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  1. #1
    suehawkins
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    Question Meaning of words in 1730's marriage

    Hello
    In the Bowden Kirk register of marriages there are a few terms that are confusing.
    The entry dates are for proclamations but also include marriage dates plus the names of the Caurs.
    I have looked up what a Caur/e is in the old Scottish Dictionary on-line, and one of the definitions is - known to.
    Is a Caur, the same as a witness?
    Here is an example of an entry from 1730:
    Novemr 1st Robert Fowler in this Parish and Margaret Elliot in the Parish of Galashiels entered Proclamation and were married in Bowden Kirk Decmr 18th. John Fowler and Archbald Elliot Caurs.
    Here is an entry from 1726, 4 years earlier:
    June 19th The sd day Robert Watsone in this paroch and Issobell Rodger in the paroch of Longnowtoun entered proclamation surety for the woman Geo. Rodger her father tennant in Sandistons for the man Geo Sibbald tennant in Fraughill.
    It is from the earlier entries such as this last one that, when I got to the newer ones, I assumed the shorter version was just for the sake of brevity and that the "surety for the woman" and "for the man" language was replaced by the word caur (known to).
    The entry dates are the dates of the proclamations instead of the marriages, which also leads me to believe the Caurs are related to the proclamations and not the marriages. Some of the marriages are stated as being held in other parishes and Caurs are still listed in the register entry for Bowden.
    So are these proclamations or are they marriages?
    Can anyone help please
    Sue

  2. #2
    Kiltpin
    Guest

    Default

    Don't know if this helps, or muddies the waters -

    https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/caur#Scots

    Regards

    Kiltpin

  3. #3
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    I thought "Caur" was an abbreviation for Cautioner - a Scottish term for someone who stands surety.

    See https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/co...index.aspx?406

    Arthur

  4. #4

    Default

    Indeed, it is Cautioner.
    Scotlands People has an extensive Help section including unusual works and handwriting HERE

    It's free to use, so you don't have to be logged in, or even have an account with them.

    Proclamations were roughly the equivalent of the english banns, but were binding.....

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