MORE THAN ONE MARRIAGE CEREMONY/IS THIS POSSIBLE

[geraldine96]

Dear ROOTSCHATTERS - I am researching an ancestor who was born in 1847 and died in 1917 in Sheffield. His 1st child was born in 1874 and therefor he must have married in 1872/3. His background is irish, and I have heard from the living family, he was catholic. However he married in Nottingham in 1908 at the Parish Church of St. Peter 'according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church. I have the marriage certificate which I recently ordered from Southport GRO. He is aged 61 and his wife 56. His wife is the mother of all his children according to the 1911 census - it looks as if they repeated their marriage ceremony - Is there a knowledgeable Rootschatter who can explain the multiple marriage custom (ie the same couple getting married twice) ? Thankyou for  helping me out again Rootschat! Geraldine96               
                                                                                                                                     
  Edinburgh

[bearkat]

A common reason for a late marriage is that one of them was not free to marry.

Does the certificate say they were bachelor & spinster? Have you looked for a previous marriage for either of them?

[RJ_Paton]

His 1st child was born in 1874 and therefor he must have married in 1872/3.

Why must they have married before their child was born ?

there are a number of explanations for why they waited until later in life -
1. as mentioned by bearkat
2. Their marriage was an irregular one
3. there was no marriage.
4. They did marry but either it was not recognised or they had no proof of this (1908/1909 saw the introduction of the old age pension)

[Tickettyboo]

What does the 1911 census say about the number of years married?

Boo

[River Tyne Lass]

Just from my own background .. my parents were of different denomination; Dad was Roman Catholic and Mam was Church of England so they married in a register office in 1936.
Family story is that the local priest was not at all happy with this and persuaded them to have another ceremony at the local RC Church two years later. I have found the notation of this second marriage in my Dad's RC baptism record.  Of course, there is no mention of the original registry office record in this RC baptism entry.

[Tickettyboo]

Just from my own background .. my parents were of different denomination; Dad was Roman Catholic and Mam was Church of England so they married in a register office in 1936.
Family story is that the local priest was not at all happy with this and persuaded them to have another ceremony at the local RC Church two years later. I have found the notation of this second marriage in my Dad's RC baptism record.  Of course, there is no mention of the original registry office record in this RC baptism entry.

But was this a church ceremony only or was the later church marriage also recorded in the civil records (as the one being discussed was)

Boo

[River Tyne Lass]

No, admittedly the second marriage ceremony at RC Church wasn't recorded in civil records.

[heywood]

I have seen Catholic Church ceremonies a few years after an official marriage, civil or CoE, but not the other way round. That is, not a CoE after a Catholic marriage.
As has been said, these would be a marriage ‘in the eyes of the church’ but not a second civil marriage.
If a first marriage has not been located for the couple, I would look for a previous marriage for one or both parties.
This was suggested earlier.

[DCB]

My grandmother was baptised at St Anthony RC, Liverpool in 1872, but her birth was not registered.

She married a protestant and all of the children grew up as protestants. However, in 1935, she had a certificate issued at the same church with the same baptism date as in 1872, although the date of issue was 1935. It may have been something to do with the lack of a birth certificate.

David