Incorrect fathers names on marriage certificates

[Milliepede]

I haven't found any wills for anyone.  This is going back to the mid 1800's by the way.  All the other siblings that married named the right father. 

I don't even know if he did marry but it's given me hope he may have done and the wrong name was put down, just how to prove it.

 

[groom]

If his father died when he was very young, it could be possible that he never heard him referred to by his name - just "your father"?  Or it could be a simple mistake by the vicar when writing it up.

[sandiep]

we have to remember that way back a lot of people were illiterate and so didn't know for sure what was written down.............I have one that is down as Daniel instead of Samuel, and on hubbies side one line used whatever name they felt like  for surname and sometimes forename made life quite interesting fortunately always something you could say yes that's ours to.
Mind I have one who could read and write perfectly well put fathers name as Frederick instead of William, supposedly she had fallen out with him!!

[iolaus]

Just remembered I have one (though it's baptism rather than marriage) 'either Thomas Williams or William Thomas'

[coombs]

My ancestor was William Thomas Coombs, his father was George. William put Matthew George Coombs on his wedding cert. That was his older brothers name. In all the refs to their father George, I have not come across him having Matthew as a first name. I have his baptism, burial. George died when William was 3. George was a coachman and his son Matthew was a printer. William put "coachman" for father.

William's dad died when he was 3 so I think he thought he father was the same full name as his older brother, unaware their dad was just George.

[Ayashi]

I've had it before where details between the bride and groom have been mixed up- for example, the bride's father had the same occupation as the groom's father when I know he didn't, or one where he had the same forename but we are convinced we have the right family as all other details match. In older PR records, I've seen transcriptions mess up between lines, giving the wrong mother to a christening etc.

[onlooker]

My great grandfather (born 1857) had two younger brothers. Their father died in 1862. All three brothers married in the 1870's. They gave three different fathers' names, all wrong.

It took me a long time to piece the family together. I'm reasonably sure that it's correct now because I have some DNA matches on that line.

Their mother lived until 1900, and seems to have maintained contact with at least two of the brothers; I don't know why she didn't tell them their father's name.

[coombs]

Yes, you have to just apply logic and realise the info given can be inaccurate, if I was not a genealogist I probably would have trouble remembering my great grandparents names. Easy to get mixed up. And to swap names around, no end of confusion. Matthew George or George Matthew.

[..claire..]

Yes, you definitely have to be flexible and look at all options

My Grandfather was the product of my Gt Grannies affair with a married man. She registered his name with the married man's wife's name and maiden surname, I ignored it many times in the indexes before I thought 'it has to be him' and bought it.