Getting marriage allegations - worthwhile?

[MarieC]

I have taken out a 24 hour sub to British Origins, but alas, most of my people are not there. 

I do notice that the allegation for the marriage by licence of my gggrandparents in London in 1838 is on one of the indexes.  We have the certificate.  Is it worth spending money to get the allegation, or will it just tell me the same things as are on the certificate?

The parents of the groom of this marriage also married by licence, in 1802, at St Marylebone parish church, reason being that they were RC.  I have nothing about their background, and would love to find anything about their marriage that might tell me something.  But they do not appear on either of the indexes on British Origins, ie the Vicar-General Index 1694-1850, or the Faculty Office Index 1701-1850.

Is there any other place/index that might contain allegation details for their licence, especially one that I could access from Oz??

I'd be really grateful for any answers to these questions!

MarieC

[Valda]

I would try the Bishop of London marriage allegations held at the Guildhall which are indexed (in book form) for the 1802 marriage. C19th marriage allegations are not very informative. C18th ones are better because they give ages. If any of the partners married under age, details of their guardian/parent will be given, since they had to give permission.

http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/marrlic.htm

Regards

Valda

[Valda]

Sorry ommitted the Guildhall Library website which is here

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0im/

They have a research service but of course it costs.

Regards

Valda

Moderator comment: l-o-n-g URL modified (try http://www.rootschat.com/links/index.php to shrink long links)

[MarieC]

Valda

Thank you so much for such a prompt reply! 

I presume you are suggesting that it may not be worth getting the allegation for the 1838 marriage, for which we had the certificate - are you??  That was my gut feeling after checking some of the posts on here about allegations, but I wanted to ask about it.

May I ask you one further question?  Is the 1802 marriage likely to fall into the more informative or less informative camps?  I suppose it is on the dividing line between the 18th and 19th centuries, pretty well.

None of the parties to these two marriages was underage.

I'll hope to get an answer to these questions, and I will check out the Guildhall links you gave me.

Thanks again!

MarieC

[Valda]

No I would think it is unlikely the 1838 marriage allegation will give you any further information above what you have from the marriage certificate.

This is an example of an 1804 marriage allegation, in this case a Faculty Office one - it is more unusual because it is the woman seeking the licence, but the format is standard for the period.

HILLINGDON MIDDLESEX 18TH DECEMBER 1804
APPEARED PERSONALLY SOPHIA ------------- AND MADE OATH THAT SHE IS OF THE PARISH OF SAINT GEORGE IN THE COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX AGED UPWARDS OF TWENTY ONE YEARS A SPINSTER AND INTENDETH TO MARRY WITH THE REVEREND THOMAS ----------- CLERK OF THE PARISH OF SAINT MICHAEL QUEENHITHE LONDON AGED ALSO UPWARDS OF TWENTY ONE YEARS A BATCHELOR AND THAT SHE KNOWETH OF NO LAWFUL IMPEDIMENT BY REASON OF ANY PRECONTRACT CONSANGUINITY AFFINITY OR ANY OTHER LAWFUL MEANS WHATSOEVER TO HINDER THE SAID INTENDED MARRIAGE AND PRAYED A LICENCE TO SOLEMNIZE THE SAME IN THE PARISH CHURCH OF SAINT MICHAEL QUEENHITHE AFORESAID AND FURTHER MADE OATH THAT THE USUAL PLACE OF ABODE OF HIM THE SAID REVEREND THOMAS ----------- FOR SPACE OF FOUR WEEKS LAST PAST HAS BEEN SAINT MICHAEL QUEENHITHE. SOPHIA -------

Earlier C18th marriage licences  might give the exact age of the participants not just above 21 but it wasn't standard. If they were marrying elsewhere which they often were with licences, then their parish of abode is given, plus the occupation of the man

Regards

Valda

[MarieC]

Thank you very much, Valda!!  It is really, really helpful to have the example, and hopefully it might help others who read this thread.  This helps me to decide what to do about these two marriages - certainly not useful to get the 1838 one, marginally useful to get the other perhaps.

I don't know what I'd do without knowledgeable Rootschatters like yourself!!

MarieC