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Marriage Witness Index

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  • Marriage Witness Index

    I have been a great advocate for the listing of witnesses to marriages.
    It has been a great help to me because it has confirmed the relationship of others in my tree(s).
    I know that a lot of witnesses are 'professional witnesses' but they can be easily recognized after a few instances.
    The idea is not new .... it was started by the late Ted Wildy of New Zealand (google him) and since then it appears to have been poorly handled by several sites.
    It is a fine resource and a sample of what I am talking about is here;



    We could build on a similar programme here if there are enough folk interested.

    a portion of my own personal records are as follows (needs placing on a spreadsheet);

    Witness Surname Witness Firstname Groom Surname Groom Firstname Bride Surname Bride Firstname Marriage date (YYYY-MM-DD) Church Town County Remarks
    Newton John Twitchell Samuel Rodwell Mary 1804-11-27 StMary Amersham BKM
    Impey Elizabeth Twitchell Samuel Rodwell Mary 1804-11-27 StMary Amersham BKM
    Mole John Sanders Thomas Wigens Mary 1775-07-24 Ashendon BKM
    Smith Martha Sanders Thomas Wigens Mary 1775-07-24 Ashendon BKM
    Thornton Richard Mole Richard Thornton Constant 1825-10-11 Aylesbury BKM
    Mole Elizabeth Mole Richard Thornton Constant 1825-10-11 Aylesbury BKM
    Garner Thomas Garner William Mole Elizabeth 1830-11-14 Aylesbury BKM
    Thomas Rebecca Garner William Mole Elizabeth 1830-11-14 Aylesbury BKM
    Bull Edmund Holton Richard Twitchen Catherine 1838-04-05 StMary Aylesbury BKM
    Bull Ann Holton Richard Twitchen Catherine 1838-04-05 StMary Aylesbury BKM
    Twitchen William Twitchen John Aldridge Louisa 1833-11-02 Bisham BKM
    Line Mary Twitchen John Aldridge Louisa 1833-11-02 Bisham BKM
    Probets Anne Cozens Joseph Ludlow Sarah 1836-02-04 Boarstall BKM
    Mole Henry Cozens Joseph Ludlow Sarah 1836-02-04 Boarstall BKM
    Saunders Jane Cozens Joseph Ludlow Sarah 1836-02-04 Boarstall BKM
    Beesley Henry Seymour George Fane Elizabeth 1866-04-02 Booker BKM
    Twitchen Ann Seymour George Fane Elizabeth 1866-04-02 Booker BKM
    Smith Henry Mole Henry Saunders Jane 1836-11-10 Brill BKM
    Hillsdon John Mole Henry Saunders Jane 1836-11-10 Brill BKM
    Saunders Ann Mole Henry Saunders Jane 1836-11-10 Brill BKM
    Stephens John Twitchen William Parker Mary 1840-07-12 All Saints Brill BKM
    Gregory George Twitchen William Parker Mary 1840-07-12 All Saints Brill BKM
    Kirby William Mole James Town Mary 1785-01-06 Buckingham BKM
    Jones James Mole James Town Mary 1785-01-06 Buckingham BKM
    Hitchcock Joseph Seymor Joseph Twitchell Ann 1786-19-24 StGiles Chalfont St Giles BKM
    Dunham Richard Seymor Joseph Twitchell Ann 1786-19-24 StGiles Chalfont St Giles BKM
    Scott Charles Cooper George Twitchell Elizabeth 1760-11-10 StMichael Chenies BKM
    Redman John Cooper George Twitchell Elizabeth 1760-11-10 StMichael Chenies BKM
    Twitchell Deborah Harris John Twitchell Martha 1764-09-26 StMary Chesham BKM
    Archer Matthew Harris John Twitchell Martha 1764-09-26 StMary Chesham BKM
    Stevens John Twitchell Daniel Ware Maria 1765-02-16 StMary Chesham BKM
    Ware Sarah Twitchell Daniel Ware Maria 1765-02-16 StMary Chesham BKM
    Pinchbeck Edward Buckingham Henry Hayes Rachel 1765-05-31 StMary Chesham BKM

  • #2
    Are you suggesting this just for the members on FTF or are you thinking someone should take it up commercially?

    Margaret

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    • #3
      Originally posted by margaretmarch View Post
      Are you suggesting this just for the members on FTF or are you thinking someone should take it up commercially?

      Margaret
      Certainly *not* commercially ......... more along the lines that FTF might find it useful as a resource.
      Last edited by joboy; 05-09-12, 09:13.

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      • #4
        FreeReg lets you look for witnesses, BUT....

        Searches on FreeReg do not distinguish roles, so you can't specifically exclude witnesses or search just witnesses. Also they treat duplicate identical transcriptions of the same event as if they were distinct, which can be frustrating. If FreeReg could be persuaded to make their search a bit more sophisticated it would be a big help.

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        • #5
          Witnesses have certainly helped me to identify relationships.

          Christine
          Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

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          • #6
            I agree. And sometimes if it is John Smith marrying Sarah Brown (one of several plausible marriages of John with a Sarah) the fact that a witness is Hermione Smittington-Blyth may confirm it is the right John Smith marriage because you already know that John's mother was a Smittington-Blyth even if Hermione is hitherto unknown!

            Guess what, I made those names up!

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            • #7
              I had a difficultbrick wall a few years ago …. all my direct line ancestors were butchers(1740-1940) and were buried in Fulham, that is, all except one of them who wasmy gg/f and as I have a relatively uncommon name I searched everywhere for him.I found a name that could have been him in a marriage (pre 1837) but it was sofar away from Fulham that I almost dismissed it so I got the parish record andthere it was, the one and only witness was his older brother also a butcher whohad served on HMS Colossus in 1805 at Trafalgar. Marriage Witnesses I havelearned to record no matter how distantly they may be related.

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