Many thanks Adrian, I have had another reply off list with a very similar interpretation to yours which is encouraging, but it doesn't go as far as yours. Now, having more of the context, I think the word 7th from the end could be "unmarried" (with an imaginary comma after it). Ellen was a widow at this time, she married again later. Perhaps the implication is that if she had married again then Mary's stepfather would be her legal guardian, a concept that is alien to me but might have pertained at the time. Thanks again Christine -----Original Message----- From: Adrian Bruce via Sent: Monday, September 22, 2014 4:51 PM To: cheshire@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [CHS] Mary WHITTAKER to Joseph BLACKSHAW marriage licence 1873 My interpretations in [] And he further made oath that the consent of Ellen Whittaker Mother of the said Mary Whittaker [?her?] father being dead and [she living her] Guardian of her [person lawfully ??appointed??] and her mother being [??] hath been [obtained] to this marriage So, Ellen is the mother, as you realise. Her father is dead and her mother is living. Her mother is her lawfully appointed guardian (I doubt this means that something legal has been done - it probably simply means that her mother is now, by default, her guardian, rather than her father.) Still a couple of words I'm unclear of. It displays the usual total lack of punctuation. Adrian On 22/09/2014 15:46, Christine Benson via wrote: > Hi All, > > I am trying to read a marriage licence on Findmypast. It is for Mary > WHITTAKER to Joseph BLACKSHAW on 26 Dec 1873 in Gawsworth. It says, hand > written, just after half way down :- > And he further made oath that the consent of Ellen Whittaker Mother of the > said Mary Whittaker father being dead and ?? ?? ?? Guardian of her ?? ?? > ?? > and her mother being ?? hath been ?? to this marriage >