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Married By Licence

R

rhammer

New Member
I have established that my 4 x great grandparents (Samuel Coles & Ann Beech) were married "By Licence" in St Batholomew Edgbaston 17 Feb 1805. Can anyone help by telling me where I can locate a copy of the licence? I have tried Crisp's marriage licence index on Ancestry and also Vicar General & Faculty Office on Findmypast, the licence isn't on these. Where should I look?

thank you.

Bob Hammersley
 
lindyloo said:
Hello Bob,
I think that this link may help you
https://www.edgbastonoldchurch.org.uk/faq.html scroll down to the bottom of the FAQ's list.
Click to expand...

Thank you linyloo,
I am not looking for the marriage entry in the church registers but the licence that the groom & bride would have bought usually though a bishop. The licence normally gives more detail about the couple including date of birth and fathers name which in 1805 is not included on the marriage entry in the parish registers.

Bob
 
Sorry Bob, I havent had occasion to look into marriage licences in my own family tree, so I did not realise they were different to the normal registers, but I have just had a look at a book that I have and it says

"Few actual Licences survive....it is well worth tracking them down, They are usually to be found with other diocesan papers in county or city record offices. "

So it might still be worth getting in touch with Birmingham Library..
............all being well I will be going there myself tomorrow, so I will ask if you like.

EDIT..the book also says, ".....For a general listing, see "Bishop's Transcripts and Marriage Licences, Bonds and Allegations: a guide to their location and indexes" (J Gibson, FFHS 4th ed., 1997) The guide can also help you find records of Marriage Licences, noting those that have been indexed or published.
 
Last edited:
Bob/lindyloo if you find where they are lodged, could you please add it to this thread? You have jogged my memory - I have a "by licence" wedding at Edgbaston, though it is slightly later, from memory.
 
leslam, I've added it to my list of " Questions and To Do's" for tomorrows visit..I will post what I find out.
 
Hi Bob and leslam,

I asked at the library where marriage licences would be found and the very helpful lady told me that, very few licences actually survived, the licences were handed to the couple and the applications for the licences that have survived are to be found in The Bonds and Allegations records at Lichfield.

Bob, I located the marriage record on the film for Samuel and Ann and it says on there "Married in this Church by Banns"... I have written down exactly what was on it if you would like me to type it up on here, the only additional information on it was the names of the witnesses.
 
Dear Bob and Ledsam
I can confirm from my own visit to the archives at Lcihfield, that not many of the warwickshire bonds and allegations seems to have survived. I went with a list of marriages and only found one document out of ten searches.

If your relations are married in Worcester diocese however it is well worth a trip to the family history centre at Worcester; they have the documents on film and lots of them; I found the bonds/allegations for all my ancestors married by licence at Kings Norton/Alvechurch/Wythall/Beoley - a hit every time.
Well worth the trawl as for early marriages the register entry has very little information and no detail.

On a marriage where both parties are of full age then you can expect the following information on the bond/allegation - age, occupation and parish of residence of bride and groom. You will also get name, residence and occupation of witness to the oath. You get more information if the parties are minors - because the father has to consent and record all his particulars also. The other great thing of course is the signatures!

Andy Parkes
 
Thanks for the very comprehensive information in your reply. Hoping to have a chance to "trawl" soon :)
 
Hello Lindyloo, Ledsam and Andy for your replies.

It appears I may have a mis transcription of the marriage register as Lindyloo says the actual register infact says married by banns.

Lindyloo I would appreciate the correct wording of what is in the register, also I do not have the names for the witnesses.

thank you all for your replies.

Bob
 
Hi Bob,

This is what I have written down.

1805 Page 79
No. 220 Samuel Coles of the Parish, Bachelor and
Ann Beech of the same, Spinster
were Married in this Church by Banns
this 17th Day of February in the year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Five
By me, Charles (I am not sure of his next two names it looked like Beeth Dunnister)
The marriage was solemized between us X his mark
X her mark
In the presence of Mary Bates X her mark
Jn (abbreviated with a little o above the Jn so presumably John) Merrick (he signed)

As far as I know that is accurate Bob,

Lindyloo
 
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