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Did the Church really only use to allow marriages at certain times of year?

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  • Did the Church really only use to allow marriages at certain times of year?

    I've seen mention in a few places (family history magazines etc) recently that the Church of England used to only allow marriages at certain times of year, but none of the articles went into detail of what times of year these would be. Is it really true? What did they do if the woman was about to drop a baby? Did they really make them wait until the prescribed time of year to marry? I can't say that I have ever noticed gaps in the marriages in PR's but maybe I wasn't paying attention. Or have all the articles been copied from an unreliable source, maybe? Did it mean to say, "days of the week" or something?
    KiteRunner

    Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
    (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

  • #2
    I've never heard of that. Did they say what era they are talking about?

    I've definitely never noticed obvious gaps in PRs but then I tend to read through them just looking at surnames and not the dates in particular.

    Would seem a very strange decision from the CofE if they has don. Surely it would lead to more out of wedlock liaisons from those who are too impatient to wait.
    Zoe in London

    Cio che Dio vuole, io voglio ~ What God wills, I will

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    • #3
      Certainly it was frowned upon to get married during Lent - and many vicars wouldn't/wont perform marriage ceremonies during that time of the eclesatical calander.
      Bo

      At present: Marshall, Smith, Harding, Whitford, Lane (in and around Winchcomb).

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      • #4
        I have lots of marriages for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. So they certainly did them then
        Last edited by Pamdidle; 16-02-08, 14:10.
        Pam

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        • #5
          I believe marriages often took place at Xmas because that was the only time servants had time off!
          Vivienne passed away July 2013

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          • #6
            If they were talking about later years perhaps they meant that people used to choose to get married in March or October because they got more tax refund?
            Chrissie passed away in January 2020.

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            • #7
              Never heard of that one! I think they might have avoided Lent but thats only a few weeks. It could hardly be described as 'only allowing marriages at certain times of the year'.

              Anne

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              • #8
                I've found one of the references - in an article in the latest issue of "Practical Family History" magazine, by Steve Thomas. It is about marriages before 1754:

                ... pressure was put on a couple to abide by certain rules of the Church, or what is known as canon law... the rules stipulated that a marriage should take place after banns were called on three consecutive Sundays or a licence was obtained... Marriages should also take place only during certain designated times of the year and between 8 am and 12 pm in an approved place, such as one or other of the couple's home parishes."

                (Wonder what he means by 12 pm?!)
                KiteRunner

                Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
                (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

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                • #9
                  lot of my rellies got married August bank holiday weekend- probably as only holiday.

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                  • #10
                    Never heard this one before. I cannot say I have noticed any gaps in the marriages pre 1754, but then I wasn't really looking for gaps!

                    If this were true, then it might explain the relative popularity of irregular marriages?

                    I wonder what the sources are for this statement?

                    OC

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by KiteRunner View Post
                      (Wonder what he means by 12 pm?!)
                      12pm is midday, 12am is midnight


                      Linda
                      LindaG

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                      • #12
                        Not really, because "pm" means after midday and "am" means before midday, so both 12pm and 12am should be midnight. But as for what the author meant by it, I suppose only he knows!

                        OC, he doesn't give the source for that bit, unfortunately.
                        KiteRunner

                        Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
                        (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

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                        • #13
                          (I get round the mental gymnastics involved, by saying 12 noon or 12 midnight, lol)

                          OC

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                          • #14
                            Everything else in the paragraph still holds - more or less - there is still a time constraint, although I THINK it is 8am to 5pm now.

                            I do know one of my son's friends had a minor car crash on the way to the church for a 4pm wedding . The vicar was quite jovial about it but did say they would have to get a move on!

                            Anne

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                            • #15
                              Somewhere in the back of my mind is the idea that marriages cannot legally be performed during the hours of darkness.

                              This may just be another bit of mind clutter though, I freely admit.

                              If marriages could not be performed during Lent, then that might also explain the traditional popularity of an Easter wedding.

                              I now feel compelled to trawl through an early marriage register to see what comes up.

                              OC

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                              • #16
                                I think many Churches do not have flowers in the building during Lent (and Advent?), so it may be that couples choose not to marry then
                                Joan died in July 2020.

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                                • #17
                                  My mum told me a lot of marriages took place at Michaelmas as that is when workers would change jobs. A young man who wanted to marry would look for a new position with a tied cottage so he could marry and take his wife.
                                  Daphne

                                  Looking for Northey, Goodfellow, Jobes, Heal, Lilburn, Curry, Gay, Carpenter, Johns, Harris, Vigus from Cornwall, Somerset, Durham, Northumberland, Cumberland, USA, Australia.

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                                  • #18
                                    I've found a book on Google Book Search called "From Sacrament to Contract: Marriage, Religion and Law in the Western Tradition"
                                    which has a section called "Marriage as Commonwealth in the Anglican Tradition" about Thomas Becon who wrote a book in 1560 "The Book of Matrimonie". The extract from Becon's writing looks as though marriage was not permitted at certain times of the year by the "canon law" but he thought it should be permitted at any time. Of course, it doesn't say what the times of year were! Have to investigate some more...
                                    KiteRunner

                                    Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
                                    (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Recently I went through a Glos parish marriage register (1850s-70s) and the marriages seemed to be spread out throughout the year.

                                      But I was interested to note that 3 marriages involving my extended family occurred on 10 November in different years (2 of them were consecutive, so they couldn't all be Sundays).
                                      ~ with love from Little Nell~
                                      Chowns, Dunt, Emms, Mealing, Purvey & Smoothy

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                                      • #20
                                        Okay, think I will have to change the title of this thread slightly because it looks as though the canon law predated the Church of England! I've found another reference in Google Book Search ("Clandestine Marriage in England 1500-1850" by R B Outhwaite) which mentions "seasons proscribed for matrimony" (note proscribed = not allowed, as opposed to prescribed!) brought into canon law some time between 1200 and 1342. The actual pages which might say what the seasons were aren't included in the book preview! Just my luck! There is a part of a sentence "between the hours of eight and midday" which at least clears that part up!
                                        KiteRunner

                                        Every five years or so I look back on my life and I have a good... laugh"
                                        (Indigo Girls, "Watershed")

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