Additions to GRO marriage index

[LizzieL]

I was looking up the marriage of a relative (on FreeBMD) who married in 1903 in Christchurch registration district and found that the entry had an "a" on the end of the page number. The scan of the index page has the entry added by hand at the bottom of the page and an asterisk indicating where the record should be on the page. The page for the bride also had a hand written addition at the bottom of the relevant typed page. The handwriting for both additions is the same
Does anyone know why would this happen? I don't know whether it was church or register office.
I have come across birth registrations added retrospectively to the index, possibly when the individual requires a copy of birth certificate for some reason, but not a marriage before

[carol8353]

The addition of a letter a usually means an amendment had been made.
Maybe someone noticed an error on the original cert.A name mispelt or a middle name missed off.
That sort of thing.

[LizzieL]

Both bride's and groom's entries are additions, they are not amendments to the original typed index

[Gadget]

It could be that the entries were missed from the original list when the quarterly submissions  were received from the local Registrar.  It was later noticed and added.

Have you checked to local BMD records?

[LizzieL]

I cannot seem to find an online search for the local register office. It was in Christchurch - now Bournemouth and Poole.

[Gadget]

No, Neither Dorset not Hampshire seem to have an online BMD separate from  UKBMD 

They must have the local listings at the local Registrars.  I remember when doing part of the NWales BMD that I was sent copies of the quarterly returns to work from.

[carol8353]

Here are some email addresses of various register offices,maybe they could answer your query that way?

https://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/civreg/RegOffice/RegOffice2#427

[LizzieL]

Thanks I had found the BCP website earlier but there's nothing searchable on line. It seems I need to contact them by phone or email, not only with bride and groom's names (which I know) but also with date and place of marriage which I do not know.

[jonw65]

Is it Albert John Kitcher and Emily Louisa King, Sep 1903, Christchurch 2b 1430a ?

No entries on page 1430 according to FreeBMD (though they have also given that number without the "a" to AJK, it doesn't have that on the original image)

On page 1429, only one marriage indexed, which is John Francis Giffard and Violet L'Estrange Fitz Roy.
BNA has this from the Christchurch Times, 5 September 1903 (ocr text!)
On Thursday an exceedingly pretty wedding took place at St. Mark's church, Iligheliff, when Miss Violet L'Estrange Fitz-Roy, eldest daughter of the late Captain..

Without seeing the original I'd take a stab at it being St Mark's, Highcliffe (Christchurch)
Maybe the Kitcher-King marriage took place there?