| Administrative History | Administrative History
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. |