Duplicate Marriage?

[pricema1968]

My gt. grandparents were married in 1889 and I have a marriage certificate showing them as marrying in Strensham in Worcestershire on the 21st January and I have since validated his occupation and their fathers' names.

Recently a copy of another wedding certificate in the same year for what appears to be the same people has come to light: same names (including his middle name), same occupation, same fathers' names and professions, even her age is the same, only this certificate records them as being married on the 4th March 1889 in Forton in Southampton.

My gt. grandfather was stationed at home in the army on both of these dates so either could be the right certificate and wedding and it might be plausible for them to have married in Southampton if he was sailing for India from there.

I have come across duplicate certificates in the past where there are differences, sometimes significant, that cannot be validated but the amount of data that can be cross-matched seems too uncanny although if this is the case could they have married twice, and why I wonder.

[emeltee]

Hi,

If he was in the Army it is possible that he would need permission from his commanding officer in order to marry. Perhaps they married the first time without permission from the Army and then married again when the permission came through, hence the exact duplication of info.

Emeltee

[almach]

Hi,

If he was in the Army it is possible that he would need permission from his commanding officer in order to marry. Perhaps they married the first time without permission from the Army and then married again when the permission came through, hence the exact duplication of info.

Emeltee

I agree with Emeltee that that's the most probable reason. However, a remote possibility is the first marriage was in a registry office and the second in church.

[fullscott]

Hi,

If he was in the Army it is possible that he would need permission from his commanding officer in order to marry. Perhaps they married the first time without permission from the Army and then married again when the permission came through, hence the exact duplication of info.

Emeltee

I agree with Emeltee. I have a similar occurrence for a Royal Marine in my husband's tree (his great-grandfather). We presume that it was either to "officialise" the marriage with the authorities, so that the wife was eligible for her allowance ... or to "officialise" it with his mother - she wasn't present at the first wedding!

Jane
("officialise" - is this a real word? Hope you understand what I mean!)