Genealogy Chat

Hi all Thanks its good to know im not alone with riddle or two left by my ancestors!!! Kat xxx

How about this then: have man's parents listed on his marriage certificate as married but on his father's death certificate he's single and his mother who registered the death is an acquaintance!!!!!??????

Do not trust marriage certificates! My mother married in 1943 and gave her father's name as Samuel Jackson - this was not true. I have her birth certificate which gives father as George Jackson. George's brother Samuel raised my mother and she called him father -- that is why she named him as such on the certificate!! Certificates only record what people SAID at the time --not necessarily true! Wendy

Just a little twist to this thread - my grandfather has his father named and 'deceased' on his marriage certificate. But it must have been out of embarassment because he was illegitimate and no father named on his birth cert! Proving that you could give the registrar whatever parental information you liked! Mandy :)

Hi all Thanks for all your replies. My apologies for the delay in replying things have been mad this bank holiday!! Im almost certain its the right family right are not the address i expected but that would have been too good!!!! I will keep plugging and see what i can find. Thanks again for everyones advice. Kelly xx

It might spoil the happy mood of the wedding if the registrar kept asking if close family members had died ....

Just to confirm, I have a couple of certs in my family where the father is not (deceased) on the cert, but is in reality. When I got married I volunteered the information that my father was dead. Possibly the registrar didn't ask as a matter of course. nell

Have you checked this family on the 1881 census Free to search at www(.)familysearch(.)org If he was alive in 1881 you would know if it was right man. Joanne

Hi, Having recently been to register my own forthcoming marriage i had to give my fathers occupation, not only did he die 2 years ago, but he retired over 20 years ago!! The form i collected stated his ocupation, but not the fact that he had died. So I guess from that what you have found sounds to be correct. Regards Lisa

I have a marriage certificate where I know the brides father had already died (I have the death certificate) but it does not say deceased on the certificate. They probably just asked for fathers name and occupation, but didn't ask wether he was alive or not, strange! Maggy

Kelly, Is The father not being deceased on the marriage cert the only thing that does not fit? Is his name right on the cert? Did she marry from the address you found her on in the census, that might help your decision that you have the right person. Kate is probably right unless she said deceased it would not be there. I have a rellie I think was not really a widow but stated that to save face to the enumerator for the census. I suppose it was difficult if a woman was left on her own to say married and there is no husband there. Good luck Pat x

It doesn't necessarily say deceased on the certificate. The registrar only had to ask for the father's name, unless the bride volunteered the info that he was dead then the registrar wouldn't know.

Hi all I have recently been lookin into the Turner line of my tree. I have a mariage in oct 1892 between Wilfrid Daveney & Rachel Turner. I have checked the 1891 census records to find Rachael and her family, and can find only one probable family. The age is correct for Rachel 21, she was 22 when she married the following year. Here is my riddle though, her father is listed on her marraige certificate as being Frederick William Turner - Occupation Cartwright. On the census however no father is listed for the household and the mther is listed as a widow! I was under the impression that when a child married if the father was deceased this was recorded n the cert. Could it simply be the father had moed on to pastures new and this was the acceptable thing to say?! Or am i completely barking up the wrong tree!!! Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks as ever Kelly xxx