G2G: who would be the witnesses on Church of Ireland Marriage Certificates in early 1900s?

Question

I am hoping someone may know about Church of Ireland Marriage Certificates in the early 1900s in Belfast.

I have a certificate that lists the bride, groom and their father's names and surnames (and professions). What I am wondering is who would typically have been witnesses to a marriage? Would they have been friends, siblings, grandparents or something else?

I have SUSAN MOORE as the bride, her father listed as ANDREW MOORE, a boxmaker. But there is a WJ Moore as a witness and I am trying to trace if this person is likely to be the father of Andrew, or a sibling or uncle?

This marriage occurred in the Church of Ireland, St Anns Parish of Belfast in 1912

Answer 1

I’ve found various people listed as the witnesses including siblings and friends and even the ministers wife at times.

I am just about to head to work but these records may be a possible match:

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1912/09902/5598343.pdf Obviously the marriage registration and she is 21

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Antrim/Falls__Belfast_/Hutchinson_St/181057/ Census records of her with Mum and step father

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1888/02508/1929988.pdf looks a reasonable match for her birth giving both parents

And at that point I’ve run out of time to find WJ definitely.

I hope some of that may be correct…. Off to work now for me!

Comments

I can't thank you enough for those records. In the last one you have also given me a critical piece of information with the maiden name GRANT which leads me on. Thank you! I'm so grateful!

You have also helped me with knowing where online to look for other records.