Jewish marriages in private homes in the 1870s?

[rogerwill]

I have been looking  at  a Jewish marriage in 1873. Bloomah Frankel was married on 15 January 1873, the  ceremony officiated over by Moses Berlyn (1843-1914), the Secretary of the Birmingham Hebrew Congregation, at Bedford House on Highfield Road, Edgbaston, King’s Norton, Birmingham. Looking through the register, most Jewish marriages were conducted in the local Synagogue in Birmingham, but a fair  number were conducted in private homes, as in  this case. Can anybody clarify why  or what the significance is of having  the marriage in  one place or the other?

Thanks

Roger

[JustinL]

Hello Roger,

I had the same question when I received the marriage cert of my ggf's brother. He and his bride had married in functions rooms, rather than in the New West End Synagogue (near Hyde Park) whose minister had officiated at their wedding.

The sexton explained that the synagogue had only been completed and consecrated in 1879, the year before the marriage of my ggf's brother, and the interior was quite plain. Later works created a more sumptuous interior appearance. The sexton hypothesised that the plain interior may have put people off, hence they opted for an alternative venue.

Another factor to consider, is the convenience of holding the marriage ceremony and the subsequent celebrations in one place. If the private home was itself quite sumptuous, I imagine the parents of the bride would have been eager to show off their affluence.

Do you know who was living in Bedford House at the time? I believe Edgbaston was already an affluent suburb of Birmingham by the 1870s.

[Jebber]

You may find it informative to read the link.

https://www.genguide.co.uk/source/jewish-registers-of-birth-marriage-and-death-burial/

[rogerwill]

My thanks to  Justin and Jebber for your  comments, I think I have a better understanding now of the choice of location  and its relative significance. Jebber's link also provided me with several new resources for research

Thanks again

Roger