Not getting a marriage certificate because funds were tight about 30 years ago. Two families of the same surname in one small Staffordshire village. Both had a daughter Hannah of the right age. Plumped for one, yes guesswork, and OH went off to Stafford record office and researched the birth, marriage and deaths for this family in another part of Staffordshire. Can’t remember off hand where they came from. Many many years later I eventually bought that marriage certificate and I’d picked the wrong Hannah. The two families weren’t even related. This was 200 years of research wasted.
Then of course there is the elusive Peter Henry Harrison who on his marriage certificate says his fathers name is Thomas. Everyone reckons he was a Yorkshire man so the only Peter with a father Thomas was born in York. I researched the family, bought loads of certificates and traced them back to Ireland. OH made many trips to York. Then came the 1911 census and THAT Peter Harrison was still in York and ours in Ashby de la Zouch. More wasted time AND money.
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Marg
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