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A marriage certificate is the official record of when and where a marriage took place, in addition to the record that would have been compiled in the relevant religious institution (a parish register, for example; these have been kept since the sixteenth century, and continue to be compiled today – see Chapter 7 for more details). They are a particularly rich source for the genealogical researcher as they give lots of clues for various ancestors. As mentioned above, from 1837 onwards, marriages of individuals of the Church of England, along with Jews and Quakers (where buildings were licensed to hold marriages), were recorded by the priest or responsible clerk and sent to the General Registrar’s Office in London. For other non-conformists, the local registrar recorded the marriage. This requirement was relaxed in 1898 and an ‘authorized person’ from other religious denominations could also record this information and send it forward to the appropriate bodies.

It is important to remember the age of consent before conducting a marriage search. In 1929 it was raised to 16 years for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Prior to this it had been 14 for boys and 12 for girls. In the Republic of Ireland the age of consent was only raised to 16 in 1975, having been kept at the ages of 14 for boys and 12 for girls until then. It’s worth bearing these ages in mind when searching for marriage certificates, making sure you search back far enough. The age of consent, however, differs from the legal age at which people could marry without parental consent, and in England and Wales this was 21 until 1969, after which it was reduced to 18 – though in Scotland it is as low as 16.

The GRO indexes include an entry for both the bride and the groom. If you know the names of both parties who were married it is advisable to search for the least common surname. The registers are arranged annually and then on a quarterly basis. They are then indexed alphabetically by the surname and then forename of the bride and groom. From the March quarter of 1912 the surname of the spouse is also given. Lastly there will be a numerical reference for the marriage.

The actual certificate will provide the following information:

• Above the columns there will be a section stating exactly where the marriage took place (which church or other place) and in which parish and county. This is very useful as it can indicate whether your ancestors were non-conformists or not.

• When married: The exact date the marriage took place.

• Name and surname: The full names of both parties getting married.

• Age: The given age of the bride and groom; it is important to note that these may not be entirely accurate. It was not uncommon for people to state that they were simply of a ‘full’ age or even a ‘minor’ age. Prior to 1969, full age would be someone aged over 21 years and a minor anyone younger than 21. Thus it could be problematic working out the exact ages when trying to find the birth records of these people. Also, it was not uncommon for people to lie about their age, depending on the circumstance. People under 21 may claim to be several years older to avoid the need for parental consent. Alternatively, older women marrying men significantly younger than them may give a younger age to minimize any potential scandal.

• Condition: This column states whether the marrying party was a bachelor, spinster or widow/widower. You may be surprised to find out that your relatively young ancestor was already widowed and marrying for a second time. However, mortality rates would have been significantly higher in the early period of civil registration and sometimes people lost their spouses quite soon after marriage, particularly in childbirth. Remarriage was therefore a viable practice, especially with young widowed men with small children who needed a maternal figure to look after them.

• Rank or profession: The occupation of the two parties is stated here. In the same way as with the occupation section in birth certificates, be aware of exaggerations and, depending on the given occupation, whether you will be able to locate their employment records. Female occupations were not regularly detailed until the twentieth century.

• Residence at the time of the marriage: The address of the bride and groom at the time of their wedding; the usual custom was to be married in the parish of the bride and sometimes the groom would have a temporary address in that same parish, as he would have had to have been living in the parish for a month to be married there.

• Father’s name and surname: A vital clue for the genealogical researcher, helping one get one generation further back at the same time, although the mother’s name would not be given. If the father was deceased it would often (but not always) be recorded as ‘deceased’ in brackets after the father’s name.

• Rank or profession of father: The occupation of the father of both bride and groom is provided. Again, be aware of the same inaccuracies in the given occupations.

• The type of marriage: Whether the marriage was performed by a marriage licence or banns, announced in the parish church for the three weeks preceding the wedding.

• Name and signature of two witnesses: At least two people are required to witness the marriage. These would often, but not always, be family members of the bride and groom.