Marriage Registers

A wedding could generate more than one type of record

Marriage registers tend to be much more formulaic than baptism registers, particularly after 1753 when Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act directed that marriage register books should follow a specific format, recording the names of the bride and groom and the parish to which each belonged; the date they married; whether they were married by banns or licence; and whether the consent of a parent or guardian was given if either party was aged under 21 years. Sometimes the priest included marital status, and occasionally the groom’s occupation was given. The register was signed by the groom, the bride and two witnesses, who may have been relations.

Most people were married following the reading of banns for three consecutive weeks in the parish church, notifying the congregation of the couple’s intention to wed. Records of banns listing the dates they were read may be found separately within the parish register, which explains why two marriage records are sometimes found for a couple. A register of banns is not proof that the couple actually married, although most did and the marriage register will give you more information. If your ancestors married by licence instead there may be a surviving bond or allegation document among the records of the archdeacon, bishop or archbishop who granted the licence. This may provide more biographical data about the couple.

There are several marriage indexes that you might come across online, created by genealogists long before the internet. Pallot’s Marriage Index 1780– 1837 has more than 1.5 million entries with great coverage for London but also many from the south of England and some from Wales. If the parish registers have been destroyed since the index was started in 1813, it could be the only surviving evidence. And Boyd’s Marriage Index 1538–1840 includes more than 5.6 million names taken from 4,300 parishes, many from Yorkshire and East Anglia.