The Livingstones in England

John and Harriet Livingstone, 1871.

Today I received this in the mail - a certified copy of my great-great-grandparents' marriage record, straight from the General Register Office of England. The Livingstone branch of my family tree is a relatively short one, barely reaching the beginning of the 19th century, so it's exciting to find facts that can extend it a little more. That was the case with this record.

I already knew a few basics about John and Harriet Livingstone, who migrated to the U.S. in 1900 with six of their children, settling in Detroit. Census records show he was a tailor, originally born in Scotland; she was born in England; they were married in 1871. The picture below was taken within a few years of their arrival in the U.S., based on my great-grandfather's age (he was born in 1890, and is standing at the far left of the photo, eleven or twelve years old is my guess).

Seated: John and Harriet Livingstone.
Standing: John, Elizabeth, Harriet, Eleanor, Florence, and James Livingstone.

Confirming a few details, the document lists John and Harriet's ages, Harriet's maiden name of Smith, and John's profession as a tailor. Marriage records at the time included the bride and groom's fathers and profession, so I found that John's father (also John) was a carpenter, and Harriet's father, Joseph Smith, was a silversmith. Other assorted details provide their addresses in Birmingham (John lived at Albion Street, Harriet at Helena Street), names of the witnesses, Samuel David Livingstone (a cousin or brother?) and Sarah Starkey, and the church where they were married: the parish church of All Saints in Birmingham, Warwick. From a quick internet search (here), it looks like the All Saints Church itself no longer stands. Harriet's profession was listed as well, "machinist," which led me to wonder what exactly that meant in 1870s England. Research for another day, I think!

Learning that Harriet's father was a silversmith led me off on a bit of a tangent, albeit an interesting one. Using this new info to search census records, I found a likely match in the 1861 census: Joseph and Harriet Smith, and their daughter, Harriet Elizabeth, whose age matched perfectly. His occupation is listed as "Manufacturer of Electro Plated Wares." It turns out that the electroplating first took off as an industry in Birmingham. So, while not exactly the same profession, the industries were close enough that a transition from one to another sometime between 1861 and 1871 wouldn't be unusual. Another find: the Joseph Smith & Sons building in the jewelry quarter of Birmingham, as well as information about the hallmarks used by silversmiths in Birmingham at the time. So are these jewelers part of our family? Maybe!