Why didn't they marry locally?

[duckweed]

Just come back from the archives looking for marriage details of family ancestors and found although they were baptised at the church and buried there, none of them married there. It's the Parish Church and registered for marriages. Of all the marriages of my ancestors only one was not Church of England. Some married in Rotherham town and the rest in Sheffield. So any ideas why they might not choose to marry there. Did some churches charge bigger fees than others?

 

[leefer]

Hi..it is abit strange that..my guess is that they had big familys and literally the church wasnt big enough to hold all the guests..all YOUR churches will probably have websites Duckweed so always worth a visit...also if you drop the vicar of said church an email asking him why he will probably give you a definate answer...hoping your research was a good experience..Lee.

 

[pejay]

Worth a thought - people often moved to find work . You mention Rotheram, I suppose it could also depend what side of sheffield they came from.

 

[duckweed]

They didn't live in Sheffield though some relatives did. They lived about equal distances to Rotherham and Sheffield. The local church is quite big. It had a Railway station nearby for relatives from Sheffield and Leeds to come. Usually both Groom and Bride were born in the same village and still living there so it wasn't a case of marrying at the Brides home. It's a puzzle to me. If they didn't like the church or the Vicar they surely wouldn't have their children baptised by him.

 

[benny1982]

Hi duckweed

The church may have been a popular church to marry at as well, or it offered discounts. Often people married at a church away from their home parish if one of the spouses was baptised there or their parents married there. Many of my London ancestors married in churches away from where they usually lived.

Ben