two different surnames on marriage certificate

[Elaine590]

Harriet Cresswell married Simeon Bestwood at the Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton 1845.

However, the part of the certificate which says 'this marriage was solemnized between us' with their mark, the name given is Harriet Cartwright - is this just a simple error?

Look forward to hearing your comments

elaine

[Peter Goodey]

As one might expect, the marriage appears to be indexed under both Cartwright and Cresswell. Presumably the upper section of the certificates gives her name as Cresswell?

What is shown on the childrens' birth certificates?

If she wasn't previously married it might be a case of a change of name eg because her mother had remarried. People did funny things when they had to deal with officialdom.

Or it might just be a clerical error. It might be interesting to see what the original parish register says.

[Elaine590]

I have had someone check the original parish register and she's down as Harriet Cresswell

what is also intriguing is that she doesn't appear on the 1841 census

regards

elaine

[Peter Goodey]

"she's down as Harriet Cresswell"

Do you mean her signature was shown as "the mark of Harriet Cresswell"?

In that case it would seem to be just a transcription error.

[Elaine590]

In the parish registers they have written Harriet Cresswell but on the certificate issued by the GRO her mark is Harriet Cartwright [but the entry on the certificate for who is marrying whom, her name is written Harriet Cresswell, hence the two different surnames on the certificate].