Banns, did they require signatures?

[Romilly]

Does anyone know, - did all Banns require signatures?

I’ve got a Marriage Certificate for a Marriage that took place at St Wilfred’s RC Church, Hulme on the 18th September 1880, but it was filled out by the Registrar at the time, and doesn’t have the signatures of the Bride and Groom.

I’m wondering if the Banns for the Marriage might have original signatures?
And also where they might now be held?

Romilly.

[Jebber]

No, Banns are only a notice of intention to marry in the Church of England. When my son married 40 years ago my husband and I informed our Parish Church here in Dorset of his intention to marry in the bride’s  Parish Church in Kent. We ourselves were married in a Congregational Church and had to inform the Register Office where they displayed a notice of our intention to marry.

To see the couples signatures you need to see the Parish Register.

[Romilly]

Thanks Jebber, much appreciated.

Romilly

[Spelk]

If you buy a photocopy of the certificate held by the GRO then you are getting an image of the copy of the marriage certificate which was made at the time of the marriage and sent to the GRO.
If you purchase a copy from the local Registrar's office then what used to happen was that they would by hand make a copy the certificate.
These days some Registrar's will make a photocopy of the original so that you will see the actual signatures (if they did sign) of the groom, bride and witnesses. Not all do this however. Some 20 years back I obtained a copy of my G parents marriage and it came as a handwritten copy. If the certificates are bound up like in a book then they would not want to risk damaging the spine by flattening the book onto a scanner repeatedly.

[BumbleB]

It might be an idea to contact Manchester City Council to see where the original marriage records are held, especially as this was a RC church - they sometimes had their own document storage facilities.

https://www.manchester.gov.uk/contactus

Or

https://mlfhs.uk/databases/catholic-records

[Romilly]

Many thanks All for your replies.

After receiving the Marriage Certificate completed by the Registrar at the time (1880) I contacted the Lancashire Archives, who told me that the original Registers were held at Manchester Central Library. I’ve had numerous emails and phone calls with the Help desk at the Library and they kindly looked through the microfiche registers for me. Sadly, it would appear that they only have the copy certificate that I already have; which has no original signatures on it.

This is very confusing and disappointing, because I thought that signatures were required by law?

Marriage certificates in England in 1880 required the signatures or marks of both the bride and groom, along with those of at least two witnesses, on a marriage schedule that was then used to create the certificate
These signatures were a legal requirement established by the Clandestine Marriages Act of 1753, which mandated that parties to a marriage and at least two witnesses sign the register’.

Romilly.

[AntonyMMM]

An RC wedding, at that time, would be "by certificate".... i.e they would have given notice to marry to the superintendent registrar,  not by banns.

The original  (signed) register would be held by the registration office for the district.

RC churches may.have kept a second register themselves, often in Latin, but didn't have to.

[Romilly]

Thanks Antony,

Would that be Chorlton On Medlock, Register-Office, Cavendish Street north side. Manchester, rather than the main Manchester Registry Office?

Romilly

[AntonyMMM]

Whatever district that church was in would have had the register, although i think some historical Manchester registers gave been placed in the archives.

For accuracy you should avoid confusing certificates and registers, they aren't the same thing.

Marriage certicates don't need original signatures (other than that of the registrar issuing it), marriage registers do.