On a marriage certificate I have just obtained (the marriage took place in 1906), in the space where it normally says 'Married by banns' or 'Married by special licence' it says 'Married by certificate'. Does anyone know what this means? Is it just another word for a license or is it something else again? Many thanks for all replies.
Also on the subject of marriages (not the same one), can anyone comment on the reasons why a couple might choose to marry by license in 1941? It's always seemed to me unnecessary to do this unless there is some reason why the marriage took place in a hurry or the participants didn't want all the neighbours to know they were about to wed, as they would have done if banns had been called. My husband's parents were married by license and they certainly weren't well off so I assume there was a reason for spending this extra money. I understand this is sometimes done if the couple wishes to marry outside the parish they live in though that wasn't the case here. Admittedly, the bride may have been pregnant or thought she was pregnant but no child appeared in the family until over a year later so if that is the answer then she was either mistaken or lost the first child. I have also considered what difference the war might have made. The groom was in a reserved occupation (serving in the home guard) so wasn't about to be posted overseas but the bride was a nurse so this may have been a possibility with her though I suspect she would have told us had that been the case.
I suppose what I'm really asking about this is whether there needs to have been any reason at all or whether I'm just creating a mystery where none exists. Maybe it was perfectly normal for people to marry by license at that time? Any comments would be very welcome.
Also on the subject of marriages (not the same one), can anyone comment on the reasons why a couple might choose to marry by license in 1941? It's always seemed to me unnecessary to do this unless there is some reason why the marriage took place in a hurry or the participants didn't want all the neighbours to know they were about to wed, as they would have done if banns had been called. My husband's parents were married by license and they certainly weren't well off so I assume there was a reason for spending this extra money. I understand this is sometimes done if the couple wishes to marry outside the parish they live in though that wasn't the case here. Admittedly, the bride may have been pregnant or thought she was pregnant but no child appeared in the family until over a year later so if that is the answer then she was either mistaken or lost the first child. I have also considered what difference the war might have made. The groom was in a reserved occupation (serving in the home guard) so wasn't about to be posted overseas but the bride was a nurse so this may have been a possibility with her though I suspect she would have told us had that been the case.
I suppose what I'm really asking about this is whether there needs to have been any reason at all or whether I'm just creating a mystery where none exists. Maybe it was perfectly normal for people to marry by license at that time? Any comments would be very welcome.
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