Genealogy Chat

Thanks to Jack Sprat's kind visit to the Banbury Reg Office, I now know that the office for the District of Banbury is, and was, (since the 50's) at a village called Bodicote. I had always been under the misapprehension that there was more than one reg office in the district - purely based on the fact that my parents didn't marry in Banbury town. Now I think each district only has one reg office used as a marriage venue - the only thing we may not realise, is the address of that venue at any given date. Does that make sense? Merry

Merry, you've started something now...just looked at mine. at....the Register Office, District of Durham in the County of Durham.......but I know they lived nowhere near Durham City ??? and at...the Register Office, District of Auckland in the County of Durham.......they lived in Crook. They obviously just put the registation districts, although in Crook they may have had to travel to Bishop Auckland to get married. Jean

I have a similar situation with a non-conformist circuit marriage register. According to my local superintendant registrar, the book travelled round with the minister and at each ceremony, he put the location of the chapel. For the marriage I wanted though, this hasn't been filled in. So as bride and groom were recorded as coming from neighbouring parishes, (both with a Prim Meth chapel) we are never going to know exactly which venue. The registrar was brilliant and actually shared the book with me. Jay

I was at Bodicote House today (currently the Banbury Registration Office) and asked about where the local office was in 1963. To my amazement, I was able to look at lots of old documents, including a letter announcing that, as of 1st December 1952, the office was moving from Horse Fair in town to Bodicote and the floor plans for the building! So, the answer to your question is that your parents were definitely married in Bodicote House, Bodicote nr Banbury. Btw, the original register is now stored in the Oxford Register Office. Jack

Changing the topic slightly to Scottish marriages. I have several where the marriage took place at the manse and was then entered in the register a few days later. Scottish marriage register pages are excellent value for a pound especially if the registrar had good writing (and it's the correct marriage!!). J

I have two marriage certs from Northumberland in the 1880s. Both say 'Register Office in the District of Berwick in the County of Northumberland'. It never occured to me before to think that the marriages might have taken place anywhere other than in Berwick itself. Oh, Merry, trust you to raise unanswerable questions. Tina

Hi Merry i was married in a private building in Boston it wasn't a registry office or a church and it states on my certificate Lincolnshire. Well as you can guess Lincolnshire is quite a big place. So pleased that i know where i got married. But will make me think in future. Jen

My grandparents both lived in Wallsend, Northumberland. Their marriage cert says - 1896 marriage solmenized at the Register Office in the district of Tynemouth in the county of Northumberland . Married in the Register office by certificate before me Henry Clarke Registrar. This was probably the nearest register office to where they lived, byt some 10 miles away. Anne

Oxfordshire is now one unified district, so currently the top part of the cert states District of Oxfordshire in the County of Oxfordshire but the actual venue is also shown e. g. The Dexter Room, 1 Tidmarsh Lane, Oxford (which is the Oxford RO) or, for an approved venue, Le Manoir aux Quatr' Saisons plus its address. It would probably have been different when there were 9 separate local offices in the county. Jack

Merry, Never even looked at what mine said, shame on me!!! Mine says registration district Bristol, in the district of Bristol in the county of Avon.......not very informative when you think how many districts there are within Bristol!!! Fuzzy x

The current office for Banbury is at Bodicote (Bodicote House) just south of the town centre. Not sure where it was in 1963 but will find out for you. Jack

I bet there's more than one reg office in Portsmouth! I suppose it's the one registrar with the one book, popping round the different offices.......Pity they don't make a note though. Must ask my mum..........! Merry

Now home from work, Merry, and have just checked my certificates - I have one that says married in the register office in the district of Portsmouth, by certificate. Joy

Thank you Sue.....so it looks as if it would be impossible to know the exact venue where there is more than one reg office in the district without personal knowledge of the event? Gosh, must phone mum TODAY and ask her (yet again) the name of the village where she married! Merry

All the Register Office marriages I havesay in the District of ******************* Sue

Mum and dad married in a reg office in 1963. I have the date on my family tree, but have never entered the place (shame on me). I was looking at their wedding cert last night and noticed that it just says, ''The Registry Office in the District of Banbury''. This suggests that they married at Banbury Reg office, but I know they didn't! They married at a small reg office at a nearly village that also comes under Banbury (note I am nt mentioning where, as I've forgotton! Shame on me again!!). Soooooo.....if you have any marriage certs for reg offices could you have a look and see if any of them say WHERE the actual marriage took place, if you know it to be somewhere other than a large reg office? (I only have one other.....my own, and I married in a ''main'' reg office, so mine wouldn't state anything further) Thanks.....having my lunch now! Merry