Sherry Irvine

From book: Records chosen for discussion here date back to the mid-eighteenth century and can be consulted from North America without great difficulty. The arbritary time span has been selected for several reasons. By the middle of the eighteenth century, Latin had pretty well disappeared from English documents, and handwriting was more legible. Also at this time, England adopted the Gregorian calandar, so the year began on 1 January (rather than Lady Day, 25 March) and there was no longer a ten-or-eleven day discrepancy with continental countries (see chapter 1). The other significant factor in the choice was the passage of Lord Hardwicke's Act. It became law on 25 March 1754, and from that date until civil registration began it was virtually impossible for a marriage to go unrecorded. Deawn up to put a stop to clandestine marriages, Lord Hardwicke's Act standardized the recording of marriages, laid down strict regulations regarding marriage by license, and stipulated that only three forms of marriage be legally recognized: Anglican, Jewish, and Quaker (see appendix C).… (more)

From book: Scottish genealogical research has some unique characteristics. Until the Act of Union in 1707, Scotland had its own parliament and its own legal system. The latter remains distinctly different to this day, and, over the centuries, has produced many records which have no couterpart in England or Wales. It is particularly important that researchers of Scottish family history give some time and attention to identifying and understanding these differences. Equally important is some knowledge of Scottish history, taking note of patterns of migration to North America.… (more)