Inside the 1892 marriage register of Saint Luke's Bromley Common at the page for the the marriage of James Wingfield and Emily Farley there is a 1914 letter from Mrs Emily Wingfield of 102 Old Lane Hollington Saint Leonards on Sea addressed to the church. In response a marriage certificate was given to her on the 3 September 1914.
Sir,
I am taking the liberty of writing to you asking you if you would be kind enough to forward me a copy of my Marriage Certificate as I have lost mine. My husband has been called up to the war and I cannot get any money till I get a copy and as work has been so scarce I don't want to be left without money as I don't know what we are going to do. We were married at Saint Luke's Bromley Common on 5 November 1898.
My name was Emily Farley and husband's name James Wingfield
Sir if you will let me know how much money I am to Send I will forward it on to you.
yours truly Mrs Wingfield.
It is an interesting insight into life on the Home Front for women whose husband had enlisted.
Prior to the war the family are found in the 1911 census at 34 Silverlands Road Saint Leonards on Sea and James is employed as a Nurseryman's Foreman Gardener. On his marriage his employment was florist. At the outbreak of war James would be around 38 years old and in the 1911 census entry he and Emily had a three year old daughter.
The Kent Online Parish Clerks Bromley Parishes page two volumes of marriages for Saint Lukes including this entry. The entry appears in the first volume transcription here later marriage transcripts are available 1898-1911 .
© Henry Mantell Downe and Farnborough Online Parish Clerk 2013-2020
