Genealogy Chat

Having bought my parents Certificate some years ago, there were 2 witnesses whose names meant nothing to me.
Transcribing for LanOPC, I notice many marriage witnesses are probably Parish Helpers because their signatures are on most Certs.
I mention this to help the less experienced who, like me, assumed 'my witnesses' were Family or friends.

My father was a registrar and strange things did happen!
I know that once a couple turned up by themselves and they got two council workman digging a hole outside the office to be their witnessess, for a few shillings each.

Andy

My mum was minding her own business in her local library when she was approached by a young couple...A few minutes later, along with another 'strange' man, she was in the Register Office next door witnessing their marriage. She is still rather proud that they chose her :-D

Chris

This thread prompted me to pick up my marriage certificate folder as I didn't know who witnessed my parent's marriage. It transpires, it's one of the certificates (despite having been doing this for 12 years) that I haven't got. Note to self, next time I'm round my Mum's, dig out the cert!

I do have some fantastic witnesses on marriages though. Mr and Mrs Bird had Mr and Mrs Bugg as theirs.
I also have a wonderful certificate which helped me find the bride's maternal line as one of the witnesses was Elizabeth Shearman and the curate described her as the bride's aunt. I wonder if he was a Victorian genealogist?

Alan


The witnesses on those early marriages are often known as "professional witnesses" ....... they were paid a small sum of money for doing the job. Often the Sexton, the gravedigger, or just men about the village would earn a few pennies by filling in as "witnesses".

Many people walked miles to get to the church, and friends may have been unable to get time off work, so the bridal couple would be unattended.

Christmas Day was a favourite day for getting married, as that was the one day in the year when people could almost guarantee getting some time off.


In 1835, my own gt gt grandparents walked from Oldham to Prestwich to get married in the "Parish Church", and the witnesses for their wedding also appear on 2 other marriages that took place on the same day ...... so probably "professional witnesses".


That was one of my discoveries .......... the church in Prestwich had been the parish Church for Oldham, and many people still regarded it as such, even though a "new" parish church had been built in Oldham about 20 years previously! They didn't feel babies had been properly baptized or themselves married in the "new" church!


The other fun discovery was that the Prestwich church has appeared a number of times on Coronation Street ...... or so I am told, not having seen Corrie since leaving the UK in 1967!




sylvia

Thanks for your observations. I see so much interesting and different detail whilst transcribing that make it absorbing and worthwhile.