Confusion over marriage certificate

[JFarrell36]

Hi,
I got a marriage certificate yesterday and I'm a little confused over one of the witness signatures. One of the signatures is straightforward - a John Miller. The other one is David Phillips and straight after the signature, in the same handwriting, reads 'this mark'
Can anyone tell me what this means please?

[Tati]

It's probably

x his mark

meaning he couldn't sign his name 

[JFarrell36]

there's no 'x' so is this still the case?

[Necromancer]

can you upload the relevant part of the image ?

Altho I gree with Tati - whether or not theres an X, the implication is that he 'made his mark' ....

[Michael Dixon]

JF36,


Is the marriage certificate you received is a copy certificate
( physically copied out by hand or typed from the original register, or photocopied from a copy from the register). ?

The signatures on these copies are not the signatures of the parties involved, but as transcribed by RO etc staff.

Or do you have a facsimile of the original register, that will show the signatures as signed by the parties.


I ask this as I got a copy cert from a marriage in 1860, in 2002,  from a Register Office and the member of RO staff, just overlooked the " X ", when handcopying the details from the original register.

Michael Dixon