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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: flossy on Monday 01 August 05 21:09 BST (UK)
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Can anyone give me some simple facts and tips on marriage bonds.
ie; Other than for mariners who had no fixed parish or time enough in a port to wait for banns to be read why would anyone use a bond.
Was there a fixed price for a bond ?
Was there a time when they were more popular if so why?
How much information will a bond give for the purpose of family research?
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Bonds and allegations are linked to marriage licences.
By obtaining a marriage licence, the couple did not have to wait three weeks for the banns to be read. This could be important if they wanted to avoid parental wrath (perhaps daddy would not approve or daughter was already in difficulties), or to avoid every Tom, Dick and Harry knowing their business. If they were not in their home parishes, then it would be difficult to arrange for the banns to be read there. It can also be seen as a status symbol.
Allegations might survive and would show the names, ages (but it could just be "21 upwards") occupations and places of residence of the couple, whether single or widowed and where the marriage was to take place. If one of both were minors, then a parent should be named as giving consent.
Bonds were abolished in 1823. Where they were submitted, they contained the sworn statements of relatives or friends that they knew of no impediment to the marriage, confirming that the marriage would take place in a certain church and the amounts of money by which these people were bound (and which they would forfeit if the licence was not complied with).
Nell
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I have another reason for marriage licences. If people were Roman Catholic, they obviously wanted as brief an association as possible with the C of E church in which they were required to be married, and a licence allowed for this.
An old family history book that I have tells me that some churches were more relaxed than others about marrying non-conformists, and had a "two chairs, no waiting" policy. The parish church of St Marylebone was one of these. My RC 3xggrandfather and 2xggrandfather were married there, by licence. No doubt it was well known in RC circles which were the C of E churches which would marry them quickly, no questions asked.
And thank you, Nell, for explaining marriage bonds and allegations. We will be searching for these for our ancestors, although I now know from your post that bonds would not have applied for my 2xggrandfather.
Marie
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Thanks Nell and Marie.
Do you know when bonds came into use Nell?
I have found a record of a marriage in a town where to my knowledge none of my family ever lived. Its been a puzzle but Maries theory may have thrown some light on it.
Flossy
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I was lucky enough to find a marriage bond for one of my relatives in December 1845 - in Nova Scotia! The groom was a mariner from Cumberland, but others in the database don't seem to be far from home.
It's amazing what you can find online. :)
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When did bonds come unto use? That's a tough one to answer. Some have been found which date from the late 16th century. I would imagine they came into use as Canon law with regards to marriage was being written down. Since parish registers as such did not exist before 1538, it is difficult to know if licences, bonds and allegations existed before then. Possibly not. The allegations were also sworn statements by the groom saying that there was no impediment in the eyes of the church to the marriage. We all know what difficulties Henry VIII got into with marriages and prior contracts - probably it was around this time that allegations and bonds became a more formal thing.
Perhaps the marriage in a far away place was to avoid anyone finding out about it before it was too late to stop it, or it might just have been a question of finding a surrogate (for whoever issued licences) who asked a smaller fee and marrying there!
Nell
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I'm a bit confused by allegations and bonds. I've managed to obtain a marriage allegation for a licence which was issued by the Faculty Office in 1770 (the marriage took place the same day!). Where should I look to see if there is a copy of the bond (if there was one)?
Nick
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In 1820 (when the average Ag. Lab was earning 10s a week), the cost of calling the 3 marriage banns was 7s. 6d. and was required in both parishes - which is why on so many marriages both parties happen to be of the same parish (as in the last three weeks only) to save on the cost. Marriage licences in comparison in 1820 cost 10 shillings, plus the cost of the trip and loss of the day's wages to visit the local Bishop's Office to obtain the licence in the first place.
The earliest marriage allegation I have a copy of is dated 1602.
Marriage bonds were usually kept by the licence-issuing authority. The orginal Faculty Office marriage allegations (which have been microfilmed) are at Lambeth Palace Library.
Regards
Valda
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Marriage licences seem to go back a bit further than Nell indicated to the start of the 16th century.
The cost of the licence seems to have been something between two and three times the cost of having banns called. This means that if the parties were resident in different parishes and were being married in a third parish a licence was cheaper that having the banns called in all three parishes.
The value of the bond seems to have been set in relation to the wealth of the bondsmen. Until 1823 this was usually the groom and a friend. I have found cases where the bond was for £100 for relatively poor people at a time when this would be at least a years wages. They of course did not have to actually find this money unlesss at some time in the future they were found to have broken Cannon Law and entered into an invalid marriage.
David
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Thanks for the help. I've now received a copy of the marriage bond from Lambeth Palace Library. The bond was for £200 which is quite a sum of money for 1770. One thing I've noticed is that the allegation and bond were both issued on the day that the marriage took place. Is that what normally happened - or could they have been in a bit of a hurry :-\ ?
Nick
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Hi Nick,
How do you apply for a Marriage Bond?. What information does it have?. I have found a marriage on the IGI for one of my ancestors. It took place in 1835 at St.Mary's Lambeth, Surrey, England. I've been reading about the MB's and allegations, wondering if they were worth sending for.
Sarra
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Firstly there will only be a bond if the marriage was by licence rather than the more usual marriage by banns. If it exists it will be in the records of the diocese which granted the licence, usually the diocese of the parish in which they lived. This may not be obvious and needs to be checked. They will probably be in the record office of the county where the diocese was administered.
It contains very little information other than the people being married, and the people confirming the bond plus the amount. Usually two people one of whom would be the groom. there is unlikely to be any indication of the relationship of the other person. Hardly worth the effort.
David
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In my case, the only person confirming the bond was the groom. However it did give his occupation which at least confirmed that I had the right person.
Nick
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Yes you are right. The requirement for two people was only prior to 1823.
Two further points. If the parties lived in different diocese then the licence was issued by the Arch bishop or Vicar General of the province. If the marriage was not to take place in the diocese of one of the parties, a special licence, or if they lived in different provinces the licence, would be issued by Canterbury or York.
Basically the same rules as for proving pre 1858 Wills.
David
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I have copies of the Marriage Bond & Allegation for my 3rd Great grandparents who were married in Deal, Kent in 1784. Their surnames were Cullen and Epps.
Arthur Cullen was illiterate and on the bond was his mark. The bond was witnessed by Wm Cullen, no mark. We would very much like to be able to identify Wm Cullen. Was he a family member or was the bond witnessed by a clerk? Any help would be very much appreciated.
RBC.