Hi Listers, Would someone please tell me if a 16 year-old brother could be a witness to the marriage of his sister in 1899. I have what I believe is the death of an Edward FLOWER in 1898, whereas his daughter Ada married a year after this. There was a son, also Edward, who was born in early 1882. I realise that to be 100% sure I would probably need to get the marriage cert. Would the certificate show that the father was deceased at the time of the wedding? It's a bit confusing because the two Edwards were both plasterers. Diane (Melbourne).

yes, a 16 year old could be a witness - there was no age qualification - you just had to be here and be able to write your name or make your mark. The marriage certificate should show the father's occupation and whether he is deceased - but you can't rely on its accuracy. All of us have marriage certs which give what proves to be wrong info. about father's name, occupation and state of health! Anne On 18 May 2008, at 07:50, Diane Lowery wrote: > Hi Listers, > > Would someone please tell me if a 16 year-old brother could be a > witness to the marriage of his sister in 1899. I have what I > believe is the death of an Edward FLOWER in 1898, whereas his > daughter Ada married a year after this. There was a son, also > Edward, who was born in early 1882. I realise that to be 100% sure > I would probably need to get the marriage cert. > Would the certificate show that the father was deceased at the time > of the wedding? It's a bit confusing because the two Edwards were > both plasterers. > > Diane (Melbourne).

Sunday, May 18, 2008, 8:14:20 AM, you wrote: > All of us have marriage certs which give what proves to be wrong info. > about father's name, occupation and state of health! Sorry to reply to this so late but I had a backlog of messages to read! I have just posted a message about a mystery "Edwin Gumbley" who is named as father on a marriage certificate and I was interested in your comment above that it could be wrong. How can someone get their father's name wrong? Could this be why I can't find Edwin? Thanks, Stephen.

My great uncle was raised by his uncle after his father died - his uncle's name appears as his father on his marriage certificate. I don't know if he thought of his uncle as his father or if it was just a mistake. My grandfather registered the birth of my uncle Arnold with the exact same name as another child of his, Arnold! I have 2 uncle Arnolds in my tree although one was known as Eric! Grandad had been to the pub on his way to the register office! So, keep an open mind. Cheers Pam B ex Brum in California Stephen wrote: >Sunday, May 18, 2008, 8:14:20 AM, you wrote: > > > >>All of us have marriage certs which give what proves to be wrong info. >>about father's name, occupation and state of health! >> >> > >Sorry to reply to this so late but I had a backlog of messages to >read! I have just posted a message about a mystery "Edwin Gumbley" who >is named as father on a marriage certificate and I was interested in >your comment above that it could be wrong. How can someone get their >father's name wrong? Could this be why I can't find Edwin? > >Thanks, >Stephen. > >_____________________________________________ > _____________________________________________ > >Have you considered adding "postems" to "your" events on www.freebmd.org.uk , giving your contact details? Other researchers will then be able to make contact. Click on the info button to add your postem. > >Any problems, please contact the List Admin: [email protected] >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >

When my g.grandfather registered my grandmother's birth, he got her mother's name completely wrong. I suppose in that instance he may have wetted the baby's head on the way to the registrar! Margaret On Thu, Jun 26, 2008 at 2:20 PM, Stephen <[email protected]> wrote: > Sunday, May 18, 2008, 8:14:20 AM, you wrote: > > > All of us have marriage certs which give what proves to be wrong info. > > about father's name, occupation and state of health! > > Sorry to reply to this so late but I had a backlog of messages to > read! I have just posted a message about a mystery "Edwin Gumbley" who > is named as father on a marriage certificate and I was interested in > your comment above that it could be wrong. How can someone get their > father's name wrong? Could this be why I can't find Edwin? > > Thanks, > Stephen. > > _____________________________________________ > _____________________________________________ > > Have you considered adding "postems" to "your" events on > www.freebmd.org.uk , giving your contact details? Other researchers will > then be able to make contact. Click on the info button to add your postem. > > Any problems, please contact the List Admin: > [email protected] > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

Stephen, You have to think yourself back into the mindset of previous generations, who did not live in a society where they had lots of paperwork to remind them of facts. If a person's father died or left the family when the person was young, then they might well not know their forename. In previous generations people didn't use other people's forenames - you even read of wives referring to their husband's as Mr So and So. You can also get mistakes in the registration process - perhaps because people were nervous or didn't understand the question, or the registrar heard wrongly. My own grandfather put his own forename, Thomas, on the marriage certificate as his father's name - mind you his father used several combinations of names and even changed his surname for a while - and it comes out in two different versions in his two families - one Sherrington the other Sheridan. So, lots of opportunity for error, quite apart from the times when someone made up a father to avoid admitting they did not know who their father was. I would try looking for Edward as well as Edwin before trying other options. HTH Anne On 26 Jun 2008, at 14:20, Stephen wrote: > Sunday, May 18, 2008, 8:14:20 AM, you wrote: > >> All of us have marriage certs which give what proves to be wrong >> info. >> about father's name, occupation and state of health! > > Sorry to reply to this so late but I had a backlog of messages to > read! I have just posted a message about a mystery "Edwin Gumbley" who > is named as father on a marriage certificate and I was interested in > your comment above that it could be wrong. How can someone get their > father's name wrong? Could this be why I can't find Edwin? > > Thanks, > Stephen.

Hi Stephen Apart from the obvious spelling and transcription mistakes between the local registrar and the ONS there are quite a few reasons why someone would give the wrong information, knowingly or innocently Heres a few One or other party is illegitimate and does not know the fathers true name so invents one or uses someone else in the family (I have an example where the person used his grandparents names as his parents, despite his mother being at the wedding mind! ) One or other party has been brought up believing that a certain person is their father yet its actually another person One or other party is already married and attempts to hide the fact by giving false information One or other party want to marry against their fathers wishes so gives a false name One or other party had been brought up by a man they knew as (say) Ernest but it was not his given name but one he used (I can think of many people who do that today) The fathers occupation may have been inflated, particularly if one of the parties father has a lofty position in business or society or the father had died while the person was young and they did not know his occupation Giving the father as deceased could be very handy to explain his non appearance at the marriage Just a few to be going on with Best wishes Nivard Ovington, in Cornwall (UK) >> All of us have marriage certs which give what proves to be wrong info. >> about father's name, occupation and state of health! > > Sorry to reply to this so late but I had a backlog of messages to > read! I have just posted a message about a mystery "Edwin Gumbley" who > is named as father on a marriage certificate and I was interested in > your comment above that it could be wrong. How can someone get their > father's name wrong? Could this be why I can't find Edwin? > > Thanks, > Stephen.

Yes a 16 year old could and still can witness a marriage. It was checked out for us when our younger daughter witnessed her elder sister's wedding. The only requirement of a witness to a marriage is that they are present throughout the marriage ceremony, understand what has happened and what they are signing / making their mark for. Hope this help, Chris -----Original Message----- Hi Listers, Would someone please tell me if a 16 year-old brother could be a witness to the marriage of his sister in 1899. I have what I believe is the death of an Edward FLOWER in 1898, whereas his daughter Ada married a year after this. There was a son, also Edward, who was born in early 1882. I realise that to be 100% sure I would probably need to get the marriage cert. Would the certificate show that the father was deceased at the time of the wedding? It's a bit confusing because the two Edwards were both plasterers. Diane (Melbourne).