Genealogy Chat

Can anyone please let me know how unusual it would be for a couple to get married in a registry office at this time, and what the possible circumstances might be. My Great Grandparents were married in a Registry office in 1877. Great Grandma was a widow and 4 years older than Great Grandpa who was a batchelor. Great Grandma had been a widow for 7 years. Their first child was born over a year after their marriage, so unless she was pregnant and then subsequently lost the child I cannot think of a reason for them not to get married in church. Also the marriage certificate is witnessed by a parent and her aunt, so it seems that the at least some of the family must have approved. Does anyone know if registry office weddings were cheaper, or of any other reasons which could have prevented them marrying in church? . Many Thanks

Hi, Nonconformists often married in register offices because Nonconformist ministers were not licenced to perform marriages and a registrar had to be present. Only Anglican, Catholic and Quaker "church" marriages were allowed without a registrar. Gwynne

I think you'll find, even now, that any non-Anglican church wedding is valid without the apparent presence of a registrar only by virtue of the priest or minister being formally authorised as an individual - so that (s)he is, himself, the registrar. (S)He would not be a registrar simply by virtue of his/her office in the way that an Anglican priest would be. It's a consequence of the Anglican church being "Established". Christine As my father married me, I should know. ;-) (It won't take long to work that one out!)

My gg grandmother got married in the Superintendant Registrar's Office in Tonbridge in 1865. It was her 2nd marriage. 1st husband had died barely a year before and she had a child christened with her new husband's surname (but 1st husband's christian name!) 4 months later! Only just found out about the child, but I feel sure that he is central to everything. For the later registry office marriages, could it be that either the couple did not live in the same parish or weren't of the same denomination or it was cheaper, or it was just fashionable?? Maz. XX

Hiya My ggg Grandparents married also at Tonbridge Register office in 1875, they had been together for over 30 years, and 6 months after they married my ggg Grandad died, I think they only got married because of him dying. Karen

Many thanks, interesting enough, another branch of the family gave money to build the local methodist church. This might well explain why the marriage was conducted in a registry office. I have also come across members of the family marrying in nearby villages even though they don't seem to have lived there, so perhaps they were more concerned about being married in the sight of God, and the local anglican minsters might have been more sympathetic to their beliefs than the minister where they lived.