English Marriage index - how do I know it's the right person?

2rkehij30qtza5

I'm just off the phone with the UK Gro office but they are insisting I send in an application and pay money when I am not even sure the record I found on the index is the right person.

Basically I'm looking at a marriage record from 1981 from the UK. I know my ancestor's birth year but there is no option for me to correspond this with the marriage index record I found so I've no idea if this marriage record is for the right person.

Anyone any ideas How I could ensure I am applying for the marriage record for the correct person?
Thanks

pinkypinky

There's no way to tell from the index: just like most of the time when you order from Ireland. Maybe when you see the cert, it will have something on it to confirm your hunch but you'll just have to take the gamble.

Ponster

Yeah, there's really no way of knowing if it's the right cert but most of the time you know the names of both people getting married (esp if it's in the 20th century I've found) and you're using the cert to move back a generation by finding out the parents of the married couple.

Do you not know both names of the couple? are there a lot of other potential matches?

2rkehij30qtza5

Ponster wrote: »

Yeah, there's really no way of knowing if it's the right cert but most of the time you know the names of both people getting married (esp if it's in the 20th century I've found) and you're using the cert to move back a generation by finding out the parents of the married couple.

Do you not know both names of the couple? are there a lot of other potential matches?

No I only know one name (the man's) and its quite a specific name. He disappeared aged 29. He was originally from the UK but living in Ireland. To me, it appears that he committed bigamy years later at the age of 79! Is that even possible?! His name and middle and third name and surname match perfectly with another marriage years later. What I was trying to see is whether the groom was indeed 79 years old which would make it him for sure! I can't imagine too many people with the same first,second,third and surname so it leads me to think it was him and he must have disappeared to England all those years previously.

Ponster

I know people who wouldn't even bother with the cert and would just presume that it was the same person based on the names and dates

Well worth getting the cert IMO.

2rkehij30qtza5

Ponster wrote: »

I know people who wouldn't even bother the cert and would just presume that it was the same person based on the names and dates

Well worth getting the cert IMO.

Have ordered the cert. The name is a triple-barrelled name + surname and I cannot imagine too many more with the same name!!!!! Dying to see if it is the same man and find out where he disappeared to after all these years and even put some older living relative's minds to rest