Registrar's Certificate - Marriage Certificate Question

[edalmun]

Hello,

I have a marriage certificate from 1869 in Colchester, Essex, and where it normally records whether banns or a license were given it instead says "from Registrar's Certificate". Is this the same as a license? What reasons would someone have for getting one of these?

Thank you for your help,
Elissa

[stanmapstone]

Marriages in England and Wales could be by:
1)   Banns
2)   Surrogate’s or Common Licence
3)   Special Licence
4)   Superintendent Registrar’s Certificate
5)   Superintendent Registrar’s Licence

Under (1) (2) and (3) marriages may be solemnized by a Clergyman of the Established Church of England in a licensed Church or Chapel of the Church of England, or, if by Special Licence, in any place and at any time.
Under (4) they may, as in cases (1) and (2), be solemnized by a Clergyman of the Established Church of England subject to his being willing to accept the Certificate in lieu of Banns; and under (4) and (5) by or before a Registrar of Marriages in a building of Roman Catholic or other denomination duly registered by the Registrar-General; before a Registrar of Marriages and a Superintendent Registrar in the District Register Office; or after the 1898 Act .(Marriage; Nonconformist Places of Worship),  before a person duly authorised under the Act. Under this Act Roman Catholics and Nonconformists were not required to have a civil Registrar present.


Stan

[stanmapstone]

The Ordinary Superintendent's Registrar's Certificate, printed in black ink, was issued  twenty one days after the couple’s details had been entered in the Marriage Notice Book.This  enabled the couple to get married within three months by taking the Certificate to their priest or other celebrant which gave him the authority to conduct a marriage ceremony by the rites of their faith, provided the building was licensed for marriages. This Certificate had a similar function to the Church's banns.. This is, of necessity, a brief summary of the law, which has changed over time. A Clergyman of the Established Church of England, could  carry out a marriage subject to his being willing to accept the Certificate in lieu of Banns

Stan

[edalmun]

Thank you Stan that is very helpful. They got married on the local parish church so their Clergyman obviously accepted it. Any idea why people would have these rather than banns?

[stanmapstone]

I don't know why people got married by certificate rather than by banns, except that the reading of the banns in public in the church let everyone know the details, whereas someone would have to go to the Register Office to look at the Marriage Book when they were getting married by certificate.

Stan