Marriage of Edith Herring and George Massey in 1919

My father had told me that my grandfather James Aaron STOCKING had been married before his marriage to Jessie EPHGRAVE. After some detective work, I found that James' first marriage was to Edith George MASSEY (or so it said on their marriage certificate). Edith's father is named as Charles J HERRING, and she is described as a widow at the time of the marriage in 1927. I assumed that Edith's first husband was called George from the strange 'signature' on the certificate; I found her with her parents on the 1901 census, and from that her birth index entry in 1894. Her full first names were Edith Florence.

Although the HERRINGS aren't direct ancestors (red herrings, in one sense!), I wanted to find out a bit more about them because of their connection to my grandfather. The recent batch of certificates I ordered include that for her first marriage to George MASSEY. In case they feature in someone else's tree, here's what the certificate shows:

They married on 26 June 1919 in the Register Office in the District of West Derby in the County of Liverpool. George MASSEY was a bachelor aged 28 years, described as an Art Decorator and Edith Florence HERRING was a 26 year old spinster with no given occupation. At the time of marriage they were both resident at 55 Rutland Street Everton. George's father is also a George MASSEY, Dock Labourer and Edith's father is shown as Charles HERRING, Gas Fitter, which coincides with information on her second marriage certificate in 1927, and the censuses. They married by licence, witnessed by 'G. Kershaw, Annie Jackson'. Both Edith and George signed the register. Edith was born in London, so I don't know what took her to Liverpool (but George appears to have been born there).

It seems that the couple had at least one child as FreeBMD has a birth index entry for Gladys M MASSEY in the June quarter of 1920, in West Derby (mother's maiden name HERRING). My father mentioned that my grandfather and his first wife had a daughter. I've not been able to find any record of a STOCKING birth that fits, and it may be this 'rumour' relates to Edith's daughter by her first marriage. However, Gladys may also have died before her mother's remarriage (again, no death index entry yet found).

Edith married James Aaron STOCKING on boxing day 1927, and died on 15 October 1928. James married for a second time to my grandmother Jessie EPHGRAVE on 7 July 1929, in St Mary's, Lewisham (where he and Edith also married).