Genealogy Chat

Hi there - I've got a bit of a puzzle here. I sent off ages ago for a marriage certificate of my Gt Grandmother. Sent to Wetherby, Yorkshire. Gave the bride's name as Mary Ann Tyzack and the groom as Reuben Clarkson - marriage 1869, Thorparch, Leeds. Received the cert but the bride's name was Elizabeth Tyzack, so emailed them and was told it was the correct cert and the reason was that the bride couldn't read or write - just put her mark. How come this was left unnoticed on the groom's part and just left. I'm now still wondering if it's the right marriage or whatever. Stella PS Her name was definitely Mary Ann.

Stella I have a groom called Gerrance Chapman who married a gt gt aunt of mine. On the marriage cert he signed his name Gerrance but it was recorded in the groom's name column as Garrance. He didn't notice! I also have several brides who made their names a bit fancier when they married, so I have an Annie who became Elizabeth Ann, Katie who became Kate and Rose who became Rosella. Maybe Mary Ann fancied being called Elizabeth, or maybe the registrar just made a mistake and the groom was too lovestruck to notice. nell

Thanks Helen. You may be right there, but it is really annoying - makes me imagine all sorts. How would the registry office know they had the right certificate though - with the name being wrong? Stella

A lot of the time People could only read and write their own names, so he wouldn't have noticed if their Brides/Grooms name was correct or not, She could have been called Mary Ann Elizabeth and the registrar only heard the part Elizabeth, there could be loads of reasons for it, Are the Fathers names correct, ages, occupations that type of thing, Mistakes were made and Often but if these details are correct then it must be her. I have several certificates where the fathers name, say George is down as the name of both parites fathers where only one actually was or the groom and his fathers names have got mixed up.

Carrie - yes, ages are correct, father's names too, so must be right one I expect. Thank you. Stella.

Had a check on Ancestry's civil reg and they have 1869 Jul-Aug-Sep Wetherby Reuben Clarkson Elizabeth Tyzack and also: 1869 Oct-Nov-Dec Wetherby Thomas Simpson Elizabeth Tyzack but no Mary Ann Tyzack marriages in Wetherby. nell

Thorparch is a tiny place so either it is just an error or it was her sister !! Could he have married one sister, she died, then he married another sister ?? It might be worth checking on Ancestry marriages for her surname a good few years either side. :0) Joan

The cert I have is for the marriage in July 1869 to Elizabeth Tyzack. There was no sister named Elizabeth, only an Eliza but she wasn't born until 1866.

On IGI there is a marriage of Reben Clarkson to Mary Ann (no surname given) 1869 at Boston Nr.Tadcaster, Yorkshire. Looked on Ancestry and the other marriage details you mention at Wetherby show Boston Spa and Tadcaster in the description of the area of Wetherby. Strange!!! Irene

I really cannot fathom this one - can anybody else please? Do you think I have the wrong certificate or what? Stella

Boston Spa & Tadcaster fall in Wetherby R.O. as far as I know, as does Thorparch. There can't have been many families by that name there, it really is a tiny village!!! :0) Joan

Well have you got Mary Ann and/or Elizabeth on a census together? Or not? What was her father's name and occupation? nell

Thanks Joan. All I can think is that they got her Christian name wrong when doing the certificate. Don't know that area very well having moved down south as a young child. Is Tadcaster near to Thorparch then? They got married according to the cert in the Parish of Thorparch. Stella

There is no Elizabeth Nell. Her father on the certificate is Frederick Charles Tyzack - Gentleman's Servant, but on later censuses he was an Agricultural Labourer.

Yes Stella Tadcaster is very close, Thorparch is near Boston Spa too. Was it All Saints Church ? That is the one on a hill in the middle of nowhere, not even in the village itself. I have photos of that one. :0) Joan

It doesn't actually give the name of the Church Joan - just says Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of Thorparch.

It could be the same church then. I don't think there was another one in the village. My certificate reads 'Marriage solemnized at All Saints Church in the Parish of Thorp Arch in the County of York', then lower down, above the witness signatures it says 'Married in the Parish Church according to the Rites & Ceremonies of the Church of England' Are you sure it doesn't say All Saints at the top of the certificate next to the year ?? Have you found them living elsewhere on later censuses & if so, where were the children born ? :0) Joan

No, there is definitely no actual name of the Church. I have found Mary Ann and Reuben as man and wife living at various places - 1871-1878 at Boston Spa. 1880-1883 at Thorparch and 1891-1894 at Wetherby.

Hi I don't think it was important in those days. A marriage certificate I have has the surname Joyce instead of Joy. Both couples had 'x' as the mark. 25 years later when it was corrected at the Register Office by the Registrar, witnessed by the wife (surname Joy) and her married daughter, they got the daughters married surname wrong. Made me wonder why they bothered. Bye Paul

Well per the 1881 census his wife, Mary Ann was born in Scarcroft & I guess this is her for reference on 1851, mistranscribed : View Record Eliza Lyzack abt 1826 Collingham, Yorkshire, England Wife Scarcroft Yorkshire View Record Frederick Lyzack abt 1826 Aberford, Yorkshire, England Head Scarcroft Yorkshire View Record Hannah Lyzack abt 1849 Newcastle on Tyne Daughter Scarcroft Yorkshire View Record Mary Ann Lyzack abt 1850 Scarcroft, Yorkshire, England Daughter Scarcroft Yorkshire :0) Joan