Marriage Certificate from 1859

The year one thousand eight hundred and ……………….. 

The ……. of month of ……………… at the hour of………………

before us ……………………………….(Name of Mayor),

 and officials of the Civil State of ………………..(Name of town), district

of…………………… Province of …………………..

They declared in City Hall ……………………………..(name of Groom),

of the age of ………………….. born in ………………..of the

 profession of ………………………………… resident of

………………(name of town)   Son  of ……………(name of father)

of the profession ……………………resident of

……………………..and of …………….(name of mother),

 resident in………………….(name of town)  and……………………….. ……………..(name of bride) of the age …………………born in  ………

………(name of city )  resident in………………Daughter of …………………………………..(name of father)  profession……………….

Resident of ………………………………………and of …………………………….(name of mother) resident of ………………..

The above, in the presence of testimony, that here indicated have requested to receive their solemn promise of the celebration (of matrimony) before the Church, in the form prescribed by the Sacred Council of Trent, their planned marriage.

We, after their request, after having read all the documents consisting of

 (Here is a list of the documents, usually including the birth certificates of the bride and groom, the death certificate of the father (if dead) and the grandfather (if the father was dead) of the bride and groom and the written consent of the parents to the marriage.)

 and Chapter  No 6 of the Civil Code, under the title of Matrimony and the rights and obligations of the respective bride and groom, we have received from each in turn the statement of the solemn promise of the celebration of marriage before the Church in the manner prescribed by the Sacred Council of Trent.

 The current act was solemnly performed in the presence of four witnesses who are:-

 Then follows the names and ages and professions of the witnesses who were often literate persons who showed up for weddings and were probably rewarded for signing the certificate.

 The above stated act was read aloud to the couple who were given two uniform copies from the undersigned to be presented to the Parish in which the marriage will be celebrated, of those signed below…before us (and not by the bride and groom who do not know how to read and write.)