Genealogy Forum UK

Inspired by Mallosa's suggestion that I add a comment to one my wedding photos displayed in the gallery I wondered if it is possible to search the marriage lists for the witnesses? In the case of the particular wedding in that photo it is possible that my father, Anthony Brian Hingley, was a witness, him being the Bestman. That would then pin the place, the Happy Couple and maybe even the Bridesmaid (as the other witness maybe?).

From the looks of my father I suspect the wedding was in the early 1950s but might have been anytime between 1945 and 1960.

I do know that it wasn't my Father's wedding (or at least if it was it's been kept very quiet. )

Anthony B Hingley.
Spouse Surname: Haines.
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1953.
Registration district: Cuckfield.
Registration county (inferred): Sussex.
Volume Number: 5h.
Page Number: 309.

Some of the local societies are beginning to put indexes on that allow searches for witnesses too but in general it will be case of trawling through registry books.

The chances are (unless it was a war time associate) that being best man your father was his best friend too and so possible local to where your father lived -- that will give a limited number of books to go through to start with - start with the place your father got married and work out outwards from there!

Thanks Jimmy, that's my parents wedding, one of the pictures in the gallery is of them at the door to Clayton church.

Mathsgirl: Thanks, not likely to be a wartime friend; my father went off to do his National Service, each week he wrote home to his parents. Amongst other stuff, in his first letter he tells of the bloke in the next bunk, a decent enough chap who has a bit of a cold. The next week the chap is quite poorly, the next week he's been carted off to the sick bay with pneumonia and my father is complaining of a bit of a cold, the letters stop there as the following week my father was invalided out with pneumonia himself, hardly a distinguished service record and certainly not long enough to gain strong enough friendships to become Bestman.

I don't know for certain that the groom in the picture was a Black Country man at all, he might have been a friend from college (in Bognor Regis I think, that's where my Mother was at college and I think they met there), I just have a vague recollection of my mother saying that my father's Bestman came from the Black Country, come to think of it that record of Jimmy's might have his name as a witness at my parents wedding which might be worth following up. If he was a old friend from the Black Country he may have gone to Quarry Bank Grammar school in Brierley Hill (I think) as that's where my Father went, it's now a sixth form college (again, I think).

going to move this to Brickwalls

Is this still a Brickwall, or have you solved it?

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