New righting of old wrong

WE must all be grateful to the Bishop of St Albans and to assorted politicians and church leaders for the future inclusion on marriage certificates of the names of the brides’ and the bridegrooms’ mothers.

Hitherto and for ages, only the fathers’ names were required.

This, you may say, is simply another feather in the cap of womanhood in general. Maybe, but this is a definite righting of a wrong and not a mere manifestation of feminist clamour.

This welcome development registers with me for another, but associated, reason.

Apart from the attendance at innumerable inquests, it has fallen to my lot as a one-time reporter the writing of countless obituaries, largely of men. They are the two saddest of duties.

And although the writers on national newspapers document the nationally and universally famous, provincial reporters must write of those known to them and increasingly, as the years go by, of intimate friends and colleagues.

And it is those obituaries that almost inevitably finish with the mention that ‘He leaves a widow.’ It is almost dismissive, almost cursory, and often knowing those mentioned, I have always felt hopelessly inadequate.

For what man fulfils a worthwhile and contributory life without a partnership?

At least now the first part of marriage will receive the acknowledgement due. And obituarists may well consider less peremptory postscripts than hitherto.