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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: 7Y on Sunday 27 March 22 14:01 BST (UK)

Title: Marriage Certificate Entries
Post by: 7Y on Sunday 27 March 22 14:01 BST (UK)
Am I right in thinking that a deceased Father wasn’t always marked a so - thus leading one to think they are still alive.
Thanks
Title: Re: Marriage Certificate Entries
Post by: aghadowey on Sunday 27 March 22 14:03 BST (UK)
Depends on the country and period of the marriage. Different locations have different rules which can vary of time.
Title: Re: Marriage Certificate Entries
Post by: Girl Guide on Sunday 27 March 22 14:04 BST (UK)
Yes, that can be the case.  One way to check would be to follow the father through census records and see when he stops appearing.  Then you could check to see if you can find a death registration.

Whether or not a father appears as deceased depends on what questions were asked when the marriage was registered.
Title: Re: Marriage Certificate Entries
Post by: carol8353 on Sunday 27 March 22 14:05 BST (UK)
It may have depended on what question the vicar asked.
What job did you father do?
And is he still alive? (or maybe not even asked)

Some people would not have volunteered more info than they felt necessary.
Title: Re: Marriage Certificate Entries
Post by: 7Y on Sunday 27 March 22 14:13 BST (UK)
Thanks for the replies.  The marriage took place in 1864. The 1861 census says mother was a widow.  The only death showing on GRO for Henry Crawford, Salford is 1856; but can’t find burial record to confirm.  Will have to order certificate, and hope it’s the correct one.

Many thank everyone
Title: Re: Marriage Certificate Entries
Post by: carol8353 on Sunday 27 March 22 14:38 BST (UK)
Thanks for the replies.  The marriage took place in 1864. The 1861 census says mother was a widow.  The only death showing on GRO for Henry Crawford, Salford is 1856; but can’t find burial record to confirm.  Will have to order certificate, and hope it’s the correct one.

Many thank everyone

You know you can order a birth or death copy as a PDF for just £7 from the GRO site?
Title: Re: Marriage Certificate Entries
Post by: Marmalady on Sunday 27 March 22 14:42 BST (UK)
The required information is Father's name & occupation so the most usual question would be "Who is your father and what does he do?"

So unless the minister asked or the bride / groom volunteered the information that the father was deceased, then then is no way of knowing.

I have a certificate where there is no father entered for the bride -- just a line through that section so i though she was probably illegitimate -- until i found her living with her father upto the census before her marriage and her was still alive at the census afterwards too!
Title: Re: Marriage Certificate Entries
Post by: Comberton on Sunday 27 March 22 15:00 BST (UK)
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Title: Re: Marriage Certificate Entries
Post by: andrewalston on Sunday 27 March 22 16:09 BST (UK)
I have a certificate where there is no father entered for the bride -- just a line through that section so i though she was probably illegitimate -- until i found her living with her father upto the census before her marriage and her was still alive at the census afterwards too!

He may have been the mother's husband, but was he the father?

The entry is just what was volunteered. No documentary evidence was needed.

I have a man who was illegitimate but the mother married the father soon after the birth (there's a matching Bastardy Bond). He married with his birth name (father left blank) but lived all his life with his father's surname. His children were all registered with his birth name too. It was very satisfying to work it all out!

I have marriages with father invented, father "deceased" but alive elsewhere, and in one very lucky case, father named even though he had left the district around the time of my gg gm's birth.
Title: Re: Marriage Certificate Entries
Post by: 7Y on Sunday 27 March 22 17:40 BST (UK)

Thank you all so much for your advice and assistance, it is very much appreciated.

Carol - Yes, I did know the cost of PDF – Its just when your have a few on the go, plus subscriptions, it can become a costly affair.  I’ve been lucky so far though.

Marmalady - Wonder what the story is behind the score line for Father – I can understand why you would presume he had died.

Thank you Comberton – that’s Henry, Whipmaker.  I can now safely order a certificate.  I’ll still keep trying to find where he is buried – from my experience, they are recorded even if they end up in paupers grave.  I suspect he is in a grave belonging to family/friends.

Thanks for the advice Andrew and the ‘lucky’ story – I bet that was one of those ‘ah, look at that’ moments.  I've had a few of those.