The Strange Marriage of Richard Wilkinson and Amelia Frankland At the age of 23 Richard Wilkinson married Amelia Frankland. Banns were read on 24 July, 31 July and 7 Aug 1831 in St Mary the Virgin church, Whitby. Amelia Frankland’s residence is given as Whitby; Richard Wilkinson’s as Osmotherley. Osmotherley is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton hills in North Yorkshire, six miles north-east of Northallerton. The village is at the western edge of the North York Moors National Park. It is 40 miles or more from Osmotherley to Whitby which begs the question 'How did these two meet?' On all the entries in the Parish Register on the same double page as Richard and Amelia’s entry there is a note in the margin recording the date of marriage. There is no record of a marriage for Richard and Amelia. The marriage actually took place 3 years later in Osmotherley and Amelia is now described as 'of this parish' (Osmotherley) .