Can someone familiar with records from England help me read this marriage certificate?

Question

I purchased a copy of a marriage certificate for my grandparents. The marriage took place in Kettering Northamptonshire. I can not make out everything written on it. Here is what I can't make out: the note to the far left, the name of the church, the "Condition" for Eldivia, the residence for both, the rank or profession of both fathers, the witnesses.

Here is the direct link: https://www.wikitree.com/photo/pdf/Smith-109413

Thank you,

Brian

Comments

Can't open the link because it is privacy protected.

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Sorry about that. I just changed it to "Public". Can you please have a look?

Thanks,
Brian

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It looks like the church could possibly be Parish Church and I think that Eldiva's father's profession is Farmer.

Answer 1

I think Eldivia's condition is "spinster" which was sometimes used to refer to any woman who had never been married (even young ones).

The rank or profession of the fathers is Civil Servant and Farmer

Comments

Thank you. Can you make out the small note on the left side?

Answer 2

Church Corby parish church,  he was a bachelor, she a spinster, his father was a civil servant, hers a farmer. He was living at ? Benefield,   she at 1 Ivy Grove

(couldn't get the Benefield until I looked at where the USAF base was, see bottom right of the map on the Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Deenethorpe

The note on the left  says I think,  the consent of the Officer commanding the station, having been obtained

Witnesses, Percy Charles Smith and (again I think) Alice Meadows

 

Comments

I think her address is 1 The Grove, not 1 Ivy Grove. The Grove is the name of a street in Corby.

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Thank you very much!

Brian

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yes sorry, I  agree, it is The Grove not Ivy

Answer 3

The note on the left seems to be:

"The consent of the officer commanding the station(?) having been obtained"

Comments

In the British armed forces in the 19th century, officers and men were not allowed to marry without the consent of their commanding officer.  I haven't been able to find out exactly when this requirement was formally dropped - although many people still do ask permission either out of courtesy or as a tradition.  This may also have been the case with the US Army (the groom's occupation is "Corporal in the United States Army Air Corps), or it may be that the US Army was already thinking about the requirement to ship "foreign" wives back home at the end of the war. (For background about wives in the British army in the C19 see http://www.thesocialhistorian.com/women-and-the-victorian-regiment/ )

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Checked that one as regards to officers.(UK) We got married in 1973 and didn't have to ask .My  husband says it changed with the introduction of the military salary in 1970. Before that the single officers would have lived in the mess, got their board and lodging paid before they were paid. After that they had to pay their mess bill, their batman's tip and the rest of the money was disposable. Married officers who had to be over 25 got a marriage allowance and entitlement to a quarter

Even though there was nothing to stop us in 1973, it wasn't easy . Wives hadn't traditionally worked, and expenses that were fine for a single officer were high for two.I taught which was just about acceptable, some jobs weren't acceptable 

.I found this from 1964, it's an army document which confirms that permission had to be sought from the CO before getting married   http://www.1rtr.net/customs.htm

 

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Know the feeling!  We got married in 1995 and didn't have to ask either but husband did out of courtesy & tradition

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Thank you for the explanation Sheena.

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Thank you Helen. Note: the link should be http://www.1rtr.net/customs.html

 

Answer 4

Yes it does look like the 'station' at the LHS. Explanation: 'Established Church'  refers to the Church of England in England. Equates to 'Anglican' overseas.

Kate Sanford