Research Forum

Hello all,

It’s been a while since I last posted here, but I thought this might be of interest.

I’ve been researching my grandfather, Stanley Walter JONES (b. 1908 – d. 1987), who was born and died in Weston-super-Mare. For years, I believed I had his history fully mapped out—until recently, when the 1921 census became available on Ancestry.

To my Dad’s surprise, the census revealed that Stanley and his sister were residents at the Müller Homes in Bristol. Curious, I reached out to the charity that holds their records, and they kindly sent me everything they had. It turned out to be quite a treasure trove!

But then, things got interesting…

Among the documents was the wedding certificate of Stanley’s parents, Walter Alvan JONES (b. 1879 – d. 1925) and Beatrice Eleanor COSH (b. 1886 – d. 1915). However, there are some glaring discrepancies that make me wonder—were these simple mistakes, or was something being concealed?

1. The Groom’s Name: His actual name was Walter Alvan JONES, yet on the certificate, his first names are reversed (Alvan Walter JONES). A clerical error? Maybe. But then…
2. His Occupation: The certificate lists him as an Insurance Agent, yet all my other evidence strongly suggests he was a house painter.

3. His Father’s Name: The certificate states his father was Tom JONES (deceased). However, my research indicates his father was probably William Walter JONES (b. ~1856 – d. 1908), meaning:

• "Tom" may not have been his father at all.
• His real father was still alive at the time of the wedding.
• There’s no record of a Thomas/Tom JONES in my family tree from that period—so who was he?

On the bride’s side, her name is recorded as Eleanor COSH, despite Eleanor being her middle name.

Everything else on the certificate aligns with my records, so I’m confident it belongs to the right people. However, Beatrice would have been heavily pregnant at the time of the wedding—could this have influenced these inconsistencies?

Curious to hear your thoughts! Has anyone else encountered similar oddities in marriage records?