Genealogy Chat

If the fathers of the bride and groom do not appear as deceased on the certificate, can I assume that they are alive and well at the time of the marriage? Please help!

Hi, No you can't. My gt grandfather died before any of his children married but isn't listed as deceased on all the certs. Gwynne

Sorry Susan but I agree with Gwynne. I also have certificates where I know the father was dead but it doesn't say that he was deceased on the certificate. Those rellies certainly don't make it easy for us do they? Maggy

I third that! I guess it wasn't the kind of the thing a bride would think to mention on her wedding day! Lou

I suppose they were just asked what their father's names were, not whether they were alive or dead! Maggy

I guess it depended how the question was worded. My great grandfather had been dead nearly 25 years when his daughter married but there is no mention of 'deceased' on her certificate. His name and occupation are there though.

I've got certs that say the father is deceased even though he wasn't. Joan x

On my grandfathers marriage certificate he has put his step-father down as his father. His father and step-father were both deceased at the time of his marriage. It gets very confusing sometimes. Maria

No I don't think you can rely on that. One of my certificates did not state that the bride's father was dead. It had him down as being a plumber but he had been six foot under for about 10 years.

I also have people whose dads are alive and well according to the wedding certs, but aren't in reality. I guess it depends on whether the information is asked for. I volunteered the info that my father was dead when I got married, as the registrar didn't ask me. nell

Sorry for taking a few days to get back to you all but a migraine and the broadband going on strike didn't help. Thanks for all your replys. It would explain why |I can't find G Grandad on the1901 census but Granmar (I think) appears as ward to another family of Collins. Doesn't help me find the name of her brother. Will post a message in trying to find. Once again, thanks for your help and happy hunting.

I've got a definite case of a bride's father not shown as deceased when I know that he was. I've also got one where the groom's father is shown as deceased and I suspect strongly (but can't prove at the moment) that he was alive.

I have a marriage certificate with grooms fathers name and desceased when he hadnt died and without going into details the surname is not the true name

My Gt Gt Grandfather made up a father's name, swapped his own first and middle name around and put him as deceased!

Hi I've just looked at my own marriage cert & neither I or my late husband thought to mention that our fathers were dead. I'll appologise now to all future family historians. Vivienne