Who When Where

After re-visiting my grandmother’s 1911 marriage certificate, I’ve realised that she and the groom used the London Soldiers’ Home as their residence. The Home isn’t mentioned by name as such, but the address is: 63 Buckingham Gate, SW.

After making the address connection I began researching the various Soldiers’ Homes established by Mrs Louisa Daniell in the 19th century. There’s even vintage postcards on eBay of the London branch.

My question is: Why would the bride and groom give the Soldiers’ Home for their address?

Three months before the marriage, my grandmother was boarding with a soldier and his wife in Colchester, according to the 1911 census. No occupation given for my granny. (Her parents had frowned on her choice of husband; therefore my granny made several attempts to elope).

The groom was stationed at the Meeanee Barracks in Colchester in 1911. He served with the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) from 1904-1921. I have his service papers and nothing suggests he was connected to nearby Wellington Barracks c1911.

I’ve also reviewed the London Soldiers’ Home residents in the 1911 census. I don’t see anyone with an obvious connection to my granny or the groom.

If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions as to why the London Soldiers’ Home address was stipulated at the time of marriage, I’d be most grateful to receive them.

As a curious aside, I’ve studied the bride’s signature on the marriage record – and it looks nothing like my granny’s handwriting. Very odd indeed.
I grew-up with my granny. Therefore I’m quite familiar with her handwriting. I’m not at all suggesting the bride isn’t my granny, but it’s strange to see such unfamiliar handwriting. She was extremely well-educated, so it's not like she couldn't write and had someone else sign her name.

Where did they Marry? Did it hold any significance for either of them? Did it hold any significance for the Military, or in particular the Cameronians?

Oops...I forgot to mention that! It was St Andrew's Church, Westminster, London. As far as I'm aware, no other family members married there. I'm not familiar with the Church at all. So unsure of any British Army connections.

https://gilbertscott.org/st-andrews-ash ... stminster/

Interesting read. The church was closed in 1946 and demolished in 1953
It stood at Ashley-Place, off Victoria St in Westminster, close to the present Westminster Abbey.

https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/MDX/W ... er/outline
shows its position in relation to the Abbey

There may be other links as well as the above on google too. I only looked at the 1st two pages.

Many thanks for the Church info, Sally. I still can't work out why bride and groom listed the London Soldiers' Home address as their residence. From everything I've read, it doesn't sound like it catered to young soldiers intending to marry nearby. You'd think the groom would've used the Colchester Barracks for his residence; and that my granny would've used either the Colchester address she was boarding at -or- her family's Aldershot address.

At first I thought my granny was working at the LSH at 63 Buckingham Gate at the time of marriage. After all, she had earlier worked in the Officers' Quarters at the Aldershot Barracks, like her older sister. But the 1911 census indicates no occupation for her at that time. Marriage was three months later, so I appreciate that her job status could've changed by then.

When I was growing-up, my granny refused to talk about this (abusive) marriage. So her life, at this point, is a mystery to me. Shortly after the marriage, she and her soldier husband were sent to Malta for three years until WW1 began.

I can only offer the following.
Was he involved in guard duty in London at the time. Wellington Barracks was used to house soldiers engaged in such.
Contact his regimental museum, googling Scottish rifles brings up several entries but nothing for London
Contact LMA, City of Westminster Archives.

You have probably done all of the above

Perhaps it was simply a case of running away to marry somewhere they wouldn't be found?

Hi Sally - I was in touch with the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Museum a decade or so ago. They were very helpful indeed, in relation to my biological grandfather's lengthy military career.

I'll keep looking into a possible Wellington Barracks connection for the groom c1911, but there's nothing about it in his service papers. As he's not my blood relative, I'm more interested in my granny's whereabouts when she left Aldershot for Essex. In the 1911 census, she was using the groom's surname and claiming she was already married.

So here is a hypothesis
The only way She could travel abroad with Him was if they were married? I assume this would be the case.
No doubt he would have to prove they were married.
If they were saying they were already married in the 1911 census in Colchester, then they couldn't very well marry there.
Did they marry by licence or Banns? If the forme,r then I would think that would add weight to the idea they went to London to marry and know doubt lodged at The Soldiers Home for convenience.
Pure conjecture, but may be the closest you will get to an answer.

Wouldn't at least one party have to have an address within the parish the church was situated in? If they had both given addresses in Colchester wouldn't that have precluded them from marrying elsewhere?