Where would people have married?

[Archiver]

This may sound like a really stupid question, but where would people have actually got married in the early 1800s? Would it have been at the parish church, or would it have been at home?

It's something I've never really thought about before - I know people didn't tend to marry in churches later on, so wondered where they would have done it when they're recorded in the OPRs. It's idle curiosity!

[GeorgiaL]

My husband's g-g-g-grandparents got married - according to their marriage certificate - 'in the minister's study at the manse' on Christmas Day. I've always wondered about that.

[Ina]

Many of my ancestor's got married at either the bride's or the groom's home.

Ina

[WilmaM]

An interesting question,
the Statutory Records show where the marriage actually took place, but the OPRs don't.

Unless the original entry gives the details you wouldn't know I suppose.

I expect reading biographies and diaries of the pre-1850's would give an idea of the usual practise,
but I dare say different areas [and churches] would have varying customs.

[Hibee]

Presumably the Banns would have to be read in a church, in the absence of Registry Offices?

Hibee

[Russell]

The Banns could be read in church or at a prayer meeting in the Manse or any other open gathering of parishioners. It was a requirement (of the Established Church)that an opportunity was given to the parish to object to a marriage on the grounds of prior marriage, unacceptably close relationship or any other reason which could prevent the marriage from taking place. Sometimes the Minister was also the Registrar in some communities.
Since the New Year was the only recognised holiday in Scotland many marriages took place on the last day of December. This means, for us genealogists, that the service was carried out in one year but would not be recorded until the following year (i.e. one or two days later) This caught me out a few times until I twigged
In the Established Church quite often the minister would use the Manse for the service. The Church would not be used as there was sanctification of the marriage as such. The calling of Banns was the only requirement.
I have one record where the Minister rowed over a sea loch to the farm on the other side to marry a couple. Irregular marriages could take place almost anywhere - and did . Many Fife marriages took place in an Inn in Edinburgh and the couple often had to go to the Kirk Session to plead their case and have the marriage accepted and confirmed by the Session. Our prime example is/was Gretna Green. How glamourous to get married in a blacksmith's smiddy
At least most ended up being recorded somewhere . Couples who simply lived together as man and wife would be accepted as such by their neighbours and they left no paper records for us to find 150 years or so later.

Russell

[paddyscar]

Another thing to consider, when asking if they would have been married in the actual church building is: what season was it? Many times the church would not have been heated and so the wedding would have taken place in the manse/rectory.

Frances

[Russell]

Back again Archiver

You often found that in rural, agricultural communities it would depend on whether the field work was at a time when a wedding was possible or ploughing. harrowing, planting, fertilising took priority.
In fishing communities they were virtually self employed and decisions were based on whether the herring were running and where.

I think the solitary trades like weaving, leather working, baking were not so seasonally dependent nor dependent on the landlord or skipper and could choose their date with a little more freedom.
Sometimes the date could have more to do with notorious short first pregnancy The shortest in our family was only THREE DAYS

Russell

[carlineric]

And the longest in my family was an incredible 15 years after the child was born . I came up with a possible reason after I looked up the place where they were married in the census. It would appear that the groom was getting his arm twisted ever so slightly for although they were a mining family the marriage took place in his brother's, who had become a doctor, house and the minister was none other than another brother.

Eric

[speleobat2]

If I remember correctly, my 3x Clerihew great grandparents were married the same day that their first child was baptized. This was after they had tried having the banns called twice on the same Sunday and ended up being brought be for the kirk for antenuptial fornication! Don't think they really tried to hide anything...

I can't think of any of my ancestors who was married in a church. Most were married in someone's home and my grandparents were married in a hotel in Aberdeen just a few days before they sailed for the USA. Don't have a clue why not except maybe that no one wanted to pay the fee for using the church?

Carol