Genealogy Chat

I am working on a really strange couple in Scotland. Thomas Rob obviously married Christian Graham around 1802, because the couple have six children who's death certificates, all in statutory, show their parents as well as their partners and the location of the marriages.

What is strange is that there IS a marriage for a Thomas Rob in 1802 but the spouse is not named! Similarly, none of the births are seen in IGI or Scotlands People. To make it triply frustrating on Thomas death Cert, also in statutory he is shown as "widower" but the spouse is again not named.

She truly is the Woman who Never was, which is sad as she was obviously a good mother. If anybody wants to have a go the parish is Ceres, Fife.
:-S

Is this the marriage you found:

Thomas Robb
Scotland, Marriages, 1561-1910

marriage: 22 Nov 1802 Dairsie,Fife,Scotland


Have you looked for it on scotlandspeople? Maybe the spouse's name is difficult to read and the transcribe couldn't make it out. If it is on SP then you might be able to make something out on the image.

Edit - the marriage is on scotlandspeople.

Its there search on IGI familysearch under Christian Graham..1802 Marriage,there is a difference in mariage place,

If the bride married in her parish with banns it could also be recored in the grooms parish as banns.,,,hence different dates and place.

Thomas Robb

Christian Graham,

4th December 1802,
Largo Fife.

Strange though, Kay, that the same marriage doesn't come up when searching for Thomas!

I know Potty,the only thing I could think was banns were read in both parishes?hence the dates,,

Thanks to all for comments: Yes, I was in Edinburgh last week and saw the original records for the marriages at both parishes, In fact her name is discernible in the Largo entry (her parish) but not in Dairsie (his parish) all the childrens census entries (worked backwards from their deaths) show at Ceres which is not too far away.

To me the odd thing is that none of the births can be found, her name doesn't appear on his death cert, just "widower". No death record for her in Statutory or OPR

I built up the family using the Death certs of the children, all of which are very clear. I did find the marriage date in IGI and eventually deduced the other marriage at Dairsie is also listed but, as I say, without her name. I've since nailed down her parents using estimated date of birth, parish and the childrens names

I have several other families where only the fathers name is shown on the birth record. Quite frustrating. No matter, she's firmly in my tree now .

Just as a matter of interest, Banns are an English thing, or, more accurately, a Church of England procedure.

In Scotland there is no residential requirement, so you can get married where you like, which could explain marriages that take place somewhere with no obvious connection with either bride or groom!

Before 1855, when registration started, you simply went along to the church of choice and arranged things with the minister.

Andy, Banns, or proclamations, were used in the Church of Scotland and in the Catholic church. I have seen many marriage entries, both before and after 1855, where the couple were married "after Banns". True, marriage was treated differently in Scotland but if it was a church marriage, banns had to be called. They didn't cease to be a legal requirement for CoS marriages until 1977:
http://www.lawandreligionuk.com/2012/08/14/calling-the-banns-in-scotland-a-curiosity-for-canon-law-anoraks/

Notice has to be given for Register Office weddings - not sure about the residence requirement but pretty sure there is one - no popping over the border to Gretna and getting married the same day any more.

Odd?
Banns are still called in Scotland
My brother married only a couple of years ago. He told no one that it was happening and thought he had kept it a secret ( the wife is vile. Sorry ,but it's true)

Now here's a thing... we all knew about it in advance., because an eagle eyed rellie just happened to spot the Marriage Banns.... they are posted on the window of the registry office for any passer by to see.
The intended marriage date is also on them.

I had a church wedding in 1985 and my Marriage Banns and date were posted in the same window

Most Scottish OPR's I see refer to the happy couple being "proclaimed and thereafter married". Multiple entries for the proclamations are often the only clue to the actual marriage date.

I have one where my relation was discovered at the third proclamation to be an intending bigamist as he already had a wife in Dundee..the old rogue!

In some parishes you may come across the vernacular version which is "cried".