Marriage details in Balmain if not in NSW BDM

[mcvicars]

Thanks for all the suggestions; I’ll follow up on a few leads and if it’s ok, pop back in here if I’m still stuck. You guys are great

[sparrett]

The man HOOD was 59 years old according to cemetery records at Rookwood.
Sue

[shume]

The only suggestion I have is that they did not officially marry and this was/ is much more common than previously suggested. Its just a fact of family history research.
shume

[majm]

It is entirely possible that the Reg Gen Office :
  Did not process the marriage registration
  Did not receive the quarterly return

It was the clergy's responsibility to lodge the paperwork at a deputy registrar's office .... it did not need to be one nearest to the Church.  If the marriage was at the Registry Office near to Balmain,  it still needed to be in the quarterly return to HQ ...

The clergy would hand to the bride the loose decorative certificate on the day .... and he would keep the register record in tact and the loose leaf registry copy separate.  So at least 3 sets signed.  End of the quarter,  forward the loose leaf copies to HQ.   

The bride and groom marry 1903,   bride's brother born 1907 ... even if that was her  child that is still a lengthy time gap ....

Common law marriages have been recognised  in NSW law matters since at least Macquarie era... and prompted much of the Colonial law.


JM