Married by Certificate?

[Tippin]

Hi,

I have just received the marriage certificate of my 2nd Great Grandparents, and it says they were married by certificate. Does anyone know what this means?

I have records that say Banns or Licence, but have never come across this term.

They married at a Congregational Chapel if that is of any importance.

Thanks,
Tippin

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Banns and licences are all to do with Church of England weddings. If you wanted to marry in a non-conformist church then you would have to get a registrars certificate in advance of the ceremony - details of the marriage would be pinned up at the register office to give time for people to object.

Did a registrar sign the cert? They would have to be in attendance in order for the marriage to be legal if the minister was not authorised to perform the legal element of the marriage.

*waits for Uncle John and Guy to come along and say I have not worded the above correctly* (I know what I mean! lol)

[Uncle John]

Banns and licences are all to do with Church of England weddings. If you wanted to marry in a non-conformist church then you would have to get a registrars certificate in advance of the ceremony - details of the marriage would be pinned up at the register office to give time for people to object.

Did a registrar sign the cert? They would have to be in attendance in order for the marriage to be legal if the minister was not authorised to perform the legal element of the marriage.

*waits for Uncle John and Guy to come along and say I have not worded the above correctly* (I know what I mean! lol)

I was married by certificate - I was living in England but the wedding took place in church in Scotland and I had to take my sustificate with me.

A marriage by certificate would normally be for a wedding in a Register Office or a non-conformist church. Going on to the actual marriage certificate:

If the registrar signed the register it means one of the following:

The marriage took place in the Register Office

The marriage took place in a church without its own register (not "Licensed for the Solemnisation of Marriages")

In these instances the Registrar's register would be used.

The marriage was performed by a minister who was not licensed to perform marriages at that church. In that case the "legal bit" of the marriage ceremony would be performed by the registrar.

In this case the church register would be used unless there wasn't one.

If the register is only signed by the minister, then both the chapel and the minister were licensed.

End of lecture. :D:D

[JayG]

My parents were married by licence in a non-conformist church so licences aren't just for COE churches. I've also got a couple who were married at the register office by licence too.

[Little Nell]

Marriage Certificate Tutorials

[JayG]

That's interesting, "By superintendent registrars certificate", which are a rare find & for COE marriages. I've got several & they are all non-conformist & register office marriages!

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

That's interesting, "By superintendent registrars certificate", which are a rare find & for COE marriages.

I've got two of those for Cof E churches!

[the meercat]

well i have the mothers name on the marriage certificate and it didnt mention that on the tutorial.

is that rare.

why should it have to be the fathers name anyway.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

well i have the mothers name on the marriage certificate and it didnt mention that on the tutorial.

is that rare.

why should it have to be the fathers name anyway.

I've never seen a marriage cert with a mothers name on, but I don't think it's exceptionally rare.

I always wonder why they decided to have ANY parental names included?

[the meercat]

oh well i wont make my fortune then.

how about the death of a 96 year old woman with her father name and in brackets deceased.

[Uncle John]

That's interesting, "By superintendent registrars certificate", which are a rare find & for COE marriages. I've got several & they are all non-conformist & register office marriages!

I've got two of those for Cof E churches!

Perhaps one party wasn't eligible to have the banns read or there was some reason why the residence/banns requirement was over-ridden. Were there insufficient services held to enable banns to be read 3 times within the time limit? Just guessing.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Perhaps one party wasn't eligible to have the banns read or there was some reason why the residence/banns requirement was over-ridden. Were there insufficient services held to enable banns to be read 3 times within the time limit? Just guessing.

For both the couples I have the churches were really busy ones, so it can't be the banns problem. I think in their case the problem was that both couples were non-conformist but different denominations. I wondered if they couldn't decide where to marry!

[JayG]

Out of 3 of my files i've got 13 marriages "by superintendent registrars certificate" so they can't be that rare!

I've also got a mothers name on a marriage cert & cos Merry hasn't seen one here it is.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Hi Jay, thanks for that! lol

Are your 13 superintendent registrars certificate's all in C of E churches?

[JayG]

Yes, they are all COE marriages, not non-conformist as I first thought. Getting mixed up the the marriage by certificate.

Oh & by the way i'm sure i'll have more, those 13 are out of 3 files I looked in, i've got at least another 10 files, plus all the marriages I don't have prints for :D :D

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Jay - You must have a special tree!

I phoned the registrar the first time I had one of these C of E marriages by sup registrars certificate and they told me what it meant. The registrar said she hadn't seen similar before!! lol

[Uncle John]

For both the couples I have the churches were really busy ones, so it can't be the banns problem. I think in their case the problem was that both couples were non-conformist but different denominations. I wondered if they couldn't decide where to marry!

So neither party would be strictly eligible to have banns read, especially if they refused to masquerade as "C of E of this parish".

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

So neither party would be strictly eligible to have banns read, especially if they refused to masquerade as "C of E of this parish".

I don't know UJ. I didn't know people had to be eligible to have banns read. I thought anyone had the right to be married in their C of E parish church (according to Guy), though I was told I wasn't allowed to be as I'm not C of E baptised!

[Uncle John]

To the best of my knowledge you have to be resident in the parish for a set time before and during the banns period. And the vicar might insist you attend the services at which the banns are read.

[Bo the Bodger]

I have a marriage by certificate from Farnham Registry office dated 1/11/1909 - however I also have the marriage certificate by banns for the same couple on 26/12/1908.

The couple had married in a church in Canterbury with the family signing as witnesses. On the Farnham one it looks as if they have pulled two people in off the street! I wondereed if the certificate marraige was because the groom hadn't got the permission of his CO previously and the second marriage had the permission. The groom was in the Buffs.