Genealogy Chat

I have a birth cert from 1873 where the birth is registered in Monkwearmouth by the mother who makes her mark. The father is described as an engineer on a steam ship, so I imagine he was at sea when the child was born. Now having confirmed the names of the parents, I found what I think is their marriage in 1870 on the freeBMD site.The names are the same that appear on the birth cert with the exception that the ladies middle name is Ellen whereas on the birth cert it is given as Eleanor. The man's occupation is described as engine fitter. It would appear that all marriages for 1870 have been transcribed, although I accept there may be some records missing. There is only one marriage registered with the surnames Cook & Southern. This marriage is registered also in Monkwearmouth. Also the street addresses recorded in both the marriage & birth certs are so close to each other you could just about spit over the garden fence into each one.I checked this out on the streetmap uk site. Now, here is my problem. On the birth cert the mother makes her mark yet on the marriage cert of three years previous she signs her name...............AARRGGHH !! Do I have the right parents ?? All advice gratefully received. Terry on the Rock

Hi Terry, It sounds to me that you've found the correct marriage. With regards to the signature, well that's a tricky one, maybe she'd hurt her hand and couldn't use it? I'm sure others on here will find some possible answers. Regards Helen

I've read of this phenomenon more than once. People usually put it down to the Registrar having assumed the woman couldn't write, saying 'put your mark here' instead of 'sign here', and she assumes she has to do what he tells her. Similarly, when asked for father's name on a wedding cert, it may not say 'deceased', even if he'd died, if the Registrar didn't mention that that was a relevant piece of info. Christine

Many thanks for your helpful replies and advice - much appreciated (phew !) Terry on the Rock