gmj1892 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 04, 2022 9:23 am
jgclancy wrote: ↑Mon Jan 03, 2022 5:12 pm
gmj1892 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 02, 2022 10:40 pm
Hi everyone,
I'm applying for FBR through an Irish grandparent. I can either apply through my grandmother or grandfather, but I don't have a copy of their marriage certificate.
Is this needed if there's not been a name change? I'm wondering if applying through my grandfather (no name change) without the marriage certificate would be a problem.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, Greg
You could make out an affidavit explaining this problem. Make sure to notarize it (or better -get it done by a lawyer if possible.)
Do you know any details on when & where they were married?
jgclancy
Thanks for your reply. We know some of the details (location, year) but not the actual date. One of our relatives says she might have a divorce certificate - would that be an acceptable alternative?
I assume you're UK-based, and if the marriage took place in Ireland or the UK then it's really easy to order a replacement marriage certificate from the relevant General Register Office, which would make your FBR application complete. It's up to you whether to send the application now without it but, if you do, you should state why in a covering letter and what you are doing to obtain the missing certificate, which you would send as soon as possible.
For the UK, check out
https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-dea ... ertificate and for Ireland,
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/124a70-ap ... tificates/. If the marriage in question took place in England & Wales before 1983, you should find the index number straight away on
https://www.freebmd.org.uk/ so you can order a certificate from E&W GRO for the lowest price of £11.
You don't have to have the index number or even exact details but it's better if you can narrow it down, especially if the names are common. In this case, the divorce papers would help your research because they will provide the exact date and location of the marriage (Courts would normally see the marriage certificate anyway). Unfortunately, based on what I've seen of an England & Wales Decree Absolute for divorce (for a family member), it only states the former spouses' current names, when and where the marriage was solemnised, and declares that said marriage is dissolved. It doesn't even state the dates of birth. It therefore doesn't provide all the information that you'd find on the relevant marriage certificate.
The FBR office's processes are a mystery to us all but I think they require marriage certificates in support of the authentic link between the Irish citizen born in Ireland (i.e. at least one grandparent), your own parents and yourself. Whether your surname is the same as your grandparent's name or not, the combination of marriage and birth certificates explains why each person name is as it is, changed or not, and links you all together in the right order (e.g. a UK long-form birth certificate always states the mother's maiden name as well as her married name if applicable). Even if there had never been a marriage, the names on each birth certificate would still be consistent and, in the past, the father's name would only be recorded if married.
If none of this works out then your last resort probably would then be, as jgclancy suggests, a sworn affidavit stating that you have exhausted all other options and supplied what you can. An example of this might be for a very old or unusual marriage, perhaps because it took place at sea or in state that doesn't exist anymore or won't provide replacement certificates.
You'll have to pay a fee for this (any solicitor for £7) anyway so you might as well get the marriage certificate.