Marriage certificate query

casserole · Post by **casserole** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:32 pm

Hello folks and a guid new year to you all.

I have found a marriage entry for a family member dated 1st November 1889. He was married at 34 Abbotsford Place, Glasgow. His name was Louis Dundas CHRISTIE and his bride was Jemima ANDERSON.

Below Jemima's signature is her occupation - Domestic Servant - and (spinster)

Below this are the words 'Cousins - German'. Can someone explain what this means and why it would be on a marriage entry? I have never seen anything like this before. I have no reason to believe that either have German connections.

Louis' family had lived in Lanark for generations and Jemima's parents were James ANDERSON, enginefitter, and Margaret DUNLOP, both fine Scottish names! The witnesses names don't throw up any clues either.

Hope someone can come up with the answer.
Many thanks,
Carole

Post by **Anne H** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:40 pm

Hi Carole,
If I'm not mistaken, I believe it means that the bride and groom were first cousins.

Regards,
Anne H

casserole · Post by **casserole** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:45 pm

Hello Anne,

Thank you. It certainly is possible that they might have been cousins but I wonder what 'German' has to do with it.

Carole

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:45 pm

Hi Carole and Anne
I'd agree, that would be my understanding of it too.

Best wishes
Lesley

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:48 pm

See Wikipedia:

Germanus is the Latin term referring to the Germanic peoples. A probably related meaning for the word in Latin is "blood relation", cognate to germen "seed" (whence Spanish hermano "brother").

See also http://dictionary.die.net/cousin

cousin n : the child of your aunt or uncle [syn: first cousin, cousin-german,
full cousin]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Cousin \Cous"in\ (k?z"'n), n. [F. cousin, LL. cosinus, cusinus,
contr. from L. consobrinus the child of a mother's sister,
cousin; con- + sobrinus a cousin by the mother's side, a form
derived fr. soror (forsosor) sister. See Sister, and cf.
Cozen, Coz.]
1. One collaterally related more remotely than a brother or
sister; especially, the son or daughter of an uncle or
aunt.

Note: The children of brothers and sisters are usually
denominated first cousins, or cousins-german. In the
second generation, they are called second cousins. See
Cater-cousin, and Quater-cousin.

casserole · Post by **casserole** » Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:49 pm

Bingo!

Thank you Lesley. Problem solved.

All the best,
Carole

momat · Post by **momat** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 8:13 am

Once again this address has popped up.
My curiosity is roused.
Was the minister by any change Andrew Leiper ?

Cheers.

casserole · Post by **casserole** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 1:46 pm

Hello Nomat,

Yes he sure was: Andrew Leiper, minister of Gorbals Parish

Post by **joette** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 5:09 pm

I always thought it was Germane-meaning relevant or important

I knew it meant first-cousins now I know it's origins it makes sense.
You see a lot of this in the Royal or Noble trees.

Post by **SarahND** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 7:48 pm

joette wrote: You see a lot of this in the Royal or Noble trees.

Hi Joette,
My husband has an aristocratic background, and the number of first-cousin marriages is truly scary

Good thing for our children that he married me to widen the gene pool a bit!

Regards,
Sarah

TalkingScot.com

Marriage certificate query

Marriage certificate query

Marriage Certificate query

34 Abbotsford Place