Genealogy Chat

I'm hoping someone can help me deciphering information on some marriage certificates I received.

At the bottom of the certificate where it states "this marriage was solomnized between us" next to the womans name it says "and her ..." and then something I can't read. Her father was a witness and next to his name it states "and his ..." and then again something I can't read.

Again, on the other certificate I received next to the womans name it also says "and her ..." something.

Any ideas what this might say? It's really frustrating me!

Thanks for your help.

Did they actually sign their names?

"Mark" i.e "X"

It was quite likely they couldn't write, so made their mark.

I have a strange one where the wife signed the certificate at her first marriage, but having been widowed and subsequently remarried, she purely made her mark. Maybe she didn't want to show up her illiterate second husband.

Elisabeth

Thats what I was thinking Elisabeth - if they couldn't write & didn't sign their names, it could be their X and the words could be 'and her mark'

I could see where you were heading Sue.

Just need Karen to confirm ......

..... It is surprising just how many I have with


... and her Mark X

Me too .............. wish I could find some well educated (& wealthy!!) ancestors but no such luck!!

It looks like it could say "mark" and that certainly makes sense. It's always easier to read something if you know what it says! Although on the certificates I have the whole thing is in the same writing and doesn't have any signatures on it.

Is it an original certificate or a recent one from GRO?

If it is one you have purchased, it is probably just a clerk's writing, from filling in the register, so would be the same writing.

I get the impression that the GRO photocopy the extract from the register onto a standard form. So it would be the writing of whoever wrote it into the register.

My reason for thinking it is a photocopy from the reg is that sometimes you can see the bottom of the writing from above your extract or the top of writing from below. If you know what I mean.

Huia.

It's just a recent copy from the GRO.

Thanks for your help everyone. I knew someone would figure it all out!

Makes a change for me to know the answer to something!!

I'm usually the one asking the questions.

Every 3 months the local reg office sent their records to GRO. The handwriting would be the same because 1 person copied it

Elisabeth, it could be that the bride had injured her hand/arm and was unable to sign.

I'm quite lucky, I have a parish register entry from 1832 where the bride signed. As far as I am aware she hadn't had much in the way of education (ag lab background) but someone had taught her to write.