Question re: Church of England Completed

[jann]

My grandmother got  married in St. Nicholas Church in Sutton in 1889.  I've never found a record of a christening for her  (b. 1865 Canterbury) or for any of her siblings.  Since they were born in different places I don't think this was a case of the records of one church going missing.    My grandfather was christened.

Was it possible to marry in the Church without a prior chirstening? Or, if only one half of the couple was christened?

Jann



 

[Jane Masri]

Hi Jann,
I don't think being christened is/was a prerequisite for marriage. You didn't have to be christened.  Maybe she & her siblings were christened as adults or not at all.
 Have you got her birth certificate?

jane

[colinjohn]

I suspect that it was up to the individual vicar.

Pre 1837 when everyone but Jews and Quakers was required by law to marry in the CoE there would not have been such a requirement - RC or non-conformists, for instance, would not have been baptised into the CoE before marriage.

Colin

[jann]

Thanks for the replies. 

Jane,  since I know my grandmother's dob and her parents' names I'd never thought of getting a birth certificate.  Would a certificate from that time and place provide additional useful information?

Jann

[Jane Masri]

Jann, this link should answer that question;
http://www.dixons.clara.co.uk/Certificates/births.htm
As you already have the vital information of parents etc it probably wont be necessary to get a copy,

jane

[jann]

Jane,

thanks much for the link.

 I don't think I'll request gran's certificate but  I may request certificates for other anscestors in the same boat i.e. a marriage record, but no christening record.

Jann

[jann]