Victoria Coleman

Mrge reg. 013225-83 West Flamboro, Wentworth County
Alfred Muma (spelling mangled), 28, bachelor, farmer. Baptist. Born and residing St. George, Dumfries. Parents Michael and Elizabeth Muma.
Victoria Coleman, 32, spinster, born Beverly, residing Freelton. Episcopal Methodist. Parents James and Jane Coleman.
Witnesses Bella Davidson of Freelton and James Coleman of Stockton, California.
On 20th December, 1882, at Freelton, by J. L. Robertson, minister.

The date the clergyman filed the marriage registration is not given. It may well have been prior to the year end of 1882. The township clerk, however, did not turn in the page with the registration until 30 June, 1883, so we may say that the registration year was 1883.

Just who was the witness, James Coleman of Stockton, California, isn't immediately apparent. Artaxerxes was in the Stockton area as was, before and after this marriage, Hannibal. Hannibal was married in Freelton to Anna Davidson, probably the sister of witness Bella (above) in April of 1883, and Artaxerxes certainly didn't have children of an age to attend back in Canada as a witness to a marriage. This is a guess, but, either the clergyman made a mistake, or, just possibly, Hannibal gave his name as James. There's evidence that Hannibal Balshazzer Coleman did not like his second name, betimes giving it as Bertram. He may not have been wild about his first name, either, though he used it regularly back in California. It's difficult to come up with another candidate for witness that came from Stockton. James, above, so called, must have been Hannibal.

Certainly, when Hannibal married Anna Davidson at Freelton in April of the next year, Alf Muma was a witness.