What actual information do you get in the Marriage Banns records

[TrevorFranklin]

I'm still deciding whether to upgrade to get access to the marriage/Banns parish records, but wonder what actual information I actually get in the transcriptions.

I have a number I have already found on direct parish visits, but have a number where reading the record, may produce further information I could go on?

[Carol Bird]

Trevor

I have picked up quite a few Banns from Ancestry.

All they gave was: 3 dates of reading Banns; two names of couple; their actual ages (or full); their address or separate addresses.

Nothing more on any of mine, I'm afraid.

Carol

[TrevorFranklin]

Thanks Carol,
Looks like I'll keep the standard subscription for now then, as very few times have I needed to ak for assitance from this forum for information on the higher subscription offers.


Trevor

I have picked up quite a few Banns from Ancestry.

All they gave was: 3 dates of reading Banns; two names of couple; their actual ages (or full); their address or separate addresses.

Nothing more on any of mine, I'm afraid.

Carol

[Christine in Herts]

Are you talking about London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754–1921 on Ancestry?

Those are specific to London, but you get images of the parish registers, so it's the original records. And it's part of a wider set of data including baptisms (some with birth dates added) and burials. All the basic sets are indexed, but there are earlier records which have not yet been indexed, but for which you can trawl the images yourself.

Christine

[Vicky the Viking]

just to say, I've seen several Banns (not the Ancestry ones though) and as Carol says, they don't actually give that much information. Where they may be helpful is if one of the pair comes from a different parish, as it will give the name of the other parish - could be handy for tracking down a baptism. (Though of course there is no guarantee that they were baptised there either!)

And you sometimes get Banns where no marriage took place. I have an illegitimate baby baptised nine months after the final Banns - there was no wedding. A month after the Banns, he married someone else in another parish, by licence. He was named as the father of the illegitimate baby though!

Don't forget you can order copies of microfilmed Parish Records to view at your local LDS family history centre. If the records you want have been filmed, this could be cheaper than upgrading an Ancestry sub!

[Olde Crone Holden]

I came across a Banns Book quite by chance - it was in the middle of a parish register and the lazy Vicar had used it as the marriage book (late 1700s).

It gave me a wealth of information because the ~Vicar had headed up one page per couple with the Banns, then had them sign the page along with the witnesses, which in the case of my family, were 13 for one wedding and eleven for another! What's more, they had given their relatrionship to the happy couples. the Groom's mother was so overcome, she witnessed twice, lol.

I too found Banns where no marriage had taken place.

As with all records, it is pot luck what you will find.

OC

[Carol Bird]

Looks like I'll keep the standard subscription for now then, as very few times have I needed to ak for assitance from this forum for information on the higher subscription offers.

Trevor,

Always willing to do look ups on Ancestry.

Usually, I'm too slow and another member does the honours!

Happy New Year,
Carol

[Janet]

Trevor

If you are interested in the Metroplitan Archives information on Ancestry which involves many London areas to include all of Middlesex and parts of other London areas, and know you have a number of ancestors in these areas, then you may well want to upgrade as it is not just the marriage banns that are on here but also actual marriage certificates. So far I have found three Marriage Certs and £7 per cert I have already saved £21. I know I shall find more when I get around to it.

Janet