Genealogy Chat

Hi, wondered if anyone could help, I have a marraige certificate and on it the fathers name and profession boxes have lines through them, any idea what this means? Does it mean he is unknown?
regards kate.

Either that or the details were not recorded, it depends how the question was asked.

Another possibility, where either of the couple underage? Keeping quiet about a father and adding a year or two to their ages has meant many young couples avoided parental consent when it was needed.

Glen

Copy and paste from my cert tutorial on the FTF wiki;

Column 7: Father's Name and Surname


This is another "grey area" on a certificate. The name of the natural father should be quoted. However, the name may be omitted (it is not compulsory to reveal the details) or the name may be fictitious (in the case of an illegitimate child a fictitious name may have been given to save face).


Similarly, a father may be recorded as "deceased" when in fact he is alive and well, or he may not be recorded as deceased when he died many years earlier. In most cases it is wise to check the death index (along with the census if the time-frame fits) for a father regardless of the entry on a marriage certificate.


Glen

Hi Glen, Thanks for that, the couple were both aged 26.
Kate.