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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Topic started by: JayG on Sunday 18 April 10 11:42 BST (UK)
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I've got a couple that married by licence in 1792 at Malpas, Cheshire. The groom was from Manchester & the bride from Malpas.
Where should I be looking for a copy of the licence, Lancashire or Cheshire?
Thanks
Jay
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A visit to the clergyman issuing the licence resulted in three documents, an allegation or affidavit, a marriage bond and the licence. The actual licence was issued to the bridegroom who presented it to the priest conducting the marriage. The licence could then have been kept by the priest, or returned to the diocesan registries, or given to the couple on their wedding day and kept within the family, but usually does not survive. The allegation and bond would be filed in the Diocesan Registry. After 1823 bonds ceased to be necessary.
Stan
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Thanks Stan.
I do have several allegation/bonds mainly for my Durham lot which have been easy enough to find at the bride & groom have always lived in the same County.
I'll see if I can trace it in Lancashire.
Jay
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In 1792 Manchester was in the Diocese of Chester. The Diocese of Manchester was not formed until 1847.
Stan
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Ah Cheshire it is then!
Thanks again Stan.
After all my years of research it's all be on the east side of the country, Durham, Lincs & Norfolk. Cheshire is a new county of research so i'm a little lacking in the knowledge department at the mo!
Jay
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Stan,
Fascinating info on marriage by licence. Can you spell it out for me in plain language as I would love to understand what it means and why anyone would need to marry by licence anyway? Have often wanted to ask the question but afraid of appearing dim.
Thanks,
Josie.
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Cheshire Record office have Abstracts and indexes published 1606-1700 in Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society volumes 53, 56, 57, 61, 69, 73, 77 Marriage bonds and allegations 1661-1979:
http://archive.cheshire.gov.uk/dserve/DServe.exe?dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Index.tcl
Stan
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Josie marrying by licence was usually quick & more private than having banns called.
From the copies I have the licence is dated a few days before they couple married, some the same day.
I have a far few people in my tree married by licence, including my parents in 1975!
Jay
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Cheshire Record office have Abstracts and indexes published 1606-1700 in Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society volumes 53, 56, 57, 61, 69, 73, 77 Marriage bonds and allegations 1661-1979:
http://archive.cheshire.gov.uk/dserve/DServe.exe?dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Index.tcl
Stan
Thanks Stan, I was just off to have a look on Cheshire Archives & see what I could find.
Jay
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Stan,
Fascinating info on marriage by licence. Can you spell it out for me in plain language as I would love to understand what it means and why anyone would need to marry by licence anyway? Have often wanted to ask the question but afraid of appearing dim.
Thanks,
Josie.
Marriages in England and Wales could be by:
1) Banns
2) Surrogate’s or Common Licence
3) Special Licence
4) Superintendent Registrar’s Certificate
5) Superintendent Registrar’s Licence
Under (1) (2) and (3) marriages may be solemnized by a Clergyman of the Established Church of England in a licensed Church or Chapel of the Church of England, or, if by Special Licence, in any place and at any time.
Under (4) they may, as in cases (1) and (2), be solemnized by a Clergyman of the Established Church of England subject to his being willing to accept the Certificate in lieu of Banns; and under (4) and (5) by or before a Registrar of Marriages in a building of Roman Catholic or other denomination duly registered by the Registrar-General; before a Registrar of Marriages and a Superintendent Registrar in the District Register Office; or after the 1898 Act .(Marriage; Nonconformist Places of Worship), before a person duly authorised under the Act. Under this Act Roman Catholics and Nonconformists were not required to have a civil Registrar present.
Stan
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A Licence was popular because it had the advantage of relative speed and secrecy, and facilitated a marriage in Lent when banns should not have been called. It was also favoured by those with rude surnames in order to avoid titters when the banns were read out. ;D
For instance the marriage of Thomas Titty to Pleasant Grant in Margate on 17th November 1754 (Family Tree Magazine)
Stan
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A Licence was popular because it had the advantage of relative speed and secrecy, and facilitated a marriage in Lent when banns should not have been called. It was also favoured by those with rude surnames in order to avoid titters when the banns were read out. ;D
For instance the marriage of Thomas Titty to Pleasant Grant in Margate on 17th November 1754 (Family Tree Magazine)
Stan
haha never heard about the rude names Stan, will have to check in my files! ;D
I hope no one thinks i'm researching rude surnames :-[ ;D ;D
Jay
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Thank you for the info. Begining to understand more.
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Thank you for the info. Begining to understand more.
Fictitious examples of a Bond and Allegation. After 1823 bonds ceased to be necessary, but an allegation continues to be required from the party obtaining the licence, and is filed in the registry.
a. bond
Know all men by these presents that we Rivers Taylor sen. of Histon and William Taylor of Landbeach yeomen are holden and firmly bound to the wor¬shipful Wharton Peck. . . chancellor. . . Ely in the sum of£200. . .19 March 1765. The condition of this obligation is such that hereafter there shall not appear any lawful let or impediment by reason of any pre-contract entered into before the 25 March 1754 consanguinity or cause whatsoever but that Rivers Taylor junior of Histon aforesaid and Frances Peck of the same parish a spinster may lawfully solemnize marriage together and in the same afterwards lawfully remain.
b. allegation or affidavit
The 19th day of March 1765 on which day appeared personally Rivers Taylor jun. . . . Histon in which said parish he hath had his usual abode for the space of four weeks last past and made oath that he is of the age of nineteen years and upwards and a bachelor and intends to marry with Frances Peck aged 21 years and upwards not knowing or believing any lawful let or impediment by reason of precontract consanguinity affinity or any other cause that the said marriage shall be solemnized in no other parish church than that of Riston and Rivers Taylor sen. appeared and made oath that he is the natural and lawful father of the said R.T. jun. and that he is consenting to the said marriage.
The said RT. and R.T. signed the above affidavit and were sworn to the truth thereof at Riston the 19th day of March 1765 before me Roberts Masters surrogate.
Stan
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Stan,
Fascinating info on marriage by licence. Can you spell it out for me in plain language as I would love to understand what it means and why anyone would need to marry by licence anyway? Have often wanted to ask the question but afraid of appearing dim.
Thanks,
Josie.
Think marriage by licence also had connotations with status among farming families. My ancestors were farmers and in 19th century almost all married by licence. The better off preferred to dispense with having Banns called in Church for three Sundays as they still are in the Established church.
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As a marriage could take place within hours of obtaining the licence it was convenient for a busy spouse, during times of war, or in anticipation of an imminent birth. ;D
Stan
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Stan,
Youe are so knowledgable on marriage terminology. Don't stop now.
Please explain !!!!!!!!
Archdeacons courts peculiar courts etc.Bishops trancript.s
Any others that you can think of as I am making a list for my own reference. Anyone else enjoying this please let Stan know that you appreciate his help.
Josie.
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I'd like to second that. I'm following the thread and learning a lot, all of it extremely interesting. Thanks Stan!
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Please explain !!!!!!!!
Archdeacons courts peculiar courts etc.Bishops trancript.s
Any others that you can think of as I am making a list for my own reference. Anyone else enjoying this please let Stan know that you appreciate his help.
Josie.
Hi Josie,
About Bishop's Transcripts. From 1598 incumbents were required to provide their diocesan bishop, or his equivalent, usually at Easter, with copies of the entries in the parish register covering the previous year. However in some cases the order was observed only sporadically, or they were not scrupulously maintained.
The Consistory Court was the Bishop's court concerned with diocesan ecclesiastical administration. At a lower level the Archceacon's Court was held by the Archdeacon in places where he had jurisdiction within his archdeaconry, either concurrently with the Bishop, or exclusively. These were Ecclesiastical Courts for the hearing of judicial cases under Canon Law. In the Archdeacon's Court either the archdeacon or his Official Principal presided as judge.
A peculiar jurisdiction was where a bishop exercised powers in churches or manors which lay within the jurisdiction of a fellow bishop. For example the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the parishes of Hexham, Allendale and St. John Lee was the Peculiar Court of the Archbishop of York in Hexhamshire.
Stan
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There are a couple of examples of licences on my certificates pages at
http://anguline.co.uk/cert/certificates.htm
Cheers
Guy
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Thank you for the examples.Now things are getting clearer. Is the curates name on the 1809 birth certificate what I think it is?
Once again thank you for improving my knowledge.
Josie.
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. Is the curates name on the 1809 birth certificate what I think it is?
Josie.
The surname was formerly more common than now, when the vocab. word bastard has become a general term of abuse, so that many former bearers of it have changed their names
The Oxford Names Companion
There are only 67 Bastard on the ONS names list for England, Wales and the Isle of Mann in 2002, and on the 1881 census there were 421 entries for Bastard, which confirms that the name is dwindling.
Stan
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Not sure!
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Not sure!
Thanks for your input feederdave!
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Im just making 3 random posts to get my PM's unlocked :)