Sorry for the long post, I am not a very good wordsmith….
I am suggesting that you should consider obtaining the information from the parish register for the 1887 marriage of your James PREEO. This is because it is likely to be the only document that is based on information that James provided directly about himself to any official in NSW. You should expect to learn the following from the parish register….. (the NSW BDM register may not have all the information, as I explained in the thread I linked in reply # 11).
Groom’s name (Christian name/s and Surname
Status (Bachelor, Divorcee, Widower)
Place of Birth (I have 1888 NSW marriage, and the document shows the English Village, and County)
Occupation
Age
Usual Residence
Father (his full names, and quite often, if known to be deceased, that is noted here too)
Occupation (or Profession/Rank etc)
Mother (her full names, and maiden name if known, and sometimes other surnames, eg if re-married)
Same for the Bride
Date of the Marriage, then the place, the denomination (according to the rites of ………………………..) the names of the witnesses, and the name of the Minister. The parish register will also note who provided consent for any minors to marry. This can also be a significant piece of information for family history purposes. In NSW in that era, persons aged under 21 years were lawfully considered to be INFANTS (ie minors) and so had no lawful right to be heard directly, or to give consent by themselves. Thus to enter into a marriage contract they required the consent of an adult person who was already responsible for them. The person giving consent is named and their relationship to the person (bride or groom) is noted on the parish registers.
The ‘real deal’ cert from the NSW BDM and thus also the Official Transcript of the ‘real deal’ cert OFTEN does not have all the above details, if it is for a marriage 1856-1895. Some of the NSW BDM registers were reconciled to the parish registers back around 100 years ago. The parish registers DO have all the information that was required by the various denominations Church laws. The elusive blanks are detailed on that linked thread.
I find it significant to get to the parish registers particularly when there’s changes to surnames, as in your instance. The parish register will show you the signature of the groom, or if he made his mark.
If you don’t know which denomination, or the actual church where Sarah married James then you will need to get a copy of the official transcription before you can proceed.
Many Cheers,
JM