Hi Simon I helped only yesterday with a similar case as the woman could not be found based on father on marriage cert. Finally everything pointed to one girl with a different name father. He died when she was 4 so I could only assume she had it wrong. Sadly the MC did not show his occupation. Your marriage cert does show John as a Rope Maker. Was William the same? (Yes it seems) A witness to marriage was Mary Ann Bygraves. I'd assume a sister although perhaps a cousin. A month later she marries Colin Buchan and Sophia Willcox is a witness. Mary Ann father is William and a Rope maker. I note that at the weddings most people put their mark so presumably they did not read... So a quick conclusion would be the vicar got confused and put the groom's name John as also the father and no one noticed... I tried to look at records but could not Soph* or Mary Ann in 1861 or 1871 census. or Sarah married to William or John for that matter.... 1881 Sophia Willcox says born 1852/53 Southwark. I see the birth you mention 1852 in Greenwich as Sophia Bygrave. Also Mary Ann in Greenwich 1854 unless she is a cousin and the one born in Stepney. But where are the family in census??? I'd like to see that Mary Ann is a sister? Please advise if found in census? Ron Lankshear -Sydney NSW (from London-Shepherds Bush/Chiswick) try my links http://freepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lankshear/ On 2011-08-23 4:55 AM, Simon Martin wrote: > A relative, Sophie Bygraves, was born 20th January 1852 to William& > Sarah Bygraves. When she marries John Willcox on April 1st 1872, the > marriage certificate has Sophias' father as John Bygraves. I'm > somewhat confussed.