Why would someone lie on a marriage certificate?

[lesleyhannah]

Thought it could be part of the wider family (because of the mining connection) - always glad to find a home for reject BMDs!

[dobfarm]

Hi Lesley,

Maybe connected as not done much research back from George B 1826 Bolsover Chesterfield. There are a few trees on George Cutts. on Yahoo search engine but ?

His wife was Fanny Fox from Heath and done nothing on her yet!                   ........................... One day.

There's a Forum board for unwanted BMD certs on this website. You never know- out there in some lonely country farmhouse an old lady knitting just wanting that  bit of info or a young High school student................ starting his family history

Regards Dobby

[BushInn1746]

Could it be then that he did not have his parents' permission, but she did?

Over 40 years ago I lied on my marriage certificate. I couldn't find my father for his consent, and I was under 21 (so need parental permission to marry) so I said he was dead - no doubt to the confusion of future genealogists! So you can't take even relatively modern BMD certificates as being gospel truth!

Hi

If anyone else is reading the above.

Don't do this!

Where permission of a living parent is required, it seems that permission is required for the Marriage to be Lawfully valid (UK).

There must be a Legal mechanism in place, when the location of one or even both parents is unknown.

I'm wondering if it could lead to problems regarding inheritance etc., from that date and into the future.

Not to mention dishonesty claiming someone is dead, when they are alive to gain something or gain an advantage might be considered as Fraud.

Mark

[AntonyMMM]

Could it be then that he did not have his parents' permission, but she did?

Over 40 years ago I lied on my marriage certificate. I couldn't find my father for his consent, and I was under 21 (so need parental permission to marry) so I said he was dead - no doubt to the confusion of future genealogists! So you can't take even relatively modern BMD certificates as being gospel truth!

Hi

If anyone else is reading the above.

Don't do this!

Where permission of a living parent is required, it seems that permission is required for the Marriage to be Lawfully valid (UK).

There must be a Legal mechanism in place, when the location of one or even both parents is unknown.

I'm wondering if it could lead to problems regarding inheritance etc., from that date and into the future.

Not to mention dishonesty claiming someone is dead, when they are alive to gain something or gain an advantage might be considered as Fraud.

Mark

The law has changed over time, but today, a person lying on a marriage notice, banns or marriage register may commit an offence of perjury (S3.1 Perjury Act 1911), but that does not automatically invalidate the marriage (unless the lie was to hide that the person was already married, the person was actually under 16, or too closely related to their spouse).

In cases of parental consent, it would also depend on whether such consent had been actively refused or just never asked for ......but someone would have to actively seek to have the marriage declared invalid/void.

[BushInn1746]

The law has changed over time, but today, a person lying on a marriage notice, banns or marriage register may commit an offence of perjury (S3.1 Perjury Act 1911), but that does not automatically invalidate the marriage (unless the lie was to hide that the person was already married, the person was actually under 16, or too closely related to their spouse).

In cases of parental consent, it would also depend on whether such consent had been actively refused or just never asked for ......but someone would have to actively seek to have the marriage declared invalid/void.

Hello

Thank you.

I made a comment not to criticise anyone. Information given on a signed Marriage Certificate and Declaration should be correct.

Your reply still suggests the seriousness of the matter.

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A more detailed examination of the Marriage Acts is required regarding validity.

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https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/relationships/overview/lawofmarriage-/

Parental consent

No marriage of a person under the age of 21 was valid without the consent of parents or guardians. Clergymen who disobeyed the law were liable for 14 years transportation.

Although Jews and Quakers were exempted from the 1753 Act, it required religious non-conformists and Catholics to be married in Anglican churches.

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It appears the question of validity was originally a historic one, but would require an examination of the various UK Marriage Acts (if Marrying in the UK) to confirm if that part of the Act applied/still applies?

Mark

[BushInn1746]

My Sister married about 1980 and she required my Father's Consent because she was still 17.

I seem to recall the age then was 18 and if she waited a year, she would no longer require my Dad's Consent to Marry.

Mark

[AntonyMMM]

There must be a Legal mechanism in place, when the location of one or even both parents is unknown.

There is  ... the Registrar General can decide to dispense with the requirement altogether, or a court can give the consent.

My Sister married about 1980 and she required my Father's Consent because she was still 17.

Still applies today -  consent is required under 18.

But if she had lied and claimed to be 19, that wouldn't automatically make the marriage invalid.

[BushInn1746]

There must be a Legal mechanism in place, when the location of one or even both parents is unknown.

My Sister married about 1980 and she required my Father's Consent because she was still 17.

Still applies today -  consent is required under 18.

But if she had lied and claimed to be 19, that wouldn't automatically make the marriage invalid.

For an answer regarding the question, you would have to refer to the various UK Marriage Acts.

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For us as Family Historians the information given on a Marriage Certificate ought to be correct, especially on the Certificate/s where the Marriage Parties are actually signing.

[Pearsews]

Hi,
I had this with my Gran, she was 10 years older than my Grandad, but on her marriage certificate she had reduced that difference to 4 years. Probably she didn't want people to know how much older than him she was.
Another problem I had from an actual marriage certificate, was the wrong name given for my great grandfather's father, so spent years looking for the wrong person, and so was unable to find my great grandfather's birth.
It wasn't until the 1891 census came out that gave his correct place of birth that I  was able to trace his father with a completely different name. Even the census returns had the wrong place of birth up until then......