Hi to those who have been following this thread. Thanks to Pat's sterling detective work, we now have an answer as to why two couple's names were entered on the marriage certificate. The registrar, Edward Davies, made a mistake! He didn't score through the wrong couple's names as he should have done - if he had, there would have been no confusion. But he did mark the mistake with an error number as required, and then wrote the number as a word (seven) in the margin, authorised by his initials. So if anyone else has four people listed as brides and grooms on their marriage certificates, human error could well be the reason. I'm sure that Pat won't mind if I quote her explanation below, which was later confirmed by the local register office. So sadly Pat's couple are not related to mine, but thanks so much again, Pat, for sorting this out. With best wishes Moni >From Pat: Meanwhile I think I have just read the explanation in a letter in this month's copy of Family Tree magazine which arrived this morning. It seems my theory re an error correction could be right and the reason for the Seven is that according to the law under the registrations' Acts if an error was made before the entry had been completed by the registrar's signature then the mistake was crossed through and the correction numbered by the error and written and initialled e.g. seven ED in this case by the side. The numbering started at one or each register - so in this case this must have been the seventh error in this register. Looking again at the certificate I think it is possible that the "mark" I mentioned next to the two lines in error could possibly be 7. The rules also say the error must be underlined but as the two names are on the ruled lines on the certificate then that presumably suffices. My guess is the two wrong names were entered in the position of groom and bride and then the correct groom and bride have been entered one of top and the other below. Then the correction marks added. Dear Pat Thank you so much for clarifying all this. Shame that there is no link between your couple and mine, or exotic mystery to unravel, but it's been an interesting lesson nevertheless! The registrar, Edward Davies, could not have guessed that his lapse of concentration would cause such a stir 150 years later! No need to send me scans of anything. I'll send a note to the Dyfed list to let people know that the question has been resolved. With thanks again and best wishes Moni