Hi Everyone I'm hoping someone can answer my query I've just received a marriage certificate for my ancestors Esther Spendiff and John Higgins who married 25 May 1844. In the section under the names were it states married in .... according to the rites etc.... it states - married in the parish church 'By a Certificate from the Union' Does this imply that one or both parties may have been on parish relief and therefore needed their permission to marry? The most likely candidate would have been Esther who was a widow with a young child to care for. Please can anyone help? regards MOIRA

I think it implies that one or the other was not only a pauper, but also under age, so the Union is acting in loco parentis. Is this the case? I'm not completely certain, so am open to other ideas. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Moira Fidler" <mofid42@tiscali.co.uk> To: <berkshire@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 11:37 AM Subject: [BRK] Certificate from the Union > Hi Everyone > > I'm hoping someone can answer my query > > I've just received a marriage certificate for my ancestors Esther Spendiff > and John Higgins who married 25 May 1844. In the section under the names > were it states married in .... according to the rites etc.... it states - > married in the parish church 'By a Certificate from the Union' > > Does this imply that one or both parties may have been on parish relief > and therefore needed their permission to marry? > > The most likely candidate would have been Esther who was a widow with a > young child to care for. > > Please can anyone help? > regards > MOIRA > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > BERKSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message