Marriage license deciphering help please

[Wood-dweller]

Can anyone decipher this please? Particularly the last couple of lines. Thanks for looking :-)

[Bookbox]

Not knowing or believing any lawfull Let or Impediment by reason of any
Precontract Consanguinity Affinity or any other lawfull means
whatsoever to hinder the said Intended Marriage of the truth of the
Premisses he made Oath and prayed Licence to solemnize the
said Marriage in the Parish Church of St Bride or St
Bennett Pauls Wharfe London or St Martins Ludgate

[StevieSteve]

Bah, beaten but I'm not going to waste my typing...

...prayed licence to solemnise the said marriage at the Parish Church of St Bride or Bennett Paul' s Wharf  or St Martin's Ludgate

[Wood-dweller]

That's wonderful - thank you both :-) So, is it basically saying they had to have the banns read out in the churches of St Bride, St Bennett Pauls Wharfe and St Martins Ludgate?

[Bookbox]

is it basically saying they had to have the banns read out in the churches of St Bride, St Bennett Pauls Wharfe and St Martins Ludgate?

No, these are the parishes in which the marriage was allowed to take place.

Marriage by licence was an alternative to marriage after banns. Instead of waiting three weeks for banns to be called, one of the spouses, usually the groom, sometimes supported by a relative or close friend (bondsman), would swear an oath (allegation) that there was no legal reason why the marriage could not take place. He would sign a bond for a substantial sum, which would be forfeited if the statement was later found to be untrue.

There are lots of threads on these boards about why people might choose to marry by licence – you can use the Search function at the top of the page.

The FamilySearch wiki also has a good entry
https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Marriage_Allegations,_Bonds_and_Licences_in_England_and_Wales

[Wood-dweller]

Fascinating. I'm finding so much out on this forum. Thank you :-)