CHESHIRE-L Archives

Archiver > CHESHIRE > 2008-08 > 1219327551


From: "C&D Hughes" <>
Subject: Re: [CHS] Witness to marriage
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:05:51 +0100
In-Reply-To: <721191.22369.qm@web23305.mail.ird.yahoo.com>


Further to Graham's comment I've found that in some parishes this person, sometimes described as Clerk, signed every marriage irrespective of the number of other witnesses - a bit of a drag when transcribing, knowing that he ain't going to help any researchers but has to be typed anyway.

Chris Hughes

-----Original Message-----
From:
[mailto:]On Behalf Of sue fryer
Sent: 21 August 2008 12:36
To: cheshire rootsweb
Subject: [CHS] Witness to marriage


This is not specific to Cheshire but I know someone on this mailing list will probably have an answer to my question, and maybe the answer will help someone else...

Up to now the witnesses I have found on marriage certificates have been very useful in making family connections. However, recent research of marriage registers in the late 1800's revealed that one of the witnesses was present to sign the register for more than one marriage entry. Not a relative or even a close friend of the couple. The couple were married in a church and came from relatively large families so I was surprised that one of the witnesses wasn't someone directly related to them.

Does anyone have any thoughts about what was going on here and what position in life that witness may have been e.g. other clergy?

Cheers
Sue Fryer
Cumbria

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