Author Topic: Christmas Weddings  (Read 811 times)

Offline BSmith2268

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Christmas Weddings
« on: Wednesday 27 December 23 02:33 GMT (UK) »
Merry Christmas all!

On the topic of Christmas, my x2 great grandparents, John Davies and Edith Rachel Gleeson were married on Monday, 25th December 1905 at St Thomas' Church, Neath, Glamorganshire.

How common was it to marry on Christmas Day and was this unusual?

Thank you,
BSmith

Smith- Neath, Glamorgan/ Witney, Oxfordshire
Roberts- Llandow/ St Donats, Glamorgan
Hopkins- Tonmawr, Glamorgan/ Llanelli, Carmarthenshire
Emanuel- Briton Ferry, Glamorgan
Broom- Neath, Glamorgan/ Oare, Somerset, Ilfracombe, Devon

Madden- Aberavon, Glamorgan/ Cork, IRELAND
Price- Tonmawr, Glamorgan/ Brecknockshire
Davies- Morriston, Glamorgan/ Gower, Glamorgan
Price- Fochriw, Glamorgan
Parker- Neath, Glamorgan
Waters- Aberavon, Glam, Cork, IRELAND
Gleeson- Limerick, IRELAND
Watkins- Breconshire

Offline Neale1961

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Re: Christmas Weddings
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 27 December 23 02:51 GMT (UK) »
From a modern perspective, we might think this unusual, but it was more common than you might think.
For many people, it was their only day off/ holiday.
Milligan - Jardine – Glencross – Dinwoodie - Brown: (Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire)
Clark – Faulds – Cuthbertson – Bryson – Wilson: (Ayrshire & Renfrewshire)
Neale – Cater – Kinder - Harrison: (Warwickshire & Queensland)
Roberts - Spry: (Cornwall, Middlesex & Queensland)
Munster: (Schleswig-Holstein & Queensland) and Plate: (Braunschweig, Neubruck & Queensland & New York)

Offline jimbo50

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Re: Christmas Weddings
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 27 December 23 03:13 GMT (UK) »
My Grandparents were married on 26th December 1915,

Offline MollyC

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Re: Christmas Weddings
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 27 December 23 07:18 GMT (UK) »
I have three generations married on 23 December: 1850, 1877, 1905.
The third one was opposed by the bride's father, married in secret by licence.  It occurred to me that she chose the date to snub him!


Offline MollyC

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Re: Christmas Weddings
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 27 December 23 07:41 GMT (UK) »
On the other side of my family, I recently found a hint of a wedding on 24th December 1873 in Constantinople.  On 22nd this year I got to the library to check notices on the microfilm of a local paper, not yet on BNL.  It appears the marriage was returned in UK records for Constantinople but actually took place at the Embassy Chapel in Smyrna.  The groom was working for a railway company.

Then I had the thought that the 24th would be their 150th anniversary!

Offline Gadget

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Re: Christmas Weddings
« Reply #5 on: Wednesday 27 December 23 09:45 GMT (UK) »
A quick search for marriages  in England on 25 Dec 1850 ( exact) gives 6985  results.

I've not checked for duplicates but it was often, as Neale says, the only day off/holiday for many.

Gadget
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Offline jim1

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Re: Christmas Weddings
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 27 December 23 11:54 GMT (UK) »
Although the explanations given are very reasonable I've never
quite bought into it.
People married every day of the year & there were many that even worked on
Xmas day.
My take on it was that couples wanted to marry or have children Baptised
on important days on the Ecclesiastical calendar as this is what people
lived their lives by rather than the calendar we understand.
Michaelmas, Easter & Saints days were all popular dates.
As it's the season of goodwill might I suggest it was a mixture of both.
Warks:Ashford;Cadby;Clarke;Clifford;Cooke Copage;Easthope;
Edmonds;Felton;Colledge;Lutwyche;Mander(s);May;Poole;Withers.
Staffs.Edmonds;Addison;Duffield;Webb;Fisher;Archer
Salop:Easthope,Eddowes,Hoorde,Oteley,Vernon,Talbot,De Neville.
Notts.Clarke;Redfearne;Treece.
Som.May;Perriman;Cox
India Kane;Felton;Cadby
London.Haysom.
Lancs.Gay.
Worcs.Coley;Mander;Sawyer.
Kings of Wessex & Scotland
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Offline Gadget

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Re: Christmas Weddings
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 27 December 23 13:03 GMT (UK) »
Interestingly, none of my ancestors, who were predominantly coal miners, agricultural labourers,  and a few farmers, were married on  25th December  :)

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/blog/discoveries/christmas-day-weddings

Quote
Christmas Day weddings usually occurred out of necessity.

Christmas and Boxing Day were often the only days of the year that young working-class couples were guaranteed to get off work. Even Charles Dickens' Ebenezer Scrooge was forced to reluctantly give his long-suffering clerk, Bob Cratchett, the day off in the opening chapter of A Christmas Carol.
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Offline jimbo50

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Re: Christmas Weddings
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 27 December 23 15:42 GMT (UK) »
I've given no thought to this, but what about Quarter Days ? Rents payable ?