Marriage cert mistakes

[orphanannie]

Hi,
Does anyone know if it is possible that a father's name could be written incorrectly on a marriage certificate?  I have a marriage cert that says the father is a John when I am fairly certain (?) he was a James.  This is going back to the time when not every one could read and write.  Maybe someone else has come across this.
Regards,
Annie.

[Little Nell]

I have an example from 1926 - middles name of father entered as Alexander instead of Abraham.  Someone had apparently filled out the certificate (haven't seen the register) before the service and it was spotted at the time, but not amended. 

Nell

[orphanannie]

Thanks for that, Nell.
If there is not a mistake on the cert, a huge branch of my tree is wrong!
Regards,
Annie.

[Jeuel]

Just because something is written down, it doesn't mean its right.  I've found errors in birth, marriage, death certs, parish registers, electoral rolls and even on gravestones!

As for your quandary - can you find a James who could be an alternative person, who has a child same name as the one on the marriage cert? 

Could your John have been John James or James John?  Or maybe the person filling in the marriage cert just misheard.

I've got a marriage cert where the groom has an unusual name.  The registrar recorded it wrongly, but the groom signed correctly!

[Redroger]

Even births have been known to be registered under the wrong date, by the father. The mother registered the next!

[GrandadsSixpence]

I also have a marriage certificate (1840) for a Thomas England and Mary Weare (2xgt grandparents) Thomas's father is recorded as Mathew England, only I can't find a Mathew England, only a Mark England that comes anywhere close as his father.