Genealogy Chat

Hello I recieved my long awaited greatgrandparents marriage cert (1886) today, and am having problems understanding it, where it says they were married by.. (usuallythe vicar) it gives 2 names the first is hard to read but says S.?? and Clark and the next person underneath this it says and Curate N. S Matthews. Anyone know why this may be thanks, Sharmala.

i dont no but it could it be that the 1st person was learing the job etc?

Were they RC? Or non-conformist? Reg

yes it could be never thought of that perhaps he was learning the job. im interested in this as my greatgrandad was a churchwarden at this church. Thanks Sharmala

It sounds to me as if the vicar was off sick and the marriage was conducted by the curate from a neighbouring parish - perhaps of St Mathew. I looked through the parish records of Yorkshire church and this happened a number of times. Clive

hello Reg, they were Church of England. i do know not long after, the church became amalgamated with another church but not st matthews. Sharmala

I have just remembered something else. If you wanted your uncle Charlie to marry you in your local church. Charlie could conduct most of the service but the registered vicar had to do the actual marriage. Any sign of relatives in this case? I am not sure when this bit of regulations came in. Apparently not there in 1780 but was there in 1928! Clive

Are you sure the names are both to do with who married them? For example, I have a Marriage Cert where there are 4 witnesses, and all the names carry on over to the side where the Curate's name is written. Just a thought. Karen

Clive you may be right!! as my greatgrandmas maiden name on marriage cert is Clark and the first person on the married by was S.?? Clark!! Shall have to find who S Clark was now. Thankyou Sharmala

Sorry karen didnt see your reply yes both names are where it says married by.but its worth bearing in mind what you suggested never had more than 2 wittnesses. Thanks Sharmala.

Having looked at various marriage certs it seems that the correct form was for the vicar to sign his name and put his position after it (I have Rector, assistant curate, Officiating minister etc). So if the second line starts with Curate then that is the position of the man on the top line. Could it say 'and Curate of St Matthew's'?

Hi Andrea This is what it says hard to make out the letters after s S. ??? an? Clarke Underneath this it says... And Curate N S .Matthews. perhaps the writing is bad and it does say And curate of st matthews makes more sense. Sharmala.

Clergymen were often described as clerks (clerk in holy orders). In the past, a curate did not have to mean assistant/apprentice/ vicar. Curate actually means the person responsible for 'cure' of souls. Many rectors/vicars had the income from the living for a church, but never went there and employed a curate to carry out their duties. So it was quite possible to have someone who was a clerk in holy orders, acting as curate for a particular parish - he may have lived in the parish rectory/parsonage/whatever for many years and carried out all the duties of the clergyman, BUT he was employed by the incumbent, rather than being given the living by the patron. Jay

Could the 'S' word be Suffragen?? Or superintendant? OC

hello Thanks everyone for your suggestions but without being able to show you all i really dont know what to think! its just odd i have many cert and they arent like this one. i liked the idea that clive came up with though, didnt know anyone could that. Greatgrandad the one who this is about was the churchwarden and maybe that has something to do with it?. Sharmala.

It might be an 'off the wall' thought, but if your grandfather was heavily involved in the church, there might have been two vicars who wanted to participate in his marriage, and shared the service. I too have a marriage cert with four witnesses all over the place. Well, it would be my mother in law who organised that, she always like to emphasise her popularity! Margaret