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Mothers Names on Marriage Certificates

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

rootgatherer

rootgatherer Report 19 Aug 2014 08:26

I do hope that the motion is successful. Here, in Scotland the mother's name has been included since Statutory registration began in 1855. Not only do you get her maiden surname but if she has remarried it will give the surname that she is known by at the time of the marriage. All very useful especially if you are researching a common surname.

In Scotland a woman doesn't really "lose" her maiden surname as her death will be indexed under all the known surnames that she has used in her lifetime.

Kense

Kense Report 18 Aug 2014 21:18

A message from the campaign, received today, says:

"Today the Prime Minister announced that he has instructed the Home Office to address the inequality on marriage certificates and allow mothers' name to appear alongside fathers."

Kense

Kense Report 18 Jun 2014 21:55

Now almost 65,000 signatures and 83 MPs support ithe EDM.

Kense

Kense Report 9 Jun 2014 15:55

Seems to be going well:

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/National/article1420210.ece?CMP=OTH-gnws-standard-2014_06_07

Inky1

Inky1 Report 7 Jun 2014 13:41

The Early Day Motion has an interesting turn of phrase:-

[believes our law should not perpetuate the offensive and outdated message that marriage is a business transaction between fathers]

So, did every father decide to start these "business transactions" in 1837Q3, which just happened to coincide with the start of the Civil Registrations?
Prior to that, the Marriage Record (resulting from I believe Hardwicke's Marriage Act of 1754) did not contain data about the fathers?

DazedConfused

DazedConfused Report 7 Jun 2014 12:49

A petition is all well and good, for new Marriage certificates.

But for historical Marriage records, the cost would be prohibitive. And as such would probably have to be passed on to us the public.

The GRO (and the Land Registry, which the Government are currently looking at selling off!!!) are self funding. So any costs would not be able to be absorbed.

Kense

Kense Report 6 Jun 2014 16:07

Caroline Lucas has tabled an Early Day Motion about it.

http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2014-15/27

Inky1

Inky1 Report 6 Jun 2014 14:39

Does it mean mother's name at the date of the marriage (majority are married) or mother's maiden name? I presume the latter, but the wording is unclear?

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 6 Jun 2014 09:59

It would certainly be helpful in view of the vast number of illegitimate children being born these days

Kense

Kense Report 5 Jun 2014 15:11

I don't remember seeing anything on here about this, apologies if it has been.

There is a petition about getting mother's names put on marriage certificates.

The petition is nearly 38,000 strong. It is more about equality than family history.

Here is the link for anyone interested

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/mothers-names-should-be-on-marriage-certificates