Genealogy Chat

Thank you all for these helpful comments - I am very grateful.

It just makes our research more challenging doesn't it!!

Best wishes

Sue

When my grandparents married, the bride's father had been dead nearly 25 years, but there is nothing to indicate this on the couple's marriage certificate.
He is just recorded by name and occupation.
Some registrars/ clergy were more thorough and tended to ask the question in such a way that more definite information was recorded.

Gwyn

Inventing a 'father' and then saying he was 'deceased' was a common occurrence - to cover for illegitimacy.

As stated above, it depends on what questions are asked, and how they are answered.

Conversely, there can be mythical fathers, too - some people have mentioned on here about ancestors who were actually illegitimate making up a name for a father so they looked more respectable to their new in-laws, and then neatly evading the question of "where is he, then?" by saying he was dead.

I suspect at least one of my ancestors of doing this - picked a nice frequently-occurring name for his dad (John) and a nice vague occupation (labourer). In this case he didn't mention whether "John" was dead or not but maybe he wasn't asked.

Plus, somebody also suggested on here that - if for some reason, Dad disapproved of the marriage and the child in question was under 21 - a tidy way of needing his consent was to say he was dead.

It depends how the question was asked. They may have been asked "What is your father's name?" and just answered with the name, whereas someone else might offer the name and then add "oh, bye the way, he is deceased".

It's only the information that is provided that is written on the certificate.

Kath. x

Nope - it really depends on the way the bride or groom answered.

Hi, can anyone tell me please,

If the father of a bride or groom is dead at the time of their child's marriage, is this fact always indicated on the Marriage Certificate?

I have one example of this where the father's name is given, and under the name it says (deceased). But was this obligatory every time?

I welcome any thoughts you might have about this!

Thanks
Sue