Sorry, Sue. I hadn't read your message properly. Your theory that Margaret (if she was indeed our Manx girl) pronounced her name to the clerk, who thought he heard Cohen, sounds good to me. I wonder how the name Cowen was pronounced back then ?

Carol, if you were to buy this marriage certificate, you'd see if it's the right William Birch (if you already know his father's name and occupation) and you'd see if Margaret could sign her name or not. If she couldn't write her name, she may not have been able to spell it confidently, or recognise it when she saw it written incorrectly

Jean C.