Genealogy Chat

Hi Everyone

I just wonder whether there is anyone out there that knows what the term 'in this parish' means on a Marriage Certificate pre 1855 in Scotland.

Does it mean that they lived there prior to their Marriage, or that they were born and lived there ?? Or does it mean something completely different.

If anyone has any knowledge please, it would be appreciated.

Many Thanks in advance

All the Best
Alison

Hi SomersetGirl

Many thanks for that. It just clarifies that when looking for a Birth not necessarily to look in that Parish.

Thanks again.
Alison

"Residency" of this parish was a requirement in connection with the calling of the Banns. It did not necessarily mean either of the couple actually lived there as their normal place of residence.

Marriage by banns meant that a couple had to be resident in the parish for one week before the banns could be read, banns had to be written into a banns notice book and were either called in the church or proclaimed in a public place such as a market. The total process thus took one month from the start of residency to the completion of banns when the marriage could take place.

Notice that the couple (or individual) only had to be resident for that one week - it was not necessary to be resident for the whole month. Some couples used this loophole to have a marriage in a place other than the one they truly lived in and they married in other places for a variety of reasons ranging from wanting to be married in a particularly pretty church, to wanting to return to their parents area, to wanting to keep the marriage hidden from the people who would know them.


PS residency limits for Scotland may differ, but the principle is similar