What information would be found on a marraige certificate in the late 1800`s-ear

Question:if a woman was divorced/widowed would it say so on the certificate and would it contain her maiden name also?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: if a woman was divorced/widowed would it say so on the certificate and would it contain her maiden name also?

A marriage certificate is only as reliable as the bride and groom were at the time when registering the happy event. If either party was widowed or divorced and volunteered this information to the vicar or registrar at the time then it would have been recorded, ditto the brides original maiden name if she volunteered it. In a small parish or village the vicar would probably have known the details of his parishioners in any case, but lies can still creep in all over the place, whether intentional or not - nothing had to be proved like today, and if a couple said they were over 21 and they were both free to marry then the vicar usually took their word for it. By the late 1800s couples ages were usually recorded properly, though you might still find the rather vague and unhelpful "of full age" (ie. over 21). Addresses were usually fairly complete and might name a road as well as a town or village. Early certificates were often vague on this point. Occupations for women were still rarely mentioned on certificates at the turn of the 1900s, but again this depends on the diligence of the vicar and whether the bride volunteered this information. Divorce was not impossible in the late 1800s, early 1900s, but still uncommon. The usual wording I believe is "Previous Marriage Dissolved" - once again assuming the couple mentioned this at the time. The same goes for their fathers name and occupation and whether they were alive or not - some vicars noted this last point, some didn't. Like anything else in genealogy, it's pretty much a lottery.

The General Register Office provides a guide to information recorded on marriage certificates.
One of the categories recorded is "Condition" - which refers to marital status at the time of marriage, e.g. bachelor/spinster, widow/widower or previous marriage dissolved.
Maiden name is not specifically recorded; however, "Father’s name and surname" is recorded (although this information is not always given).
Of course, the bride's maiden name is not necessarily always going to be the father's name.
Futher information is on the General Register Office website - see link below.

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It's not impossible but it's unlikely that a woman would get divorced then -people were more likely to put up with their spouse or just shoot through or agree to live apart. Not easy to get divorced like it is now.
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Some info on divorce records.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catal...

widowed yes divorced no and it would also contain her maiden name