Marriage Horizons in Fletton 1891-1911: the Hidden Narrative behind the Parish Marriage Registers

Abstract

Traditionally the information contained within the parish marriage register has been used to consider the separation distance of bride and groom when they marry. However, this method of approaching the parish marriage register can be misleading and conceals a hidden narrative. By creating longitudinal narratives, the marriage can be viewed not as an isolated event, but as an event set within the bride and groom's broader life history. This method is time consuming if carried out on a large scale, so the ideal vehicle for this close analysis is the local study, and the parish this paper uses as a case study is Fletton, Huntingdonshire. Fletton is an ideal parish to choose for an analysis of marriage as it was an area of population growth and migration, and so attracted young unmarried migrants, both male and female. In addition, despite its growth, for the period 1891 to 1911 Fletton still had a comparatively small population so full record linkage can take place. In carrying out this approach this paper makes it clear that a quite different narrative of marriage horizons, separation distances and belonging can be told from that which would emerge from a consideration of separation distances in isolation.