase of population within the Forest there is now a Registry Office in Cinderford, so midway twixt Monmouth & Westbury.
Reference to the latest "1920 Map", again from this page, will hopefully help illustrate
http://www.forest-of-dean.net/joomla/the-forest-of-dean/maps-of-the-forest

I hope this helps, and that I've got it correct.

WATKINS/HALL/HOWELLS 1901/1891 (reply)

m p griffiths — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:15:33 +0000

Pendaisey

WATKINS - 32 - William, Nurseryman Yard Labourer, Born Llangrove
Leah - 35 - Dressmaker, born St Briavels
Hubert - 2
Ada - 1
Ann WATKINS - 63, mother, married - Charwoman, born St. B Glos - not sure if it says blind

----

1891 Census, Bury, Lancashire

Working for George G CLARKE, as Wesleyan, Minster

Leah J HOWELLS - single - 25 - Nurse, born St. Briavels

and on Ancestry, transcribed as Williams WALKINS

Llangarron,

Williams WALKINS - 22 - unmarried -
Ann WALKINS - 52 - married - mother - born St Briavels
Ann HALL - 84 - Grandmother - born St Briavels
Mary EVANS - 82 - Aunt - born St Briavels

WATKINS/HALL/HOWELLS St Briavels (1911 Census) (reply)

tonyjenkins — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:12:58 +0000

Thanks for your help

Where is or was the FoD register office?

Regards

Tony

WATKINS/HALL/HOWELLS St Briavels (1911 Census) (reply)

m p griffiths — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:00:08 +0000

As Ann had a Son William WATKINS in 1869

1911 Census, Herefordshire, Llangarren, Tresse Cross, Ross

WATKINS

William - 42 - Nurseryman, born Llangarren, Ross
Leah - 45 - married 16 years - 3 children born alive, 3 living, Dressmaker, born St Briavels
Herbert - 13 - born Llangarren
Ada - 11
Alfred 7
Ann WATKINS, mother - age 73 - Widow - no occupation, born St Briavels

---

Glosbdm

William WATKINS married Leah HOWELLS - Forest of Dean Register office - 1896

Ann Hall bapt 1837 St Briavels

tonyjenkins — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:43:41 +0000

The wife of my 2x great grand uncle is proving to be elusive

She was born in St Briavels abt 1837 bapt 1st Oct residence Hudnals. d/o William and Ann.

She married my 2x Great Grand Uncle Charles Watkins at Ross in Dec 1857.

I have found both on the 1861/71 and 81 census.

My 2x Great grand uncle was admitted to Burghill between 1881 and 1891 (He is on the 1891 census)

Charles and Ann had a son William in 1869.

Ann appears to have died between 1901 and 1911 (In 1901 Charles is declared as married but in 1911 he is a widower).

I believe Ann died in Hereford abt 1907.

Could anyone help me find Ann on the 1891 and 1901 census?

Many Thanks

Tony Jenkins