cryptic OPR records

[ard]

I downloaded a page that contained a record of my g-g-g-g-grandparent's 1806 marriage in Glasgow. Entries are grouped by dates starting with "Glasgow March 23rd 1806", then March 30th, and followed by the 6th and 13th of April. However, some of the marriage dates in the entries don't actually correspond to their heading. These are usually more detailed, like the two in the March 23rd section. The first is for McDead: Bernard McDEAD, porter in Glasgow & Helen Campbell residenter there. Married 11th of April by M' John Brodie Relief minister in Glasgow. The marriage date for the second is 24th of March.

There are different ministers mentioned in the various detailed entries, some from the "Gaelic Chapel in Glasgow" or elsewhere.

Under the March 30th heading there are 9 entries, about a third of which are detailed, while the others are similar to that of my ancestors: DICK - Ambrose Dick, moulder in Glasgow & Elizabeth Stevenson, Residenter there - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Irregularly. (although, only two entries are followed by dashes and the word "irregularly")

Am I to assume that the date they married was, in fact, March 30th or simply around that time?

I'm a little curious about the word "residenter" too, but mostly it is the implication of the word "irregularly" that I find potentially significant. Would that mean that they were irregular residents or that the marriage was performed irregularly?

Thoughts, anyone?

Thanks in advance!

[Elwyn Soutter]

There were two types of marriages in Scotland the 'regular' and the 'irregular.' The regular marriage was done by a clergy member of the Church. An irregular marriage did not require the presence of a clergyman. Irregular marriages were by exchange of promises before witnesses, by betrothal and consummation, or by cohabitation and repute, and were forms of marriage recognised by Scots Law, yet may have taken place without any official record of the event. They remained a lawful form of marriage until the Marriage (Scotland) Act of 1939, which effectively replaced them by register office ceremonies. (Not previously an option in Scotland).

See:

http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/research/economicsocialhistory/historymedicine/scottishwayofbirthanddeath/marriage/

[goldie61]

According to a little addon I have, March 23rd 1806 was a Sunday. As were March 30th, April 6th and 13th April.
As you have found some of them were not actually on those days, perhaps whoever filled in the register (the minister, or perhaps a clerk), did it on each Sunday?

[ard]

Thank you for that clear explanation, Elwyn.

So, OPR's are not really from a particular church's records. I looked a the link you provided. Is it fair to assume that, if they appeared in the OPR records at all, it is because they had opted to pay the fine for having married irregularly?

I did look up residenter - as I figured, it simply means resident - and, apparently, it could even be spelled a variety of ways.

I agree in part Goldie, although it doesn't explain why an April 11th date was entered between March 23rd and March 30th! No matter. I am guessing that these books are records copied at a later date.

Thanks for your quick replies!

[Elwyn Soutter]

Thank you for that clear explanation, Elwyn.

So, OPR's are not really from a particular church's records. I looked a the link you provided. Is it fair to assume that, if they appeared in the OPR records at all, it is because they had opted to pay the fine for having married irregularly?

I am not experienced enough to know whether the entry in the OPR is just because of a fine. (I feel it's unlikely but can't be sure. Others might know). If they were fined, the The Kirk Session books may contain a record of it though.

[GR2]

Marriages rarely took place on Sundays. They were normally held on Saturdays or another weekday, and usually in the bride's parents' home. Weddings in the church building itself were not very common.

What is usually recorded in a Scottish marriage register is the "booking", The clerk's recording of the couple's intention to marry. The marriage would then take place within forty days. Very often that's all there is. Sometimes the clerk will later on add the number of days or times the banns were read or might add "and married" with or without a date for the actual ceremony.

[Forfarian]

I downloaded a page that contained a record of my g-g-g-g-grandparent's 1806 marriage in Glasgow. Entries are grouped by dates starting with "Glasgow March 23rd 1806", then March 30th, and followed by the 6th and 13th of April. However, some of the marriage dates in the entries don't actually correspond to their heading. These are usually more detailed, like the two in the March 23rd section. The first is for McDead: Bernard McDEAD, porter in Glasgow & Helen Campbell residenter there. Married 11th of April by M' John Brodie Relief minister in Glasgow. The marriage date for the second is 24th of March.

First, the date under which they are listed is almost certainly the date when the clerk recorded the fact that the banns had been called, not the actual marriage ceremony. This is why they are listed on Sundays, because that was the day when banns were called. Getting the date of the actual marriage ceremony is a bonus.

Second, some of them may not be Church of Scotland adherents. In theory the Church of Scotland was supposed to keep a record of all marriages, irrespective of the religious denomination of the people involved. In pratcice, this seldom happened.

I'm a little curious about the word "residenter" too, but mostly it is the implication of the word "irregularly" that I find potentially significant. Would that mean that they were irregular residents or that the marriage was performed irregularly?[/quote]"Irregularly" has nothing to do with "residenter".

A residenter is simply someone who lives in the place in question.

The irregularity refers to the celebration of the marriage. A regular marriage was one where the banns were called in the parish kirk, no-one objected, and the couple were subsequently married by the parish minister. Anything else was 'irregular' and frowned on by the kirk, even though irregular marriages were every bit as legal as regular ones. See https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/research/economicsocialhistory/historymedicine/scottishwayofbirthanddeath/marriage/

[ard]

Thanks, GR2, that makes sense. And thanks to everyone for your input. Interesting stuff, to be sure!

[ard]

Here is another question.

For another set of ancestral grandparents whose marriage (or intention to marry) was "collected" on the first sabbath of January, 1840 OPR for Airdrie or New Monkland.

The page (254) is a bit of a jumble and the writing hard to read. For the marriages, after each entry, there are three columns with numbers. However, since the columns have no heading, I don't know what they refer to. In fact the first column for all the entries has ditto marks (") so I suspect it was recorded on a previous page and is the same for pretty much everyone. Numbers in the two last colums are usually a /3/6/ or a /6/6/. The headings of the enumerated Sabbaths also have numbers entered in the two last columns, with the last one including a half number.

For example
Collected 1840
1st Sabbath of January  / " / 16 / 9 1/2 /
James Ligget in (* followed by illegible writing*) Cambusnethan & Jane Frew in (*also followed by illegible writing*) parish / " / 6 / 6 /

Anyone have any idea what these numbers might refer to?

Thanks again