Genealogy Chat

I do have a list of marriages in a Bucks parish where the witness was obviously used a lot - he had the fantastic name of WILDSMITH BADGER. You couldn't make it up! nell

I havent quite worked out why - but it was in the late 1700s and all these marriages took place at a remote Chapel, wonder if it was too far for family and friends to walk LOL! Your Marjorams are interesting to me, if only because, when trying to write a letter in Word and signing it with my name (Marjorie), up pops spellcheck and asks me sweetly if I really meant to write Marjoram? NO I DIDN'T!!!!!!! Marjorie (or Marjoram if you must)

Marjorie, Was this a village of 'Billy no-mates' - or an interfering church warden lol I found a marriage in 1900 between a GG aunt and a Marjoram - a fairly unusual name - have since traced that side of my family back a further 80 years and always, near by were the Marjorams! Members of the family were also witnesses to a marriage in 1850. I have a few letters written to my gran in 1923 from one of her Marjoram 'cousins'. Although they're not direct ancestors I feel great affection for this family. maggie

Although I agree with the above replies, you also face the possibility, as I did, of trying to find what eventually turned out to be the Churchwarden and his wife - just about everyone else on the PR had them as witnesses too! Marjorie

My own family certificates, I have found that the witnesses early on (pre 1890s) were usually a parent or sibling of one of the couple getting married. After 1890s, there are more unfamiliar surnames, which I assume are friends. I was pleased when I found the witnesses on my gt grandparents' wedding cert - one of them was a schoolboy visitor to my gt gt grandparents' on the 1881 census and he had been baptised in the same church as my gt grandad - so I deduced he was probably the best man. The two female witnesses were the youngest sisters of bride and groom, and I think they were probably bridesmaids. Sadly although my mum has a photo of bride and groom she has her veil down over her face. I only have one other faded photo of her. nell

I have has witnesses that were parents, grandpaents and brothers of the bride and groom. The only witness I can't identify has the same surname as the bride so I suspect that she's a relitive. One certificate states that the brides father was deceased and the witnesses were the mother and maternal grandfather. Guess I've been quite lucky as so far I've known the parents and some grandparents of the brides and grooms I've obtained certificates for.

thanks for the replys ill have a good nose at the census and c what i can find out about the witnesses

I've had similar luck with some of my witnesses - most have been family members, occasionally in-laws (eg a sibling being one witness, and their husband/wife the second witness). In one case one of the witnesses appears to have been a chap the groom shared a boarding house with 20 years previously. I often use the names of witnesses to search censuses - I have found one or two peeps living with a married sister, and so badly mistranscribed that a search on the original person didn't show anything.

i have a marriage certificate and it shows the 2 witnesses is there any way i can find out what sort of relationship they had with bride and groom whether they were friends/cousins or whatever lol anne