Legally Married Or Not!

[Caran]

It has been suggested by my brother that our parents were not legally married. This was during the war, my mother made all the arrangements but she added a letter "s" to his surname on all the documents. They always used the name with the additional letter. When dad died many years later we realised by his birth certificate the difference in his name. Does this make any difference to their marital status?

[DaisyNonna]

What else was there to do Caran? Two children, four grandchildren. We can all laugh.

[Peter Pedant]

looks as tho it happens a lot

https://www.gov.uk/correct-marriage-registration

If your parents turned up at a church or wherever and the priest went thro all the lardy-daah, and the registrar was there to record it all ( albeit wrongly ) ( adjust facts as needed, protestant, vicar, confetti etc )
then I think they have been legally married
whether or not the certificate mentions Miss pIggy and Kermit the Frog.


My father had a birth doc of some sort with name reversal - John Joe Smith instead of Joe John Smith, which had the British civil servants scribbing convulsively but it was all solved with an affidavit

[Caran]

Possibly with both parents now deceased many years ago there is no need to do anything about it. It was just a shock as brother announced this at a Christmas meet up with family members.

[Buenchico]

In the UK (unlike in many other countries) you're free to call yourself what you like (unless you're seeking to commit fraud by using a false name). You can use any name, at any time, and legally sign documents (and enter into contracts) using whatever name you choose.

So Fred Smith can sign a cheque using that name in the morning, get married under the name of Esmerelda Higginbottom in the afternoon and enter into a business contract using the name President Wigiwoggy Bananabum in the evening. It's all completely legal and all three names are just as valid.

So your parents' wedding certificate is legally valid.

[gness]

That may be so, Chris......but I do really feel for any children Fred may have........ :-(