after the marriage
service, what exactly did the couple write their signatures or x-marks on ?
Was it a certificate that they then took away with them ? Was it in a book
that was kept by the vicar ? Was the parish register filled in by the vicar
there and then, all in the vicar's handwriting ? Or did the vicar fill it
in later and rely on his memory as to whether each individual person (
witness, bride, groom ) had been able to produce a signature ? Was there
scope for the vicar getting it wrong and forgetting to put in a cross where
appropriate ?