Talk:Ann BRYCE II

"Bullocks to Bypass" states "The first marriage to be held in the new church at Tomerong was reputedly that of Robert William Kells and Ann Bryce on 15 May 1885." Our reference for the first marriage (TP352) states that "Mr R W Kells’ marriage was the first to be held in this Church." It does not state who the bride was but infers that the marriage was in the new Church that opened in 1887. Robert William Kells was married three times- in 1885 to Ann Bryce, on 6 Nov 1889 to Mary Ashby and finally to Emma Wickens in 1900; however the last marriage was in Nowra. Ann Bryce died on 16 Apr 1856 and Mary Ashby on 9 Feb 1893. It is unclear to us if TP352 refers to RWKs marriage in 1885 to Bryce, or 1889 to Ashby. You would assume that the Bryce marriage would not have occurred before the new Church was officially opened which would occur 29 months later! I would expect the marriage referred to in TP352 is the Ashby wedding in 1889, 16 months after the new Church opened. The new Church was not built on the site of the old Church but several metres away. The old Church site now has the Sunday School building. Initially (from 1856) weddings in Tomerong often took place at private houses (e.g. The house of James Pantlin in 1863 and the house of William Blayney in 1864). Also from TP352; "In the year 1866 Church Services were held in Mr Parnell’s barn at Tomerong... In 1868 Church Services were held in the Public School... In 1876 a State Law came into force — prohibiting the holding of religious services in a Public School. The Church Services were then held in Mr John Parnell’s Ballroom... ". A Church/Hall was then built on Barham's property in 1877 and this building was replaced with the current building which opened on 1 Nov 1887. We have a record (parish register) of the marriage of David? Lamond and Maria Hardy in the Tomerong School House in 1864 and it appears Henry Dent and Harriet Parnell (daughter of John and Harriet) got married in the same location in 1870 , plus William Lang and Mary Jane Andrews in the same year. With respect to the old Church we have a record of Thomas McCall marring a Livinia Smith in the Union Church at Tomerong on 25 Nov 1878. Livinia was the step-daughter of John Parnell. We also have a record of John Miller marrying Mary Ganderton in the Uniion Church in Tomerong on 30 Jun 1886, and so on.