The marriage takes place in the catholic church (I quote from a certificate) "in the catholic church according to the rites and ceremonies of the Roman Catholics" but as well as being signed by the catholic priest, is signed by the Registrar who was in attendence with his register book.
In a register office ... "Married in the Register Office according to the rites and ceremonies of the" signed by registrar and superintendant registrar.
Hello Geoff,
In some cases it is possible a couple could first marry in a register office and some years later get married in the Catholic Church. Because the couple had been through an earlier civil marriage (and so were 'legally married') the registrar would not attend the second (Catholic) marriage. Only the first (i.e. civil) marriage would show up on the 'Free BMD' website. Without checking the Catholic parish records or already knowing that this was the situation (i.e. from family records) it would be quite easy for family historians to miss the second marriage.
The reason for such a second (Catholic) marriage would be to ensure the couple were "properly" married, especially if any children of the couple in question had been baptised at the Catholic Church. There are a number of instances I could give from the Catholic parishes of St Mary's, Cleator or St Begh's, Whitehaven.
For example, one couple I know of married at Whitehaven Register office in 1918. The first child was born in 1919 and baptised at St Begh's R.C. Church. The following year (1920) the parents were married in accordance with the rites of the Catholic Church, again at St Begh's. The actual dates can be found in the following article I have previously written about this family:
http://2ndww.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/loved-in-life-mourned-in-silence.htmlPerhaps you have come across other examples yourself?