Totally agree Caroline. I have examples in my family where a suitcase was left at a relatives address - because they preferred that church! Barry1936 On 28 Jul 2012, at 20:38, [email protected] wrote: > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2012 20:26:09 +0100 > From: Caroline Bradford <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [MDX] Qualifying for "Of this Parish" > To: "[email protected]" > <[email protected]> > Cc: "[email protected]" > <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > Whilst I would absolutely agree that no one ever checked, the practice of leaving a suitcase in the hall or hanging a coat in the spare bedroom is certainly not mythical. My mother insisted on my doing this when I married in my old home parish (whilst actually resident in London) 34 years ago tomorrow. She had done the same thing in the 1940s. Neither she nor my grandmother were especially pious, I think there was a certain queasiness about lying to the vicar in those days. > > Caroline > > Sent from my iPad > > On 28 Jul 2012, at 19:33, Nivard Ovington <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi Jenny >> >> I have often seen mention of the leaving of clothes or a suitcase for >> three weeks in a Parish to qualify for "of this Parish" >> >> My question would be, how do they know? >> >> As the Vicar or Registrar was not looking for an excuse *not* to marry a >> couple, I would have thought the mere statement that they were of this >> Parish would be enough, I do not see either a Vicar or registrar going >> around knocking on doors to try and prove the couple were telling the >> truth, neither would know everyone on their patch >> >> In the same way, no proof of age was asked for neither was proof of the >> fathers name, occupation or if alive or dead >> >> As there is no record kept of the seemingly mythical suitcase I am more >> inclined to believe they simply made the statement and it was accepted >> >> Another reason they may have married so far from home, could be that >> they could not marry at a home Parish, either because they did not have >> both parents blessing or some other reason >> >> Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK)