Genealogy Chat

on marriage certificates you are given the names of two witnesses. Are these witnesses usually related to the bride and groom. In Somerset i have seen the same names appearing as wittnesses time and time again. Could these people just be friends or they more likely relatives? Jane

Jane Witnesses can be anybody. You think about if you were getting married, you can have who you choose to be a witness. As for the same name again and again. I have transcribed most of the parish registers for Shimpling in Suffolk. This happened a lot in the 1800-1900 time scale. I think that because most people couldn't read and write they had someone else to do it. In the case of Shimpling it was the churchwarden who's signature kept on cropping up. I got fed up with seeing it. Saying that though, always make a note of who it is, as you may find it is a relative some time in the future. Margaret

Hi, If you see the same name again and again it is likely to be the Parish Clerk or another servant of the church. Witnesses to marriages can be friends, relativesand neighbours as well as parish clerks in my experience. Hope this helps, Gwynne

Jane It depeds when the marriage was. If you are talking modern more often than not they are friends or relations. If you mean Parish registers they would be the same people as witnesses as i was told years ago that the couple paid them to act as witnesses. More often they were Church wardens. George

Hi Jane, I read somewhere, there were such things as professional witnesses, who acted for anyone who asked them to. Debbie

Thanks every I didn't know some people were paid to be witnessess. In my marriages i think they were more likey to be people who have some connection with the church. Jane