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Marriage Condition

Posted: 25 Aug 2020 12:45
by Stewpot1944
My great-great grandmother was widowed around 1880 and subsequently re-married. If I have the correct marriage certificate, her Condition is recorded as Spinster and not Widow. Did people record their Conditions incorrectly for some reason back in the day?
Thank you

Re: Marriage Condition

Posted: 25 Aug 2020 13:35
by Bertieone
If you have proof of her husband's death, bigamy can be ruled out. I've come across this before were it appears they can't bring themselves to declare themselves widows when they aren't.

It could just be a genuine mistake made by the marriage recorder.

Any other marriages around the same time, same name couple?

Re: Marriage Condition

Posted: 25 Aug 2020 14:18
by MaryA
Yes I would agree, they weren't very strict with the truth, grandmother said Widow when she was still married for the next 50 years :)

So could be an honest mistake by the registrar or could just be what came out of the bride's mouth at the time - OR she mightn't have wanted her new husband to know she had been married previously.