LONDON-L Archives

Archiver > LONDON > 2000-01 > 0947771638


From: Eve McLaughlin <>
Subject: Re: MARRIAGE WITNESSES - for future researchers
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:53:58 +0000



>Another feature of marriage witnesses in the past is that they were not
>necessarily related to the couple. In my recent transcriptions, (1813 -
>1837) by far the majority of witnesses would appear to have been church
>wardens. The same names come up time after time.
It depends which kind of place you are working on - rural and small
town witnesses tend to be related (though the parish clerk may sign
every entry as well); they should always be noted down and investigated.
in London or other city parishes, often the couple are out of touch
with family and the witnesses are -not churchwardens, who were prominent
local people- but possibly church officials like the parish clerk, pew
opener etc. Anyone who could write was swept into service, and often
these officials lived very close to the church, or were around doing the
dusting etc, so could be called on at short notice.
--
Eve McLaughlin

Author of the McLaughlin Guides for family historians
Secretary Bucks Genealogical Society

This thread: