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Min age for witness to Marriage

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Iona

Iona Report 20 Jan 2009 16:46

In about 1870/80 was it OK for a 1 witness to a Marriage to be aged below 16 and was there any minimum age?

AnnCardiff

AnnCardiff Report 20 Jan 2009 16:55

sorry not a clue - donlt even know if there is a minimum age these days. To be honest I would think if you are able to read and write, age shouldn't matter

Researching:
Breakspears of Berkshire and Cardiff, Williams and Harman of Whitchurch, Melingriffith &Tongwynlais,Glamorgan WE HAVE NO CONNECTION Do not share your tree with me

Heather

Heather Report 20 Jan 2009 17:05

I dont think there was or is a minimum age. I know a friend remarried a couple of years back and his 10 year old son was one of the witnesses.

PME

PME Report 20 Jan 2009 17:25

I assumed it would be 18/21, or at least back then you would think they would have to be an adult. I have two marriage certs that have three witnesses listed, so I wonder if the 10 year old 'witness' was an additional one?

Off to see what google will tell me.

Edit: Rootsweb has a few threads on this topic, appears they just had to be 'two crediable witnesses', so it would have been up to the person presiding over the wedding who was a crediable witness. I wonder how many times a child scholar was a witness because no one older who was present could sign their name.

mgnv

mgnv Report 20 Jan 2009 17:42

The min age for witnesses in Scotland is 16 - see:
http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files1/registration/rm1text.pdf

This doesn't say which act requires this, so I've no idea how long this has been the case.

InspectorGreenPen

InspectorGreenPen Report 21 Jan 2009 14:35

There was no minimum age, nor is there even now, although it is preferred that at least one is over 18.

The current requirement is that the witness must understand what is happening, and be able to speak and understand English.

Can't speak for Scotland.