Genealogy Chat

Many thanks for your help everyone, I just wonder, if these people were iliterate, who filled in their names for them? And by the way the vicar at this service his name is unreadable.! Sylvia.

That's something I hadn't thought of before, Nell.... Merry

Another possibility is - my gt gt uncle William Broad signed on certs, but when his Will was drawn up it was signed with an X because he had lost his sight. nell

Sorry Merry you must have educated us too well!

Doh,.....I don't know.....I get up to go to the bathroom and when I come back, everyne else has already replied with my answers!!! Merry

Of 'full age' just meant over 21 and was often used in early certs. It's only on later ones that the actual age began to be recorded. Regarding Xs - sometimes I have relatives who are X on some certs and signed on others. I don't know whether its because they were not very literate and preferred to do an X to avoid embarrassment, or whether they just wanted to be quick. nell

Certainly the older marriage certoificates tend to have only 'full age' - it was not a requirement to specify the age - only that they were over 21. The 'X' almost certainly denotes illiteracy. It would often appear as John His X mark Smith .

Full age means that the bride and groom should be over 21. Which could mean that they were 21 to 1 million years old or they lied and were under 21. It was up to vicar or registrar to record their age. The only important bit were they adults and didn't need parental consent to marry. X - They might be able to read or write. At Nottm St Mary's most people sign X as it was such a big church that the forms were pre-completed and the vicar just said x here - who would argue with the vicar? Or sometimes the wife could but the groom couldn't so might want to protect his pride so might X even though she could write.

I got a marriage cert. today. Grooms signature was as follows. Richard---------X Whiteway. Brides signature was just a normal siganature. Witness 1st, one was: James--------X Cowley. 2nd witness a normal signature. Does this mean that the people with Xs couldn`t write? I dont really care but also both bride and groom gave no age just 'full age' did they not know how old they were or just trying to cheat? Sylvia.

Question to follow -------patience I`m a slow typist.