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Witness of Marriage

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SJR

SJR Report 3 Oct 2007 15:08

Would a father be a witness to his daughter's wedding?
According to the Parish Records no father's name has been entered. But, one of the witness is the same name as her father and she did not have a brother of that name.

Sheila

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 3 Oct 2007 15:11

No reason why he wouldn't.......

When did the marriage take place?

Reg

Diane

Diane Report 3 Oct 2007 15:12

Hi Sheila
It is possible that the father could be the witness as I have had several mothers of the bride or groom being a witness at their child's wedding

SJR

SJR Report 3 Oct 2007 15:45

REG,

The marriage was in 1835.

Gloucester Archives checked two marriages for me in the same parish just a week apart and neither had father's name.

Sheila

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 3 Oct 2007 15:52

Father's names are often not entered on a marriage record from that time.

I have a few marriage certificates where the father of the bride is a witness. My own grandfather was a witness at my mother's marriage. They had very little money, married in a register office and had only the witnesses (my mother's father and my father's sister) as guests. No reception of any kind. This was in 1934.

I always felt sorry for my mother - it wasn't a very good start to married life and they divorced 25 years later.

Kath. x

julia of sussex

julia of sussex Report 3 Oct 2007 15:53

my mum and mil sighned my marriage certificate so i dont see why a father wouldnt

julia

Gwyn in Kent

Gwyn in Kent Report 3 Oct 2007 21:06

As fathers weren't named as such in marriages at that time, I think it's very likely that it was the father who signed.

Perhaps a check of burials in that parish prior to the wedding date would help you to decide.....supposing that you knew the bride's father's name from her baptism.

You say she didn't have a brother of that name.....Did she have a sibling who married after late 1837, when father's names were routinely recorded on marriage certificates?

Gwyn