Home Office 'considering' adding mums names to English/Welsh marriage certs

The campaign to have mother's names added to English and Welsh marriage certificates - something that has been the case in Scotland since 1855 - has so far attracted 67,000 signatures. The campaign has now prompted a response from the Home Office, thanks to a written question by Caroline Lucas MP.

The response is as follows: "We are currently considering how the information contained in the marriage entry can be updated to include this, and to reflect changes since the coming into force of the Regulation of Marriages Regulations 1986, as well as the most suitable opportunity for doing so."

So, not a lot of progress as yet - but at least an acknowledgement so far from Westminster of the necessity to have it included. The full petition update is available at https://www.change.org/p/mothers-names-should-be-on-marriage-certificates/u/53b14b283519f622270070b8, where you can also add your name if you have yet to do so.

(With thanks to Ailsa Burkimsher Sadler via email)

Chris

Now available for UK research is the new second edition of the best selling Tracing Your Family History on the Internet: A Guide for Family Historians, whilst my new book British and Irish Newspapers is also now out. And FindmyPast - please reinstate the original Scottish census citations on your new site.