Great grand-da Thomas HETHERINGTON married great grand-ma Sarah TAYLOR on 21-FEB-1874 and the certificate has the printed "according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the" crossed out and where the type of church would be the "by Certificate" written in. I understand getting married in the Register Office, but "by Certificate"? And looking through I find that their daughter Sarah married George FORSTER at the Presbyterian Church, Widdrington "according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Presbyterians by Certificate" by a Minister and a Registrar. Again, by Certificate? And is it usual to have a Registrar attending as well as the Minister? Slightly confused Steve

> And is it usual to have a Registrar attending as well as the Minister? Many Ministers are appointed as deputy or assistant Registrars and therefore do not need the presence of the Registrar. However, those who are not appointed as such can only perform marriages in the presence of the Registrar. Appointments are also area dependent, so if a duly appointed Minister performs a ceremony outside their official area, they also need a Registrar to record the details. Richard