Date of Marriage?

[Naizam]

Scotland's People indicates 00/00/1788

I think it's 10 Aug 1786?

Any others care to venture a date?

copyright images removed

[Wiggy]

Certainly looks like it August 10th 1788.

There are several dates noted, but I presume you are talking about the last where they produced their certificate of their marriage contract?

The others all seem to be 'contracted to marriage'.   (Odd having one with 1787 in the middle)

Wiggy

Edit to add - Marriages contracted and prroclaimed - which were you actually asking about?

[oldohiohome]

What is the date of the next entry in the book. If they are in chronological order, does that help decide what year your entry took place in?

[Rosinish]

The no. 8 (you think is a 6) on the 1st 2 entries is the same on;
May 5th 1788 (you think is 1786)
August 10th 1788 (the 1st 8 looks identical to the 8 you query for 5th May)

I think the 1787 is just a typo & should have been 1788)?

Annie

[GR2]

The year is 1788, but you can't be certain about the date itself as it is not explicitly stated. Is there a corresponding entry in the Tarves register? That would help solve the problem.

[Naizam]

Looking at the months:

May 5
Aug 10
Aug 12
Apr 20
Aug 10

I had assumed that if the 12th was accurate and if the page was written in descending order then it should be

1786
1786
1787
1788
1788

@ GR2 - What's the Tarves Register?
@ Wiggy - I'm not sure I understand what contracted and proclaimed means - I had assumed that's the day they signed their contract and were pronounced husband and wife?

[GR2]

When a couple decided they were going to marry, they went to the session clerk and contracted marriage (i.e. stated they intended to marry). At that point in earlier times they would consign pledges (i.e. hand over money as a sign of seriousness). Sometimes instead of putting down cash they named a cautioner, a person who would stand surety for them. They were then proclaimed three times (i.e. the banns were read in the parish church) and if no objection was raised they married. The marriage normally took place in the bride's parents' home. Weddings in church were very rare until the 20th century. If the marriage had taken place within forty days of contracting and there were no scandal attached to it (in early times that could even mean things like "promiscuous dancing"), the pledges were returned to the couple.

What is recorded in the parish registers varies greatly. Sometimes all you find is the couple's names and a date, which will usually be the date of contracting. Sometimes it mentions the consigning of pledges and occasionally names the amount or the name of any cautioner. Sometimes it mentions the proclamations and can even give the dates. Sometimes it states that the couple did marry and might even give the date of the wedding.

If the couple came from different parishes, the banns were read in both places. That means you can find an entry in the registers of both parishes. It is always worth looking at both as one might give information that the other omits.

[Naizam]

Thanks for the education GR2! It's appreciated.

Unfortunately, Scotland's People only has the one record that matches

So it looks like consensus is Aug 10, 1788

Thanks all, marking it solved.