Email your MP: Add mothers' names to marriage certificates in England and Wales

Updated petition text 2018:

In England and Wales, marriage certificates have the bride(s) and groom(s)'s fathers' names and professions, but not their mothers'.  

Our law should not perpetuate the offensive and outdated message that marriage is a business transaction between fathers. Women are no longer the property of their fathers and do not become the property of their husbands when they marry.

I have recently got married, and having been brought up by a single mum I was devastated to learn that this outdated practice is still a requirement of marriage. I was expected to put my absent father's name and profession on my marriage certificate whilst my mother who brought me up will not be included. Change is needed so that mothers are no longer erased from these important historical records.

Conservative governments have been promising to address this inequality for over four years, but nothing has happened.

There is now a bill going through Parliament that would set the path to allow the changes necessary to put mothers on marriage certificates. Its second reading is scheduled for 11th May 2018.

Please sign now to email your MP asking them to support this bill.

NB: Both mothers and fathers are recorded on a civil partnership certificate and the same should be the case on a marriage certificate. 


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Original petition text from 2015:

In England and Wales, marriage certificates have the bride(s) and groom(s)'s fathers' names and professions, but not their mothers'.  

Our law should not perpetuate the offensive and outdated message that marriage is a business transaction between fathers. Women are no longer the property of their fathers and do not become the property of their husbands when they marry.

I have just got engaged, and having been brought up by a single mum I am devastated to learn that this outdated practice is still a requirement of marriage. When I get married, I will be expected to put my absent father's name and profession on my marriage certificate whilst my mother who brought me up will not be included. Change is needed so that mothers are no longer erased from these important historical records.

The Prime Minister promised to address this inequality over a year ago but nothing has happened.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has created an Early Day Motion (EDM) asking that mothers be added to marriage certificates.

Please sign now to email your MP asking them to support her EDM, calling on the Home Secretary to make the necessary legislative update without further delay.

NB: Both mothers and fathers are recorded on a civil partnership certificate and the same should be the case on a marriage certificate.

Dear MP,

In England and Wales, marriage certificates have the bride and groom's fathers' names, but not their mothers'.  

Our law should not perpetuate the offensive and outdated message that marriage is a business transaction between fathers. Women are no longer the property of their fathers and do not become the property of their husbands when they marry.

Change is needed so that mothers are no longer erased from these important historical records.


The Government has been promising to address this inequality for over four years but nothing has happened.

Both mothers and fathers are recorded on a civil partnership certificate and the same should be the case on a marriage certificate.

[Your comments].


There is currently a bill going through Parliament that would make it possible for mothers to be added to marriage certificates: Registration of Marriage (No. 2) Bill 2017-19 https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/registrationofmarriageno2.html

Please will you vote to support this bill?


If you have already supported this bill, then thank you for your support and please keep me updated on any progress on this issue. 

Parliamentary briefing on the issue: http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7516

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your email]
[Your address]

Update #35 years ago
Thanks to all those who paid to send their MP a postcard, there's still lots of free-to-send postcards you can send if you can't afford postage (for people in the UK). Click here to send a free postcard to your MP to ask them to support mothers' names on marriage certificates!
Update #25 years ago
Thank you for signing this petition. It's been reported again that the Government plan to allow mothers' names on marriage certificates in England and Wales. But, they've been promising that for years. There's now a bill going through Parliament that would allow these necessary changes to happen. Please contact your MP again and ask them to support this bill.
Update #18 years ago
Home Office Ministers have rejected the proposal to include mothers’ names on marriage certificates as they say it would not be fair to same sex parents. I see this as a delaying tactic, as there is an obvious solution. A marriage certificate could have the option to include more than one parent of any gender. Defining each as mother or father could be optional. So please continue to sign & share.
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