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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: Shrop63 on Wednesday 05 November 25 21:57 GMT (UK)
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Hi, I, m curious to know the roll of the person who signs as a witness on early marriages. On the certs I, ve seen they are signed by the curate and a witness who obviously has a role in the church. Who would have written the records? I, m trying to tie in the written records of a particular person when born and when married. Thanks
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For example, one of my ancestors is "of this parish" when married and it looks like the person who signs (not the curate) also wrote the birth record
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Any adult could witness a wedding. You will often see the same name appearing as a witness on several entries from the same church so usually a church official/member.
Many couples married outside their home parish for whatever reason so often didn't have family available to act as witnesses.
"of this parish" did not necessarily mean they were born there - just that they satisfied the 3 week residence rule to marry in that particular parish.
2 of my ancestors were born & lived in Liverpool but married in Cheshire. No connections to Cheshire and then returned to live in Liverpool.
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Often relatives or friends witnessed marriages, but if they were regular witnesses it was usually a parish constable, overseer or church member such as churchwarden or whoever. Sometimes it was neighbours who witnessed weddings.
I have a couple who left Sussex in early 1864 and wed in North London that summer, and the witnesses were 2 church officials, likely due to the distance between where the couple originated and where they married. They settled in London as well.
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A witness doesn’t need to be an adult, as long as they are old enough to to understand what they are witnessing.
I was not allowed to witness a friend’s marriage when I was eighteen although I was already married myself. It was years later I learned from another Registrar that the first Registrar had been wrong to prevent me. After all until the 1920s, with consent a girl could marry at 12 and a boy at 14. I later came across a twelve year old witness and then a 13 year old marrying a man in his 20s
Witnesses don’t have to know the couple, it was not uncommon for two passers by called in off the street to act as witnesses.