Genealogy Chat

JUST READ THAT NON CONFORMISTS CHURCHES COULD NOT PERFORM MARRIAGES,
SO IF YOU HAVE A Cof E MARRIAGE THEY MAY HAVE
OTHER DETAILS AS NON CONFORMISTS

thanks for that a whole bunch of mine were Presbyterian

not strictly true - it depends on the era

from google for non-conformist marriages

Marriage records will only exist from 1898 or later when it became possible for a “named” person to administer marriages, the named person usually being the minister. From 1837 the marriage could take place in the chapel, but only with the registrar present, so the marriage certificate will appear in the registrar's records, as with a register office marriage, and only from the certificate will it be evident that it was a non-conformist marriage at a chapel. On the UKBMD indexes the location included in the “Church/Register Office” column is a strong indication of a nonconformist (or Roman Catholic) marriage.

mine are well before that date

Don't dismiss CofE marriages for non -conformists.

On a PR disc, there was a record for one of mine, which as I'd been told they were Salvation Army members, I'd assumed was not them (expecting a reg office one). Turns out they were married in the Vicar's Study (within the church) so both legalities and 'within the sight of God' were satisfied.

Funny old world! :-)

The baptism records for a branch of my family who were Non Comformist
are entered in the Wesleyan Records and the C of E- belt and braces ? !! :-)

Ah, that is perhaps why my gt gt grandparents were married "at the Register Office in the District of Otley in the County of York, according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Parties by me, William Ba.... Registrar."

Huia.

All of my family members were married in non-conformist chapels. It just required the presence of a registrar whose name was recorded on the certificate.

I AM SEARCHING EARLY 1800s
THIS IS WHAT I FOUND

Each religious entity kept their own records and operated, for the most part, outside of the English parish in terms of borders. Some individuals of non-conformist faiths would marry in both their non-conformist chapel and the Church of England chapel to ensure the legality of their offspring in matters of inheritance. Also, most non-conformist clergy could not legally perform marriages until the 1800s

ALSO

Marriage
Prior to Lord Hardwick’s Marriage Act of 1753, it had been possible for dissenting couples to marry at their
congregational meeting house. Although ceremonies of this nature were not valid by law, the public contract
which was made by the parties constituted a legal marriage. With the notable exception of Baptists, it was
common for Nonconformist couples to marry within the Anglican church. Baptists were often forced to marry
outside the established church as the clergy were predominantly reluctant to practice the marriage ceremony
for the un-baptised. With the exception of Jewish and Quaker marriages, after Hardwick’s Act every
marriage in England had to be performed in the churches and chapels of the Church of England. Marriage
registers of the majority of nonconformist denominations are infrequent before the Hardwick Marriage Act,
after which they are virtually non-existent until 1837. Where nonconformist congregations kept marriage
registers at this time, the detail provided will again depend largely on the on the preferences of the priest and
contents can therefore vary. However, one would expect to find at least the full names of the couple and the
bride’s father.

BMD REGISTER HAVE SOME BUT VERY PRICEY AND CHARGE FOR ADVANCE SEARCH OTHERWISE IT CAN BE HARD TO DECIDE IF YOURS

JUST CHECKED NATIONAL ARCHIVES
GIVES BMD REGISTER AS LINK

£78 SUBSCRIPTION