Genealogy Chat

I thought marriage by certificate was for civil ceremoinies... but judging by the marriage certificate I have in front of me, I'm wrong. The wedding took place in 1872 in Newport Pagnell Parish Church, but was by Certificate, not Banns. Please can someone explain? Thank you. Linda

My nan was by certificate but she was married in a registry office as she was 3 month pregnant with my dad. Jeanette

I have a marriage by registrars certificate which took place in a Church of England church (like yours) in 1846. I contacted several people about this (registrar, GRO and a vicar!!) All said it was a rare occurrance. The registrar and the GRO both said the reg. cert. would normally be issued either for a civil marriage or for a marriage which would take place in a non-conformist church where the registrar would need to be present. However, they could be used in a C of E church, but usually the couple would opt for banns or a licence if they were going to have a C of E wedding. The conclusion seemed to be that the couple might have changed their mind about the venue for the wedding at the ''last minute''. The cert was valid to use in the C of E church so they married there rather then their original intended venue. As it happens, I knew that ''my'' groom was a Congregationalist and his bride was most likely C of E. (I didn't mention this whilst making enquiries!!).....so it would seem she may have twisted his arm to marry in the C of E church?? Merry

Thank you for your interesting replies... this one is 'unconventional 'anyway. The bride is the result of the liaison between her 42 year old widowed mother and the 19 year old lodger. While the lodger isn't named as father, she has his surname as one of her names on her birth cert! She used her mother's surname of Garratt. When she married, she has her uncle named as her father on the marriage cert - her mother's living in Bradford by this time. The uncle's name is Barker! It's anyone's guess what was going on! Linda

I'm pleased that you've raised this subject. My great grandparents married in 1883 'by certificate' and it was a big surprise to me to find that the ceremony was in a Zion Chapel and not the parish church. Each of the couple had been baptised in C of E churches as babies and Emma, the bride, was a keen churchgoer in Wales in later life, rather than attend the chapel in the village. Would there be chapel membership lists anywhere to see how long they had attended, (if they had)? Would they have had to be a chapel member in order to marry in that building?

There is a non confiormist church in Newport Pagnell, but I don't know if they were members... I will have to investigate further. Would they have needed a certificate then to get married in the CofE church? The 'bottom line' says- Married in the Parish Church according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church, by Certificate by me James B Dalby. Normally you have Vicar, Curate, Registrar or whatever after the name of whoever conducted the ceremony, but not here. Linda

I was married in a Congregational Church, by Certificate. In the Cof E Banns have to be published for three consecutive weeks beforehand, in the parish or both parishes if the couple live in different ones, for a Register Office or a Non conformist Church marriage notice of the impending marriage is on display at the Register Office for the requesit three weeks, hence by Certificate. Jennifer

That's what I thought... But this marriage clearly took place in the CofE parish church by certificate! Nothing's ever straightforward, is it?! Linda

C of E marriage is usually by banns or by licence, but you CAN use a reg. cert. to marry in a C of E church, but it's just not what you would normally do!! Hence the thought that most C of E marriages that were by reg cert were originally intended to have taken place in either a non-conformist church/chapel or a reg office. Merry