Death - Archibald Cunningham Taylor - Glasgow.

[Jewel of the North]

Archibald Cunningham Taylor born Glasgow 22 June 1900, Married Mary Logan 18 April 1929 at
19 Howard Street Glasgow (by declaration).  Archbald was a Seaman according to Marriage info.
Any help at all will be appreciated.  Also, would someone tell me what the term "by declaration" means?

[RJ_Paton]

Archibald Cunningham Taylor born Glasgow 22 June 1900, Married Mary Logan 18 April 1929 at
19 Howard Street Glasgow (by declaration).  Archbald was a Seaman according to Marriage info.
Any help at all will be appreciated.  Also, would someone tell me what the term "by declaration" means?

By Declaration means that it was a form of "irregular marriage" - basically a declaration made by the couple to consider themselves as man & wife - by the 1920's this had been slightly formalised and was probably made in front of witnesses perhaps in the office of a Solicitor. (There existed a mechanism to allow the full registration of such a marriage by obtaining a Sheriff's warrant in declarator which is sometimes referred to as a Declaration)

[seaweed]

Archibald Cunningham Taylor, born 1900 died 26/7/1930 at the Government Hospital Durban SA from severe head injuries sustained whilst a crew member on  the London UK registered vessel BRITISH COMMODORE official number 146710.
 http://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/viewimages.php?year=1930&name=BRITISH%20COMMODORE&page=71&imagesource=CLIP%C2%A0images

http://www.benjidog.co.uk/allen/Images/Images%20B/BPTNK027.jpg

Last place of abode c/o Mrs Logan 59 Washington Road, Anderstown, Glasgow.

A detailed resume on the circumstances of his demise may be contained in the vessels logbook which should be available from here
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2481425
It would seem he was killed by the buffer beam of a railway engine  whilst walking alongside the railway track between Westow and Island View.
Discharge A Number R41387, Rank AB, Height five feet four inches, eyes blue, hair brown, complexion fair, tattoo left forearm "Scotland forever"

[MonicaL]

JNT...nice to see you back on RC 

Monica

[Forfarian]

Bit more on the procedure of a marriage by declaration before witnesses.

The declaration before witnesses, not whatever ritual is performed by a clergyman, is the crucial element of a legal marriage in Scotland. So you could get married anywhere, any time, any place, simply by declaring in front of witnesses that you were husband and wife.

However from 1855, if you then wanted to get the marriage registered, you had to go to the sheriff with your witnesses and tell him, and the witnesses had to back you up. You then got a warrant which you took to the Registrar and which gave him authority to include your marriage in the statutory register of marriages. This procedure was done away with in about 1939/40 when civil marriages by the Registrar became available.

I think the term 'irregular marriage' was officially dropped once statutory registration was introduced in 1855, but I am happy to be corrected about this.

The kirk definitely frowned on irregular marriages, and it's not unusual to see in the Kirk Session minutes a reference to a couple being hauled up before the Session and admonished for an irregular marriage, fined a sum of money which went into the poors fund, and made to stand in front of the congregation to be humiliated for the 'sin'.

Here are examples from my own tree:

Decr 30th 1775. This day by appointment John Waddle came before the Sess and presented Lines of Marriage with Jean Cuthil dated at Edinr August the 3d 1775 Upon which the Sess appointed him and her to Compear before the Congregation Sabbath first and although she was not to Compear they would take him under discipline for the same. [New Monkland Kirk Session minutes, National Archives of Scotland CH2/685/3/143]

Campsie, 11th Sep 1835. Compeared David Waddel and Jean Dalgliesh and owned their irregular marriage producing a certificate from a Justice of the Peace to that effect, and were recognised as Husband and Wife by the Kirk Session, and suitably reproved for their irregularity. [Campsie Kirk Session, National Archives of Scotland CH2/51/4 p 9]
11th Sep 1835. David Waddle and Jean Dalgleish both resident in Campsie owned their irregular marriage to the Kirk Session of Campsie of this date. [Campsie Parish Register]

1803, Jany 23rd. Which day Alexander Yorkston miner Castlerankin and Anne Kincaid servant Castleranken acknowledged they were irregularly married on the fourteenth day of December last and produced lines to that effect. [Denny Parish Register]

July Collected 1770. And Storry and Mary Lindsay for pro and irregular marriage £0-4-0. And Storry and Mary Lindsay penalty £0-11-0. [New Monkland Parish Register]

Janr 29th 1756. Compeared voluntarily John Rankine and Lilias Waddel and produced a Testifiate of their irregular marriage dated Janr 24th 1756 (no place mentioned) and signed by David Paterson Minr (as he designs himself) and two witnesses. They adhered to their marriage, were suitably exhorted and rebuked for their irregular behavious. [Falkirk Kirk Session Minutes, National Archives of Scotland CH2/400/10/137]

[Jewel of the North]

Sincere thanks to all who replied, nice to know that nothing has changed on RootChat.  There was a note on the Marriage with regard to "Warrant of Sheriff Substitute of Lanarkshire dated April 18 1929"
Also "Registered 1929 April 19 at Glasgow, J. McLeod, Assistant Registrar", but it was the "By Declaration" which surprised me as I don't recall seeing it before. 
I am glad I had shown his occupation as Seaman.  Could not help wondering if he was perhaps still doing that in 1939/45 and being aware of it being a very dangerous job during those years, there was a possibility he may have been a casualty.
Again, thanks to all.
JTN in sunny and hot Ontario Canada

[seaweed]

am glad I had shown his occupation as Seaman.  Could not help wondering if he was perhaps still doing that in 1939/45 and being aware of it being a very dangerous job during those years, there was a possibility he may have been a casualty.

"Archibald Cunningham Taylor, born 1900 died 26/7/1930 at the Government Hospital Durban SA."

Am I missing something here?

[MonicaL]

Seaweed, I read from JNT's comment that he couldn't possibly track Archibald's death...and wondered if he had died, whilst at sea, during WW2.

Great info you have provided for JNT 

Monica

[Jewel of the North]

seaweed,
Sorry if my comments were unclear, your info helped fill a gap in my tree, I was "thinking out loud"
if such a thing is posible on the internet.  I have a particularly difficult branch which I am attempting to complete.  A Gentleman on my tree married 4 times and produced 8 children from the first three marriages.  Fortunately, the last marriage happened late in life both for him and the lady, so no more
to add to his considerable family.  I only had Birth, Marriage & Death on one child, the only female, so hopefully I can get more information on the remaining six males., with the help of RootsChat.
Thanks again.  South Africa was a new Country for me to find the Death of a relative.  I had a few males who were involved in the Boer War, but all of them managed to make it back safely.
JTN