Wrong name on marriage certificate - why?

[Venster1972]

Hi.

I’ve just received a copy of a marriage certificate of my great grandmother and the father of the bride has been put down as her brother, and not her actual Father. This was only back in 1940 and witnessed by, I’m assuming going by the names, her sister and BIL. So they must have all been in on it.

Any reasons why this would have been done?

[Milliepede]

What do you mean by “all been in on it”

Was she brought up by her father and mother?  Perhaps her brother was a father figure to her, was her father alive at the time?

Or it could have been a simple mistake - did they have similar first names the father and brother?

You could also check to see what name her sister put down when she married.

[Venster1972]

May be not the correct phrase, but they must have known the information was wrong.

You could be right because she had an child with a father ‘unknown’ and maybe she was disowned. There’s lots of ‘maybes’ I think.

The correct father was Robert Copson Venney and her brother was John Robert Veni(deceased), who is  on the certificate.

But I can’t find any record of a death for Robert Copson Venney either.

[Venster1972]

Ignore that. Think I may have found record for Robert Copson Venney death. He passed in 1901 and maybe John Robert was a father figure to her as she grew up. But I have her birth certificate and she was born in 1903 and her father is named as Robert Veni, informant R.Veni.

So confusing or maybe I’m not seeing something obvious 🤯

[Milliepede]

Ok so could it be Robert Copson Venney was her grandfather that passed in 1901? 

Who is the mother on her birth certificate?

[mckha489]

There is a younger sister Jessie born 1907, so their father must have still been alive in 1906 for the conception. (Assuming they all have the same father)

[rosie99]

This was only back in 1940 and witnessed by, I’m assuming going by the names, her sister and BIL. So they must have all been in on it.

Any reasons why this would have been done?

Maybe they witnesses did not read the document, they were after all only witnessing the bride and groom signing the register

[JenB]

This was only back in 1940 and witnessed by, I’m assuming going by the names, her sister and BIL. So they must have all been in on it.

Any reasons why this would have been done?

Maybe they witnesses did not read the document, they were after all only witnessing the bride and groom signing the register

I agree with Rosie. Just because someone has been a witness it doesn't necessarily mean they have looked in detail at the document.

Whoever was conducting the ceremony would have said to them 'sign here' and that's what they did.

[Venster1972]

Here’s a copy of some certificates I have