Missing Marriage Cert

ASGROOMBRIDGE · Post by **ASGROOMBRIDGE** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:12 am

For months now I have been searching for my grandfather William Semple's marriage to his second wife Margaret Johnstone. I now find on their son's birth cert it is given as 25/12/1857 in Annan. I joyfully went back onto SP with hope but sadly still nothing. Was this usual, could they have been married at home by a minister (fierce Church of Scotland family) and it not been registered.

regards,

A very puzzled Audrey

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:33 am

Hi Audrey,

According to the online IGI, William Semple and Margaret Johnston married in Annan on 02 August 1859.
Note: no e on the end of Johnston

Children to this marriage listed on the online IGI are:
WILLIAM SEMPLE - Birth: 02 AUG 1859 Annan, Dumfries-shire
MARY SEMPLE - Birth: 31 MAR 1862 Annan, Dumfries-shire
JAMES SEMPLE - Birth: 21 NOV 1864 Annan, Dumfries-shire
JOHN SEMPLE - Birth: 04 OCT 1867 Annan, Dumfries-shire

James's birth is an LDS submission, the other three are from the records.

All the best,

AndrewP

ASGROOMBRIDGE · Post by **ASGROOMBRIDGE** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:55 am

Hello Andrew,

Thank you for that, I have birth certificates on the children and the dates concur, but on John's birth certificate it gives the marriage as 25/12/1857.
Not sure if the poor woman could get married and give birth on the same day either, pair wee soul.

Audrey

Tried with and without e on SP but still not luck.

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 11:39 am

Hi Audrey,

Now you put doubt in my mind, I have gone back to the online IGI and the marriage is not there. I must have been looking at William's birth record and fixed it in my mind that I was looking at the parents' marriage record.

Senior moment.

Now I agree with you that there is no sign of the marriage, either on the online IGI or SP. I guess there was either an irregular marriage that was never registered via the court, or there was no marriage at all.

All the best,

AndrewP

ASGROOMBRIDGE · Post by **ASGROOMBRIDGE** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 12:52 pm

Hi Andrew,

I agree, bet they never married. Will get to Annan one day and have a look at the church records,

Audrey

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 12:59 pm

Now, Now Audrey

bet they never married.

This is Scotland

They could have been quite legally married but never had the blessing of the Established Church to go with it.
I haven't explored the area around Annan to see how many flavours and varieties of church there were but there could have been several different ministers all wanting to perform a ceremony.
It could have been a case of - 'which one is nearest?'

Russell

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 1:05 pm

Hi Audrey (and Russell),

If they were regularly married in 1857 as they told the registrar upon registering their children's births, then the marriage should have been registered, regardless of which church solemnised the event.

All the best,

AndrewP

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 1:21 pm

The date and place of marriage info on a statutory birth register entry is baed on what the couple told the registrar. They didn't have to produce any proof, and could equally well have provided info relating to an irregular marriage.

David

ASGROOMBRIDGE · Post by **ASGROOMBRIDGE** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 4:43 pm

According to my Grandmother, they were very strict Church of Scotland, she always said her Grandparents (William was the founder of the Semple's in Annan) were guid church folk so I would be very surprised if they were not married. Funniy enough I did not realise that William had two wives, he had two living children with his first wife and four who died, then another four that we know of with his second wife. My Grandmother was the daughter of his son by his first wife.

I remember as a child we were not allowed to pick up a book or newspaper on a Sunday. Just the bible.

Audrey

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 5:24 pm

Hi Audrey
that kind of strict sabbath adherence goes with the Free Church of Scotland much more than the established church.
I wonder if they were Wee Frees.

A Google brought up a short history of the town which mentions the Free church.

http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/t ... ry346.html

Russell