Marriage registers
Until 1753 the register will normally shows the date of marriage and the names of both parties.
Between 1754 and 1 July 1837 the register shows:
- Date and place of marriage
- Names of the bride and groom and their marital status
- Whether or not they are of the parish (this quite often appears as OTP)
- Whether the marriage is by banns, licence or with consent of parents (if either party is a minor)
- The signature/mark of the bride and groom and witnesses (usually two).
During this period, marriages other than for Jews and Quakers had to take place in a parish church performed by an Anglican vicar.
From 1837 marriages could also take place at register offices and non-conformist churches, although at the latter a registrar of marriages had to conduct the civil part of the ceremony until the late 1890s (at least 1898).
To obtain a certificate of a Register Office marriage you will need to contact the local Register Office. You can order certificates for marriages which took place in Birmingham on our Register Office webpages
