21 Hope Street Glasgow

[Sue Erskine]

Hi

I have my Grandparents marriage certificate, from 1936, which shows the place of marriage as 21 Hope Street, Glasgow (district Blythswood). Does anyone know what type of property this is/was?

I'm assuming it must have been a type of Registry Office to be able to conduct marriages but of course one shouldn't assume!

Unfortunately the copy of the certificate that I have is a little blurred on the headings but one of the columns reads 'Warrant of Sheriff Substitute of Lanarkshire dated September 19th 1936'

Many thanks

Sue

[AndrewP]

Hi Sue,

My feeling is that many of the marriages declared by warrant of the sheriff substitute were signed at a solicitor's office, and then taken to the sheriff court to be made legal, then the document was taken to the registrar to be entered in the register of marriages. As these were irregular marriages, there was not usually a ceremony as such, it was a declaration that they were living as man and wife. These marriages by declaration were pretty much replaced by a civil marriage conducted by a registrar, from July 1940 as created by the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1939.

The places (solicitors' offices?) where the marriages were declared were normally close to the Sheriff Court, so in Glasgow were mostly in Blythswood registration district; and in Edinburgh they were mostly in St Giles registration district.

All the best,

AndrewP

[WilmaM]

I'm assuming it must have been a type of Registry Office to be able to conduct marriages but of course one shouldn't assume!

You are quite correct in not assuming, in Scotland it isn't the PLACE that the marriage takes place that's registered, but the PERSON conducting the marriage.

In the past most marriages would have taken place at the brides home, with church weddings only becoming commonplace in the middle of last century.

Although this particular one isn't a wedding, as such, it's worth bearing in mind that many addresses on marriage certificates will be that of a relation's home, the Manse, a Hotel or function room rather than a church or registrars Office.

The building at 21 Hope Street is still there, an imposing 5 storey sandstone pile opposite Central Station , there are various businesses at street level [pubs mainly now] but up the close would have been a variety of offices and traders.
Look at Google street view. In the 80's I went to a 'college' up either that close or the next one and there was NO lift.

[Sue Erskine]

Thanks Andrew, Thanks Wilma for taking the time to reply.

I'm up in Glasgow from tomorrow for Hogmanay so I'll make a point of looking for the building, I can't believe how many times I've visited Glasgow and walked up Hope Street without giving it a second thought. I've obviously been concentrating too much on older history rather than within my own lifetime!

The family lived in Airdrie at the time, I wonder whether they would have married within Glasgow for it to be registered at this premises, other relatives were married within Airdrie itself. My Grandparents also lived in Airdrie for a short time after their marriage before moving to Coventry.

I just wish I'd talked to my Grandad more when he was alive - as I'm sure most of us are now wishing!

Thanks again

[ninatoo]

From the 1927 Glasgow directory, it seems this building was a warehouse just 9 years before the wedding. My great grandparents declared their marriage in front of witnesses at a Fish Restaurant, but that is where my great grandfather worked at the time. Maybe your grandfather or grandmother worked at 21 Hope Street at one of the following businesses?:

Alex Cross & sons – manufacturer of sulphuric acid and fertilizer chemicals, seed and grain merchants etc

A. Allen Howie, coal merchant

Robert Howie – grain seed and manure merchant

Fred Gaunt – engineer and agent

WB Gillfinnan – grain merchant

Forth and Clyde Coal company

JH M’Lachlan – shipbrokers

Main & Co – seed merchants

Mowat Bros – flour importers

Nina

[Grendlsmother]

Hi

My grandparents were also married at 21 Hope Street, in 1913, "By Declaration". I think there must have been some kind of solicitors office in the building (there is no mention of a Minister, just witnesses). The header reads "If irregular, date of conviction(!!?*?), then "(not legible) of Declarator, or Sheriff's Warrant. In the column underneath, for my grandparents entry, it reads "Warrant of Sheriff-substitute of Lanarkshire". I had heard that this form of marriage was the "modern" equivalent of the old "hand-fast" ceremony. Incidentally, my grandmother travelled from Dalmellington for the wedding, my grandfather, originally from Ayrshire, travelled from Larkhall, Lanarkshire. So perhaps this type of marriage could not be carried out locally - also,they could probably have a good day out in Glasgow afterwards. Not many people could afford a honeymoon then.

[AndrewP]

I've found a 21 Hope Street, Glasgow marriage by declaration in 1921 in my lot.

All the best,

AndrewP

[ninatoo]

I forgot two persons in my other post, one isnot listed in the Names list of the Glasgow Directory but he was listed at that address J. M'C Gardiner. Thomas Robertson was also there and he was a tailor and clothier.

Strangely the address seems familiar to me too.

[Maisie]

Hi Sue

If you look at the Edinburgh Gazette site and search on "21 Hope Street" you get lots of hits for accountants, legal practices, registered offices of limited companies as well as the offices of merchants themselves. There is also some discussion on a Glasgow message board about marriages at 21 Hope Street which seems to have been quite common. Around that time very few of my rellies got married in church, most went for private houses or restaurants eg Cafe Royal, but always "after banns" at the church rather then by declaration.

So I'd plump for the presence of solicitors as the link.

http://www.edinburgh-gazette.co.uk/

http://discuss.glasgowguide.co.uk/lofiv ... 13846.html

Have a good trip.

Maisie

[Currie]

Is this the spot? http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&hl=en&i ... ,,0,-26.66

What a fantastic looking railway station! Imagine trying to keep all that glass clean in the days of steam and soot. It makes me feel like getting out the train set, or reinstall the train game more like it.

Alan