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I have ten children in one family. Do I have to send for all the marriage certificates to find out who they married. I have checked two but neither has there partners name. All I really want is the marriage details not the certificates. Betty

The only way to find out is to order the marriage certificate!

Hi Andrew, Thanks for your help, I didn't know that I would have to order the marriage certificate, why is that?. The other marriages certificate I sent for I was able to check the husband and had his name before I sent for certificate, I was able to find the husband. If I go on like this all the family's have about 9/10 children plus parents marriages it will cost hundreds of pounds for all these certificates. i just want info on name of person they married and the year and date. Betty Sorry going to have to go to bed it's 6:40am, been trying to check these marriages all night. Will check any messages in the afternoon, thanks in advance.

Betty Ordering all those certs seems a bit excessive to me? Have you checked on LDS? You might be lucky............. If your stuck, post the names, we can all help you look Elly

Betty You missed the vital information - when and where did these marriages take place? If they were before 1901 in England/Wales you should be able to check using the census. Freebmd often has all the people on a page, but you still don't know who married whom. Later on, there's just one or two couples per page which makes it easier to find. After 1910 its much harder. Before 1837 you can use parish records. nell

If you can find them on FreeBMD it should give you several options for marriage partners - find them on a census following the marriage and you can make an educated guess as to whom they married - assuming this occured before 1901 Charlotte

The snag is that if you don't know who the children married, unless the surname is unusual, there may be several possible candidates and even with the certificates, there is no guarantee that there isn't someone with the same father's name getting married. As has been said, you can make intelligent guesses, using Freebmd and the censuses.The period where you really have to get certificates is 1901 - 1911. It is beyond first hand memory and there are no later censuses to check against. Even with uncommon names, you can make mistakes if you don't get certificates. One of my Skillings moved from Sunderland to Sussex and had children in the same registration district as another, indigenous Skillings with the same forename. I got hopelessly tangled up and even thought the Sussex man had married bigamously until I had sight of the certificate.

When did these marriages occur? And in which country? Unless you give us that info, the advice won't be accurate. Reg

Hi everyone thanks for replying to my message, sorry I was up to nearly 7am this morning, had to get some sleep. Anyway all the marriages took place in Durham first one I can't find, second in 1892 and the rest would be after this but haven't got that far yet but they were in 1901 cesus. The problem is another family I have also have a great number of children too, will be trying to find their marriages later on. Betty

Are you saying that the marriages took place before the 1901 census ? and that the married couples are on 1901 ? Then the answers will be on FreeBMD. If the people married after 1901 then I'm afraid that yes you will have to purchase the certificates ..... unless they married THIS side of 1912, in which case the surname of the partner is listed on the index. Unfortunately, this hobby is NOT cheap and its certainly NOT easy. Your not the only one or the first to have to consider buying more than 1 cert !! Elaine ;-)

Hi Elaine, No sorry I didn't make it very clear, The first marriage was in 1892 In Lanchester Durham I have the page and volume number but don't have the name of the person she married. I thought she must be married as she was on the 1891 but not on the 1901. The rest of the children must have married after 1901 census. Betty

Give us some names, ages and birthplaces, and let us see what we can find............ Reg

Hi Reg, Thanks for the offer to look up the marriages, so far I have only found two females who were in the 1891 but not the 1901, think both were married but know Bridget was. Bridget Collins 1875 Blackhill County Durham (lanchester distric) October-November- December 10a 496. Mary Ann Collins 1873 Blackhill County Durham (lanchester district.) Betty

Are you saying that the two women you name were sisters? And that you need both marriages? Reg

Hi Reg, Yes they were two sisters, the only two who married before 1901 census, have put page and vol info of Bridgets marriage but don't know who she married. Mary Ann, I have no information about her marriage at all. Sorry Reg. Betty

How about this one in 1901? Thomas Collins abt 1883 Blackhill, Durham, England Heworth Durham View Record Bridget Mc Call abt 1876 Blackhill, Durham, England Wife Heworth Durham View Record James Mc Call abt 1901 Windy Nook, Durham, England Heworth Durham View Record John H Mc Call abt 1871 Windy Nook, Durham, England Head Heworth Durham View Record William Mc Call abt 1898 Blackhill, Durham, England Heworth Durham This is the only Bridget born in the right year and right place who is a wife. So it was easy to find on the census And the other half of the marriage info is John Hudson McCall Reg

Hi again Reg, Forgot to say all the other brothers married later on they were quite a bit older. Betty

Yes Reg, That looks like Bridget, Thanks for finding her. There were 10 children in this family. Betty

Hi Betty County Durham marriages are searchable on the Durham County Council website and you are given the name of the spouse. 1892 Durham Northern Bridget Collins married John H McCall http://www*durham*gov*uk/gro/newgro*nsf Regards Helen K

Hi again Reg, This is the family in 1901 census. Sorry Reg Elizabeth 1881 is missing too. 1901 View Record Margaret Collins abt 1882 Blackhill, Durham, England Daughter Benfieldside Durham View Record Mary A Collins abt 1858 Scotland Wife Benfieldside Durham View Record Michael Collins abt 1888 Blackhill, Durham, England Son Benfieldside Durham View Record Patrick Collins abt 1891 Blackhill, Durham, England Son Benfieldside Durham View Record Peter Collins abt 1872 Blackhill, Durham, England Son Benfieldside Durham View Record Phillip Collins abt 1874 Blackhill, Durham, England Son Benfieldside Durham View Record Teresa Collins abt 1893 Blackhill, Durham, England Daughter Benfieldside Durham View Record Thomas Collins abt 1844 Ireland Head Benfieldside Durham View Record Thomas Collins abt 1885 Blackhill, Durham, England Son Benfieldside Durham Betty