> If one man was a witness on a marriage bond in 1798 in VA, and
> another man provided surety on that same marriage bond, from that
> information alone, can one determine which man was the father of the
> bride (assuming that one of the men was, in fact, the bride's father)?  I
> have a case where a widowed woman was getting married for the
> second time (and the last name used on the marriage bond was her
> married name versus her maiden name...and her maiden name has not
> been proven).  One man served as a witness and another man provided
> surety (and these two men had different surnames).  Which one was
> likely the father of the bride (again...assuming that one of them really
> was her father...which I suspect)?  Thanks.
>
Bill if the woman was widow, one of the men acting as surety may have been the court appointed guardian of her children.  He may represent the children's interest in the new marriage and therefore not a blood relation.  In fact neither person may be a relative to her, but people that she trusts who she knows as neighbors or members of her church community.
 
Deborah Byrd

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