Catalogue description MARRIAGE ACT BOOKS

This record is held by Cheshire Archives and Local Studies

Details of EDC 7
Reference: EDC 7
Title: MARRIAGE ACT BOOKS
Date: 1606-1945
Arrangement:

Licences are in numerical, not chronological order in the act book. Batches of licences were dispatched to surrogates empowered to issue them on behalf of the bishop; not all were returned and entered in the act book. The number allocated to the licence is the same as that on the bond. To trace an entry in the act books you need to know the number on the bond and year date.

Related material:

Abstracts and indexes of EDC 7/1-8 have been published in Lancashire and Cheshire Record Society Vols. 53, 56, 57, 61, 65, 69, 73, 77.

 

Additional bonds and allegations 1661-8, 1670-1700 may exist in the series of marriage bonds and allegations, ref. EDC 8.

Held by: Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, not available at The National Archives
Language: English
Physical description: 23 vols.
Administrative / biographical background:

In cases of marriage without the proclamation of banns, a licence was granted by the bishop or one of his own surrogates and issued to the contracting parties. All licences, including marriage licences, were in general authenticated by the application of the bishop's seal and were granted on his behalf by his chancellor or official often in the Consistory Court. The registrar entered into the marriage act book the details contained in the licence, ie date, number of licence issued, name and parish of proposed groom and bride, place marriage to be held, names of these giving oath and bond (contracting parties and one other man), before whom (surrogate or chancellor) the oath was made. Abstracts and indexes of entries in these volumes for the years 1606-1700 have been printed in LCRS, vols 53, 56, 57, 61, 65, 69, 63, 77. Since the archdeaconry of Richmond issued its own marriage licences, those issued by the diocese relate chiefly to the archdeaconry of Chester.

 

The issue of a licence should not be taken as proof that a marriage actually took place.

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