Married By Proxy

[Rowan Tree]

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone can help.

My granddad, Arthur Robert Moore, was a soldier during the 1930's and 1940's.

I believe my granddad married my nana, Hilda Jackson, "by proxy" while serving in Gibraltar.

I'm hoping to learn more about soldiers who married by proxy. Can anyone reading shed any light? Would my granddad and/or nana have been issued with a marriage certificate for this proxy marriage? Also, would the marriage have been legal or would they have had to marry again, officially, so to speak?

I know my grandparents went on to have a church marriage in 1942 (at St. John the Baptist, Earlestown, Lancashire) while my granddad was on leave but believe they had already been married to each other before the date of their church wedding.

Wasn't sure which board to post this topic on but the World War Two board seemed like a reasonable place to start.

Many thanks for reading. Best of Wishes, Rowan Tree 

[kyt]

Marriage by Proxy was not legally recognised during the war, even though a lot of couples went through the "process". It was more an affirmation between two individuals. There was a push by some in Parliament (1942 or 1943) for the law to be changed but it was defeated. Legally, the marriage was only recognised when conducted in the "normal" way

[aghadowey]

Question has already been covered- duplicate post here:
www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,392152.0.html