Bride's name on signature in marriage entries

[kiterunner]

I'm currently transcribing Worksop Priory marriages from the 1760's for FreeREG, and I've found that from 1764 onwards, a lot of the marriage entries have the bride's name in her signature or next to her "mark" in the form Mary Smith late Brown. Then in 1766 they switch to Mary Brown now Smith. In a lot of cases where the bride has signed her name, the "now Smith" bit is written in different handwriting from hers, so it was obviously added by the vicar, curate or clerk. I can't see what the point would be of adding this to someone's signature. Has anyone else come across something similar?

[ElizabethHerts]

I would imagine it is just a quirk of the vicar or the like, Kate. I've certainly never seen anything similar.

Perhaps after the new marriage registers were introduced he decided to be punctilious in recording the details.

[kiterunner]

Thanks, Elizabeth. He took over as vicar in 1758, when they already had the new type of register, but this type of signature only starts in 1764.

[ElizabethHerts]

How odd. Did he continue in that vein throughout his tenure, Kate?

By the way, how far do your Worksop registers go up to?
I know you are doing marriages, but OH's father was born in Worksop in 1913 and I don't have a baptism for him. I suspect he was baptised as a non-conformist, though, as the parents married in a Wesleyan chapel in Sheffield.

[Olde Crone]

I wonder if it was just a nitpicking attempt to clarify her surname and maiden name?

I suppose it is just possible that if Mary Smith signed as Mary Brown, someone later might think it was a Brown marrying a Brown, rather than a Brown marrying a Smith!

Incidentally, is the handwriting contemporary with the period? I have occasionally seen marginal entries in PRs which have obviously been entered by a modern hand (in biro in one case!).

OC

[Glen TK]

A real long shot but perhaps an enquiry, visit or arrival of a family member of Dr Robert Thoroton had a bearing on things. Dr T had a bearing on the recording and archiving of much of Notts history. There is even (allegedly) a family pedigree for one of my lines as a result of a death in Lincolnshire compiled for the very early days of the Thoroton society but enquiries so far have yet to discover it.

[kiterunner]

I wonder if it was just a nitpicking attempt to clarify her surname and maiden name?

I suppose it is just possible that if Mary Smith signed as Mary Brown, someone later might think it was a Brown marrying a Brown, rather than a Brown marrying a Smith!

Incidentally, is the handwriting contemporary with the period? I have occasionally seen marginal entries in PRs which have obviously been entered by a modern hand (in biro in one case!).

OC

Yes, the handwriting looks to be contemporary with the entries. On the ones where the bride "made her mark" the name is often all written in the same handwriting. I should maybe clarify that if it says Mary Smith now Brown, Smith is her surname before marrying and Brown the name of the man she is marrying at the time, there is no question of them helpfully giving us her maiden name if she is a widow. It looks to me as though the vicar, or whoever was responsible for it, wanted the women to sign the register in their new married name on the basis that by the time they signed it, they should have changed their surname, and when he was told they had to sign it with their previous surname, he insisted on adding in their new surname so it would fit with how he wanted it to look. But I could be wrong!

[kiterunner]

By the way, how far do your Worksop registers go up to?
I know you are doing marriages, but OH's father was born in Worksop in 1913 and I don't have a baptism for him. I suspect he was baptised as a non-conformist, though, as the parents married in a Wesleyan chapel in Sheffield.

The Notts Archives catalogue says the microfiches hold Worksop St Anne baptisms up to 1956, St John up to 1953 and St Mary (Priory) up to 1939. Also they have christenings from some of the Methodist churches but not all of them for the period you would be after.

[ElizabethHerts]

Thanks for the information, Kate. It's something I shall have to look into.

[Sussex Maid]

I have a page from the marriage register of Great Dunmow Essex (Jun 1766-Feb 1767) where the brides have signed, or made their marks, in the 'Mary Smith late Brown' format.

[JayG]

I don't think i've seen this thread before.

I've seen lots of registers for Durham parishes like this Kate, from 1760's right through to 1830's. I think I might have a few post 1837 marriage certs like this too, will have to have a dig about.