Okay, I understand now. and I know certs are expensive but if you are happy that this marriage in 1898 is the right one, then the good news is :
Durham Record Office have the registers for Holy Trinity and they do a 'quick search' service online, whereby you ask for a record from a parish register at a cost of £5 (payable online and cheaper than a paper cert from the GRO) and they email you a copy of that image from their microfilm of the parish register. That will tell you his father's name (if known) and from there you can see if you can find the family in earlier census returns to perhaps get a more specific birth place and year.
If you are in the area you can, of course, visit the local archives to view the image for free - once things start to re-open that is.
Boo