From: charlesellson@btinternet.com   
      
   On Sat, 27 Sep 2025 15:26:39 +0100, Peter Johnson   
    wrote:   
      
   >On Sat, 27 Sep 2025 06:37:45 +0200, Steve Hayes   
   > wrote:   
   >   
   >>On Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:10:12 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"   
   >> wrote:   
   >>   
   >>>On 2025/9/25 12:47:25, Jenny M Benson wrote:   
   >>>> On 25/09/2025 11:30, J. P. Gilliver wrote:   
   >>>>> The preprinted forms for marriage bonds and allegations have this text:   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> .. made oath as follows (to wit) That he is of the age of [	] Years and   
   >>>>> upwards, and a [	] and intends to marry [	] of the Parish of [	] in the   
   >>>>> County of [	] and Diocese of [		] aged [	] Years and upwards ...   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> (or variations thereon). [The second box might be filled in with e. g.   
   >>>>> Bachelor, Widower; the long one with name of diocese Spinster. They   
   >>>>> aren't really boxes, just gaps.]   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Can anyone explain the "Years and upwards" wording?   
   >>>>   
   >>>> Isn't is just another way of saying "at least n years old"?   
   >>>>   
   >>>Yes, but why say "at least 23" (for example)? If the person is unsure of   
   >>>his (or her) age, and just wants to swear he (or she) is over the age of   
   >>>majority, say 21 (and I've seen enough who do say that when it isn't   
   >>>true!), but if he knows, why the "and upwards"?   
   >>   
   >>The "and upwards" is for those who are unsure. If it weren't printed   
   >>there, and there was simply a blank to be filled in with the actual   
   >>age, "don't know" or "unknown" or "not sure" would not satisfy the   
   >>legal requirements. If the actual age is known, then it adds nothing.   
   >   
   >Yes. A lot of people would never have seen their birth certificate, or   
   >birth register entry, and would have been dependent on what they were   
   >told by parents or guardians. And they might not have always been   
   >right.   
   >   
   There was more emphasis on the baptism date with some never knowing   
   their actual birthday. Before 1837 there were no birth registrations   
   required in England and Wales with birth dates tending only to be   
   recorded in non-conformist registers.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)