Witnesses on Marriage Certificate

[PaulineJ]

It's the copy signed by the participants at the time of marriage. NOT the one(s) sent to the registrar. They usually have writing/signatures in differents hands.

Try contacting the parish church itself or the local archives to see if the registers are available.

Pauline

[ambers]

Thanks Pauline,

I am learning more each day as I go about my searches

Regards Ambers

[stanmapstone]

It's the copy signed by the participants at the time of marriage. NOT the one(s) sent to the registrar. They usually have writing/signatures in differents hands.

Try contacting the parish church itself or the local archives to see if the registers are available.

Pauline

There are two copies with the original writing, one kept at the church and the other at the Register Office. All the marriage certificates I have from Sunderland Registrars are photocopies of the originals with the original handwriting of the participants. Not all Register Offices do this and only provide a handwriten copy of the original, and some Register Offices will not supply mariage certificates unless the actual church is known.
Stan

[ambers]

Thank you Pauline and Stan,

You have given food for thought that was a brilliant idea to compare signatures Pauline

I will go over to the Cornwall Board to ask for local knowledge, as the certificate I have just says Parish Church in St. Just Penwith.
Hopefully I can trace when the Witness got married and compare the signature. ...if I can get the originals of both.

One other question: Do the Witnesses to a marriage have to be over a certain age ?.

Regards Ambers

[stanmapstone]

There was no minimum age for a witness. All the law required were "Two or more credible Witnesses". It was up to who ever was officiating to decide whether they were credible or not.
As long as the young person understood what they were witnessing, and could reach the register. In practice, probably about 11-12 was the youngest likely to have been asked.

Stan

[ambers]

Thanks Stan,

I was trying to work out the age of the youngest  Matthew that I could rule out as a Witness.

I have learned that The Registrar's Office in Cornwall does not do copies of original certificates with signatures......

Thinking cap back on me thinks

Ambers

[Tees]

Hi Ambers,

Your best bet to get a photocopy of the original marriage entry would be in the county record office.

That is how I found out that two different marriage entries I found is of same person to two different women (at different times, mind you--his first wife died and married to a second wife) by comparing the signatures. They are from the CRO.

Give it a try!! I think it is much cheaper than ordering a marriage certificate.

Kind regards,

Tees

[ambers]

Brilliant idea Tees

I have already got just a copy of the marriage certificate from the GRO. I will ring the County Records Office to-morrow to see what details of the events are required to order from them........ I only have the qtr and year of the other event I need to compare signatures with,hopefully the right one

I am all enthusiastic again now....thank you

Ambers

[Tees]

Hi Ambers,

It is my pleasure to help you out even it is a bit! 

Just give the CRO the date of marriage and the names of your couple and the name of church they were married in. They will get a photocopy to you.

I wish you every success in finding this marriage entry!

Best wishes,

Tees