Living in sin!

[Meaglin]

Did this really go on in the early 1900's?
I have spent many fruitless searchs looking for a record of the marriage of my g grandparents and cannot find any trace, therefore I am coming to the conclusion they may not have married but I am unsure if it was a common occurrence during this time. I have both of their death certificates and there are slight discrepancies in both of their ages and my g grandfathers forenames when I check them back to the 1901 census and before that I am stuggling to find them so I really was hoping for a marriage certificate to help me out. Also in the 1901 census they are living quite a distance from where they were both born so I suppose they could carry the charade off!!
Has anyone else encountered the same problem and have you been able to go back further I really dont want to give up but I am at a loss as to where to go next. If only they knew the trouble this is causing   

[hh73050]

Most likely your grandparents were legally married. Often churches kept these records, especially RC and they burned down regularly and records were lost. Oft times records of birth , marriage, death etc were also kept in Family bibles.

Good Hunting!

Ellen

[nanny jan]

I've got possibly 3 couples living together but not married.  First  2 couples late 1800s; third couple from late 1890s.  Third couple have been confirmed as never marrying by one of their grandchildren!  All 3 couples stayed in roughly their "home areas"  of London as well.

Still looking for marriages for the first 2 couples!

Nanny Jan

[Arranroots]

Hi Meaglin

Although Ellen is right that some church records have been lost along the way, your grandparents' marriage should have been registered with the secular authorities and it is these records that you have presumably been searching?

If you post their details, maybe a second pair of eyes can find them for you?

Welcome to Rootschat both of you!

kind regards, Arranroots  

[bearkat]

I would have thought the most common reason for not being married was that one party was not free to marry.
Have you searched for an earlier marriage to someone else?  

[Bill749]

Marriages in RC churches required the presence of the local Registrar, as the church was not licensed to carry out marriages until the middle of the 20th century.  The records should be available at the GRO.

I would not be surprised to find a couple living "in sin", as you put it, especially away from their home area.

Regards, Bill

[Meaglin]

Thank you for such prompt replys.
I did think that all church records ended up in the records office but with this hobby I have learned not to take things for granted!!
The details I have for my ggrandparents are as follows

ggrandfather on his death certificate is down as Thomas William Graham died 30 Jan 1942 age 77, on my granddads marriage certificate in 1942 he is down as Thomas William  Graham however on my grandads birth certificate in 1910 he is down as William Graham  and in the 1901 census he is living in Lathom Lancashire known as William Graham age 30 ( I have checked the original and it does say 30) born in Carlisle.
ggrandmother on her death certificte is down as Margaret Grahm died 9 January 1951 age 74 which has been crossed out and replaced by 73 on my granddads birth certificate her maiden name is given as Jardine and in the 1901 census she appears as Margaret Graham brn Dumfries.
Apologies if this seems disjointed buti ts all the information I have, I suppose my ggrandfather could have been married before I had not thought of that, I am trying hard to go backwards step by step so I do get the right people.
Thanks once again for all your help

[bearkat]

Have you searched scottish and english records for their marriage?

[Meaglin]

Hi Bearkat,
Yes I have checked both English and Scottish records and not come up with anything, I am pretty new to all this and worry I have overlooked the obvious thats why I wondered if it was a possability for there to be no marriage.