Meaning on Marriage Certificate

marva · Post by **marva** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:14 pm

I have a marriage certificate for 1920, and under column "If a regular Marriage, signatures of officiating Minister and Witnesses. If irregular, Date of Degree of Declarator of of Sheriff's Warrant, it states:

Warrant of Sheriff Substitute of Aberdeen Kincardine and Banff at Stonehaven dated 16th August 1920.

What does this mean? Was this a "Shot Gun" wedding?

They already had one child at time of marriage and had 5 more after wedding.

Marva

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 10:33 pm

Hi Marva
This means that they did not marry in Church (a regular marriage), but were married legally (an irregular marriage). It is kind of similar to marrying at the Registrars office, in the days before it was possible to be married at the Registrars!

The Marriage (Scotland) Act 1939 introduced civil marriage by authorised registrars and abolished “irregular marriage”.
http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statisti ... ation.html

Best wishes
Lesley

marva · Post by **marva** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:59 am

Thanks Lesley,

That is a lot of good information and reading on that site. Thanks for your help.