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From: "Jean Williams" <>
Subject: RE: [Lon] Child Witnesses
Date: Wed, 23 Mar 2005 16:56:56 -0000
In-Reply-To: <1d4.38b1c203.2f72f61a@aol.com>


and further to Laura's query, does this also apply to deaths? I have a
George KINGSTON present at the death of William Kingston. Now William
married twice and called a son by the first marriage and a child by the
second marriage George. I have found no trace of the first George, apart
from his birth so I assumed he must have died. The 2nd George was only 10
when his father died so could he have been on the death certificate as
"present at the death"? It seems a bit young to me so I would appreciate
your thoughts on this.

Jean

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:]
Sent: 23 March 2005 16:41
To:
Subject: [Lon] Child Witnesses


Hiya Listers,

My 3x great-grandfather, Joseph SCRINE, married the daughter of his first
cousin (!), Louisa Catherine SCRINE, on 16 February 1886 at St Barnabas
Church
in Islington. The witnesses were Sophia Jentle and Reuben JENTLE. Sophia
was Joseph's oldest child from his previous marriage to Eliza SHUTE so no
problem there. Sophia married Reuben Herbert George JENTLE in 1876 at
Islington
so at first glance the other witness would appear to be her husband
*except*
he died in 1880 so Sophia was a widow in 1886. This means that the other
witness must be her son, Reuben Herbert George, who was born in 1878.

My question, therefore, is: is it possible for a seven year old to have
acted as a witness at the marriage of his grandfather?

Does anyone know where the law stood in 1886 as far as competency of
witnesses stood?

Does anyone else have an example of a child acting as a witness for a BMD
registration?

Laura


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