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Same marriage registration number for two couples?

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Marilyn

Marilyn Report 4 Jul 2011 14:06

Apologies if I'm being particularly thick here! Have just found my GtGtGrandfather, John Warnes who married Sarah Jex - marriage registration 4b 161. However, Genes Reunited also advised that two other people were married with the same reference number. Completely different names, but both couples married in Norwich. I thought that each event had a unique number. Can anyone advise how this happens? Many thanks, Marilyn.

Researching:
Norfolk - Warnes, Avis, Bailey, Duffield

brummiejan

brummiejan Report 4 Jul 2011 14:10

No, the numbers aren't unique, so no cause for concern! It's just a volume and page ref. for the indexes.
Jan

Researching:
Myatt, Hanks, Eccleston, Powell, Clungunford, Birmingham

Marilyn

Marilyn Report 4 Jul 2011 14:17

Many thanks Jan.

Researching:
Norfolk - Warnes, Avis, Bailey, Duffield

InspectorGreenPen

InspectorGreenPen Report 4 Jul 2011 15:14

The reference i.e. 4b 161, refers to the volume and page in the actual registers where the full details of the entry can be found.

Up until the 1850's there were 8 names per register page i.e. 4 marriages. After that the number was reduced to 4 names.

mgnv

mgnv Report 4 Jul 2011 15:36

You can see examples of English BMD certs near end at:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_186584.pdf


Here's the GRO index entry for the example m.cert appearing above:

Marriages Sep 1907 (>99%)
Surname First name(s) District Vol Page
CONAN-DOYLE Arthur St. Geo. H. Sq. 1a 1155
DOYLE Arthur Conan St. Geo. H. Sq. 1a 1155
ELLIOTT Lily St. Geo. H. Sq. 1a 1155
LECKIN Jean Elizabeth St. Geo. H. Sq. 1a 1155
[The index image says LECKIE - I've subm'd a correction to FreeBMD]


As you can see, the GRO index has nothing to do with the entry #, nor the church name.
However, if you were to see a local index, then the church would be identified (possibly only as a code) and they are likely to use the index # as the ref, rather than the page #.
Here's an example:

Lancashire Marriage indexes for the years: 1889
Surname Forename(s) Surname Forename(s) Church / Register Office Registers At Reference
MORIARTY Patrick J MCTURK Sarah A Manchester, Hulme, St. John the Baptist Manchester 67/2/246

This site lets you know that Manchester's m.rego code 67 refers to Manchester, Hulme, St. John the Baptist
Here the 246 is an entry #, so one knows who wed whom, even pre-1912.

Marriages Sep 1889 (>99%)
Holgate Agnes Chorlton 8c 991
McTurk Sarah Annie Chorlton 8c 991
MORIARTY Patrick Joseph Chorlton 8c 991
Travis Robert Chorlton 8c 991

Some online local BMD indices are available via:
http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/local_bmd