Q about "Married by licence"

[Joan of Archives]

I have not come across this often, but I am sure someone mentioned a place where you can get more info about couples married by licence?

I have a couple married by licence on a Sunday, according to the PR's. Does this mean more info is available about them somewhere else at the RO ?

Thanks

[maudarby]

Hi Joan
If the licence has survived in should be in the County R O.
Moggie

[Darksecretz]

Joan,

if you have relatives married by Licence then the full details 'should' be at the RO local to the event.

you sometimes also get other info, but more often than not you should get the parents name and abode/occupation and also the same details of the groom,

sometimes they had to offer money to say that if they dont marry then they have to pay up.. (this is a bond I believe)

[Joan of Archives]

Ooo thanks for that!

They keep the records of the licences separate to the PR's then? I am assuming it was done by licence because it was a Sunday, or they were from out of the area?

[KiteRunner]

The actual licence itself is unlikely to be at the record office; but they might have the "allegation" and / or "bond". Not all survive though. But from the ones that I have looked at, as far as I can remember it only states the father's name for a minor, which would normally also appear in the PR entry anyway.

[Darksecretz]

Ooo thanks for that!

They keep the records of the licences separate to the PR's then? I am assuming it was done by licence because it was a Sunday, or they were from out of the area?

Joan,

does the entry that you have seen say Lic after it? (if it was say in philimores, it would say Lic) or in the register it would say married by Licence or Banns....

alot of people actually married on a sunday (as it was the only day off they had!) bit like the ones I have seen on Xmas day and boxing day aswell.

they are usually 'filmed' as well, but I am sure that the folks in the RO would be only too happy to assist. (like Leicester RO, they are brill)!!

[Joan of Archives]

Thanks Kite & Julie

It just had in brackets after their names :
(Dic Domio) by Licence

I looked at the filmed PR & BT at the RO.

???? Would I get anymore info from a bond or allegation then?

Thanks

[Darksecretz]

Thanks Kite & Julie

It just had in brackets after their names :
(Dic Domio) by Licence

I looked at the filmed PR & BT at the RO.

???? Would I get anymore info from a bond or allegation then?

Thanks

I guess it depends IF there were any..... on the ones I have seen it told me quite abit of info, name and abode and occupation of fathers and also siblings to the bride (as they witnessed the bond, and had to state who they were)

guess it is just luck of the drawer, as to what they contain.

[Joan of Archives]

Hi Joan
How lovely to see you on here!

Thanks for that, the marriage was a little earlier, 1780's, but I am hopeful I might find something next time I get to the RO. It would be great as it would confirm I had the right couple as they married out the area, it could have been the wife's family came from there, who knows?

[Little Nell]

Marriage by licence was done to either marry quickly or quietly or both. It saved having to wait 3 weeks for banns to be called.

It wasn't anything to do with marriage on a Sunday, as many people marry on Sunday by banns.

*waves to cousin!*

[Janet]

I am not sure which county you are interested but Northants has a surprising number of Marriage Licences that have survived at the CRO and I have now obtained digital images of about 8 of my ancestors that married by licence and evn if the information is not what you want the thrill of handling a 1699 Parchment Licence was wonderful. Most of mine range from 1699 to about 1760ish. The detail I have on the 1699 one is the church they married or in this case the Cathedral, signatures of both bride and groom, seals and what look like fingerprints, but not sure about that as there is smudging around the seal.... I also have the name of the bride's father, but no name of the groom's father. The bride's father is just signing by cross and the important detail that of where the bride is from, important as the marriage took place about 15 miles from where they both lived.

However, Bucks CC did not have the Marriage Licences I was after as their records are not as complete, so you may or may not be lucky in getting the actual licence.

Incidentally those that married by licence were either people with money who wanted a quiet wedding or those that were pregnant and wanted a quick wedding or some other viable reason. The Sunday part was not an issue as many people have pointed out that many married on Sunday/Christmas etc as this was their only day off.

Janet

[Uncle John]

I like this site but do find it difficult to navigate.

"It will ride up with wear, madam." :D:D

[Joan of Archives]

Janet it was Herts RO. I might just have to visit cousin Nell whilst paying my next visit, lol! :D

Joan stick with it, I find it much easier than GR, that is a nightmare finding anything on there now I get lost quite a bit lol!

[Little Nell]

Joan

You know I'd be pleased to see you although I've never been to Herts Archives & Local Studies (HALS) as have no Herts rellies! Though it would be an opportunity to find out whether it was the Black Horse or the White Horse in Herts that my gt uncle ran after he left the police.

Viv and other Herties would maybe be interested in a Hertford get together? Maybe when we can be sure of no snow!

[Janet]

Hals is quite an interesting place to go as for some reason they had a lot of Northants material there which interested me!!:D Never did fathom that one except that there might have been some landowners in Northants that owned property in Herts.

Watch your parking as when we went we parked in the Council Office side and nearly had the car towed away! I think the only reason it was not was because we had left the lights on and exhausted the battery, so when we went to go home in the dark, pouring with rain and cold, we were not very happy bunnies, sort of half spoilt the day:(

Janet

[Joan of Archives]

Oh dear Janet!
We always park right outside the Registry Office which is in the same building as HALS. The last time I went there I had to walk through the foyer as the bride & groom were having their photos taken, lol!

:D

[Anne in Carlisle]

I have, today at Lincoln, seen a transcribed marriage bond in a book (part of a set) which helped me to prove which of two possible people was the groom marriage. It had their ages! The date was 1820. I didn't even need to see the actual bond - all the info I required was in the transcript.

Anne

[Joan of Archives]

Ooo Anne that's brilliant! It gives me hope!

Gosh you were brave traveling all that way in this weather!

[Anne in Carlisle]

Hardly any snow at all! We were visiting Doncaster anyway so not far to Lincoln.

Anne

[Penelope]

Redacted