It’s very unusual to find a newspaper clipping still kept with a lovely wedding photo like this, but what a bonus!

The photo itself looks like it was at one time stuck in an album, thankfully someone had pencilled in some names on the back.

I started a small family tree for the couple, but I couldn’t find a William D Hague marrying a Hindle on FreeBMD, but I did have a William W Hague in 1944 Darwen, the most likely? So putting in Hindle and searching 1944, it said Elizabeth A Hindle married Hague, although I still couldn’t be absolutely sure.

I had a quick look at the Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks and was really lucky to find that William and Betty’s wedding had been fully transcribed: Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks Online Parish clerk websites are a brilliant free resource.

Marriages at St Cuthbert in the Parish of Darwen
Marriages recorded in the Register for 1927 – 1947

Marriage: 3 Apr 1944 St Cuthbert, Darwen, Lancashire
William Douglas Hague – 23, Insurance Clerk, Bachelor, 72 Earnsdale Road
Elizabeth Alice Hindle – 25, Clerk, Spinster, 72 Earnsdale Road
Groom’s Father: Raymond Hague, Deceased, Secretary
Bride’s Father: James Henry Hindle, Colour Chemist
Witnesses: James H. Hindle; Irene Edge
Married by Licence by Charles Fletcher, Vicar
Register: Marriages 1927 – 1947, Page 204, Entry 408
Source: Original Parish Register.

So with all this extra information, I was able to fill in lots more detail to the family tree, and I gradually added other members of the family.

William‘s parents were Raymond Hague 1879-1929 and Amy Woodbridge 1880-1925, the couple had married on 18 September 1907 at Saint Chrysostom’s Church in Victoria Park, Manchester. They had two sons William the youngest 1919-1978 and Leonard 1908-1981 during their marriage.

Betty/Elizabeth Alice‘s parents were James Henry Hindle b1881 and Elizabeth Hindle b1883, they had married at the Wesleyan Chapel at Cross Bank, Padiham, and they came from Weaving families. I haven’t traced their ancestors but I think they may have been cousins. Elizabeth Alice 1918-1959 had one brother James Howarth 1913-1988.

I haven’t found any children for the couple and I was sad to see that Betty died at just 41 years old. As it says on the newspaper clipping the couple were to be living at 72 Earnsdale Rd, Darwen (on the same road they married) but Betty died in Barton, Lancashire.

It’s a long shot I know, as the couple had no children, but if the Hague or Hindle families are your ancestors I would love to know more, please do get in touch.

St Cuthbert’s looks like a magnificent building to be married. The reception was held at the High Lawn Hotel on Blackburn Road, the main road from Darwen to Blackburn.

Till next time then…..