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[http://www.archive.org/stream/churchinmadrasbe03penn#page/60/mode/2up ''The Church in Madras, Chapter 4 , Bishop Spencer and his Episcopate 1838-1847''], page 61 by Rev Frank Penny sets out the back ground background to the establishment in 1842 of civil registrars in every District with the power to conduct civil marriages. One section of the new Act validated all marriages hitherto performed by laymen if not otherwise invalid. This was followed in 1851 by another Act. It is not known whether this applied only in MadridMadras, or in the other Presidencies.
'''Registrar marriages''' took place in [[British India]] and as far away as the [[Straits Settlements]] and [[Peking]] from 1852. A common misconception regarding these marriages is that they equate to today's 'registry office marriages' and were a secular ceremony. The vast majority of Registrar marriages took place according to non-conformist Christian rites and were often in places of Christian worship.
They were introduced so that many who did not recognise the standing of the Church of England in India could be married elsewhere within a certificated marriage. In other cases doubts had been expressed that many marriages carried out by dissenting ministers, judges, magistrates and military officers might not be valid for both legitimacy and inheritance issues back home in England.
Note however that the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872 [Act No.15 of 1872 dated 18th July, 1872] provided for "Marriages Solemnized By,…, A Marriage Registrar", in addition to "Marriages Solemnized...In the Presence Of, A Marriage Registrar"
==Records==
Marriages conducted by Registrar commenced in 1852 and are included in the India Office ‘N’ series under reference IOR/N/11- 'Returns of Registrar Marriages in Bengal, Madras, Bombay and Burma' '''IOR/N/11'''. The LDS have not filmed Copies of these records so they can only be viewed at registers are held in the [[British Library]].
Digitised copies of the records are also available in the British India collection on the commercial website [http://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=2114&awinaffid=201071&clickref=&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.findmypast.co.uk%2Farticles%2Fworld-records%2Fsearch-all-uk-records%2Fspecial-collections%2Fbritish-india-office-collection FindMyPast]. Note FamilySearch has '''not''' filmed these records, so they are not included in the FamilySearch database of Indexed records, nor available as digitised microfilms. It will be noted that after 1910 when all parties to marriage were shown in the usual 'N' indexes in Alphabetical order, the maintenance of the Registrars' Marriages Index was deemed unnecessary and all marriages thereafter appeared within the usual indexes.
===FIBIS resources===
*[http://wwwfibis.search.fibisourarchives.org/frontisonline/bin/aps_browse_sources.php?mode=list_sources&source_class=102 Registry Register Office Marriage Index 1852-1911] - a complete transcription of the indexes to the registrar marriage records is on the FIBIS Search database.As mentioned previously, full records are available to view on the commercial site FindMyPast, or at the [[British Library]].
*"Registry Marriages in India" by Lawrie Butler, ''[[FIBIS Journal]]'' Number 13 (Spring 2005)
==External links==
*This India List [httphttps://archiverweb.rootswebarchive.ancestry.comorg/web/20180827174013/http:/th/readncw.nic.in/INDIAacts/2001TheIndianChristianMarriageAct1872-0215of1872.pdf The Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872 [Act No.15 of 1872 dated 18th July, 1872<nowiki>]</0982064249 threadnowiki>] contains comments on various aspects. Part V: Marriages Solemnized By, including Or In the Presence Of, A Marriage Registrar. ncw.nic.in, archived page.*[http://archiverwww.rootswebwomenstudies.ancestry.comin/thelib/readlegal_resources/INDIAlr_the_birth.pdf Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886 [Act No. 6 of 1886 dated 8th March, 1886<nowiki>]</2001-02/0982188608 post nonowiki>] womenstudies. 3] which refers to "private licensed marriage registrars" c 1920in
[[Category:Records]]
