Wedding Wednesday - William J. Sharp and Charlotte Valeria Stroud, 1900

William J. Sharp and Charlotte Valeria Stroud, both residing in Livingston County, Kentucky, were married on 23 September 1900.¹ The ceremony was officiated by E. M. Gibbons, Pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, in Carrsville, Kentucky. A transcription of the marriage license and certificate follows the scanned image.

Transcription
[page 300]

* MALE *

1. Date of  Marriage   Sept 16^th 1900
2. Name of Groom   W^m J. Sharp
3. Residence of Groom   Liv. Co. Ky.
4. Age of Groom   31 yrs
5. Number of Marriage of Groom   1^st
6. Occupation   Farmer
7. Birthplace of Groom   Pope Co. Ills.
8. Birthplace of Groom’s Father   Penn.
9. Birthplace of Groom’s Mother   Boone Co. Ky.

* FEMALE *

10. Name of Bride   Charlotte Valeria Stroud
11. Residence of Bride   Livingston County Ky.
12. Age of Bride   16 yrs
13. Number of Marriage of Bride   1^st
14. Birthplace of Bride   Livingston County Ky.
15. Birthplace of Bride’s Father   Pope County Ills.
16. Birthplace of Bride’s Mother   Same     “       “
17. Remarks   …………
N. B.—At Nos. 5 and 13 state whether first, second, etc., marriage of each or either party.
To be married at     Love’s Chapel
on the   16^th  day of  Septr. 1900.  189…
I CERTIFY that the above is correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Witness my hand, this   14^th   day of   Septr  1900 189….
ATTEST:W.  J.  Sharp  [signature]
G. W. Landrum Lcc²  [signature]

==================================================
MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

This is to certify, That on the  23^rd  day of  September 1900  189…
the rites of matrimony were legally solemnized by me between  Mr. W. J. Sharp
………………………………………. and  Miss Charlotte V. Stroud
at     Carrsville     in the County of     Livingston
in the presence of     Burr Hall & G. M. Hall
……………………………………………………………………….
Signed:  E. M. Gibbons  Pastor
M. E. Church South

Commentary:

A family Bible record also claims that William and Charlotte were married on 16 September 1900 at Love's Chapel.³ This suggests that two marriage ceremonies occurred, the first on Sunday, 16 September 1900 at Love's Chapel and the second on Sunday, 23 September 1900, in Carrsville at the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

The graveyard adjoining Love's Chapel is the burial place for Charlotte's father and mother (as well as some of her siblings).⁴ It probably was Charlotte's choice to hold the marriage ceremony there. However, the minister solemnizing the marriage may not have had proper authority to sign the Marriage Certificate.⁵ This may have required William and Charlotte to repeat the ceremony at the church in Carrsville.

Kentucky law required consent by the father for a bride or groom under the age of 21.⁶ This suggests Charlotte’s father’s consent was “personally given” since he did not certify it in writing with his signature and witnesses.

---

1. Livingston County, Kentucky, Marriage Records, Book 9: 300, William J. Sharp and Charlotte Valeria Stroud, 1900, marriage license and certificate; Livingston County Clerk, Smithland. ^↩
2. "Livingston County Clerk's Office," Livingston County: A Community United by Rivers & People (http://www.livingstonco.ky.gov/clerk : accessed 20 December 2017); left margin, near bottom of page, table of "Past Clerks" includes, G. W. Landrum 1898-1905. ^↩
3. Mayme Sharpe Family Bible Records, 1929-1974, The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments (Akron, Ohio: The Saalfield Publishing Co., n. d.), “Family Records”; privately held by Stanley L. Mitchell, [address for private use,] Mountain View, California, 2017. The Bible originated with Mayme Sharpe apparently as a Christmas gift in 1929. This Bible passed from Mayme (Sharpe) Mitchell (1913-2012) to the current owner in 2012. ^↩
4. Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com/ : viewed on 20 December 2017), memorial 50426842, for Love's Cemetery (Livingston County, Kentucky), George W. Stroud gravestone; digital image, added 24 October 2012, by Timothy Ward. ... Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com/ : viewed on 20 December 2017), memorial 50426149, for Love's Cemetery (Livingston County, Kentucky), Alvina A. Stroud gravestone; digital image, added 24 October 2012, by Timothy Ward. ^↩
5. John D. Carroll, compiler, The Kentucky Statutes Containing All General Laws Including Those Passed at Session of 1898, 2nd ed. (Louisville, Kentucky: The Courier-Journal Job Printing Company, Publishers, 1899), Kentucky Statutes, p. 823, Ch. 66, “Husband and Wife, Marriage—what persons may solemnize,” §2103; digital images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/ : accessed 28 August 2017). ^↩
6. Ibid., p. 824, Ch. 66, “Husband and Wife, When license not to issue without consent of parent or guardian,” §2106. ^↩