Marriage Licences

[MattD30]

Hi

I'm hoping someone can help me with two questions here. Firstly is anyone able to look up a date of marriage for me? I am looking for the marriage of John Filpot and Mary Birch who married by Licence in 1673 in Kent. If anyone can provide me with the full date, licence details, or tell me where the marriage took place it would be greatly appreciated.

Secondly does anyone know where I can view published volumes of Marriage Licences for Kent for 1661 onwards online? The Internet Archive has them up to 1660 but I would like to check some records in the 1670s and 1680s.

Hope someone can help

Matt

[redtonyt]

Hi Matt,

According to the East Kent Marriage Index the marriage took place at Kingsnorth on 18 November 1673.

John Philpot was said to be a Cutler of Ashford aged 25 and Mary Birch was a Widow.  The Licence was dated 3 November and John Newman, Grocer of Canterbury, was the Bondsman.

I don't know of any site that has the details of Marriage Licences generally from 1568 to 1750.  The Kent Family History Society has published a CD with digital images of Cowpers Book (6 volumes dates as above) which is a transcription of the Marriage Licences copied from the General Licences as held at Canterbury Cathedral Archives.  Cost of CD is £17 to non-members and £12 to members.  A small proviso, Cowper is not infallible so, it is always wise to check the Licence Register and any earlier Allegation and or Bond!

The East Kent marriage Index as found on Find my Past may give clues that the marriage was by Licence.  That is, ages are noted and the occupation of the Groom.

Hope you find this helpful.

Tony

[MattD30]

Hi Matt,

According to the East Kent Marriage Index the marriage took place at Kingsnorth on 18 November 1673.

John Philpot was said to be a Cutler of Ashford aged 25 and Mary Birch was a Widow.  The Licence was dated 3 November and John Newman, Grocer of Canterbury, was the Bondsman.

I don't know of any site that has the details of Marriage Licences generally from 1568 to 1750.  The Kent Family History Society has published a CD with digital images of Cowpers Book (6 volumes dates as above) which is a transcription of the Marriage Licences copied from the General Licences as held at Canterbury Cathedral Archives.  Cost of CD is £17 to non-members and £12 to members.  A small proviso, Cowper is not infallible so, it is always wise to check the Licence Register and any earlier Allegation and or Bond!

The East Kent marriage Index as found on Find my Past may give clues that the marriage was by Licence.  That is, ages are noted and the occupation of the Groom.

Hope you find this helpful.

Tony

Hi Tony

Yes that is very helpful. I'm trying to work out which 'Mary' my ancestor John Philpot/Philpott/Filpot married in the 1670s. I currently have two possible marriages including this one. The other marriage was between John Philpot and Mary Hatcher and took place in St Nicholas at Wade on 29 October 1669.

John and Mary appear to have had three children (that I know of):

Anne - christened 23 January 1669 in Blean
Sarah - christened 16 August 1674 in Chislet
Mary - christened 3 July 1676 in Chislet [my ancestor]

I am not sure if Anne is part of my tree, but until I found out about the marriage of John Filpot and Mary Birch I thought that John Philpot and Mary Hatcher were my ancestors.

I'm not sure where Kingsnorth is though, is it anywhere near Chislet? I had thought my John was born in Nonnington in 1650 however if the John who married Mary Birch is my ancestor then he would have been born c1648. Again I don't know if Nonnington is near Kingsnorth.

Many thanks again

Matt

[redtonyt]

Hi Matt,

Kingsnorth is quite a way from Chislet.  It is just south of Ashford and as such is now pretty much part of Greater Ashford, if I can put it in that context.  Chislet abuts St Nicholas at Wade so, seems a more obvious choice.

According to the East Kent Marriage Index John Philpot was of the Parish of Holy Cross, Canterbury.  This could explain an intermediate birth at Blean!

This map may help,

http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Maps/East_Kent_Parishes.JPG

Happy hunting,
Tony

[Jolee]

I think Chislet might be your best bet, I have the KFH CD for St Nicholas at Wade and the marriage is not listed, I also tried Birchington not there either

[redtonyt]

There does seem to be a discrepancy about the marriage of John Philpot to Mary Hatcher.  It can be found in England marriages on Family Search.  It also can be found on The East Kent Marriage Index but the results are different, i.e. England Marriages 1669 and EKMI has 1668.  However, the St Nicholas at Wade Register has no entry at all!

My only explanation is that the marriage may have been recorded on the Bishop's or Archbishop's Transcripts.

I have no knowledge of how the England Marriages was compiled by Family Search but, the EKMI was put together over some 40 years.  My understanding is the lady, who performed this heroic task, used all sources available, that is PRs, ABTs, BTs and Marriage Licences.  She may have used other sources but the aforementioned were the main ones.

Checking the BTs or ABTs should hopefully resolve this problem.

Another task for the next trip to the Cathedral City.

Tony

[MattD30]

Hi Matt,

Kingsnorth is quite a way from Chislet.  It is just south of Ashford and as such is now pretty much part of Greater Ashford, if I can put it in that context.  Chislet abuts St Nicholas at Wade so, seems a more obvious choice.

According to the East Kent Marriage Index John Philpot was of the Parish of Holy Cross, Canterbury.  This could explain an intermediate birth at Blean!

This map may help,

http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Maps/East_Kent_Parishes.JPG

Happy hunting,
Tony

Hi Tony

Thanks for that info. I had looked at the map of Kent previously and did think the marriage in St Nicholas at Wade was more likely (it was also the first one I found).

It's interesting that the Marriage Index says that John Philpot was 'of Canterbury' since the only John Philpot I previously had a note for him being born in Nonnington. There is a John christened in that parish in September 1650 (son of John and Elizabeth). Obviously he could have moved to Canterbury but I don't know if there was a John christened in Canterbury, something for me to check.

Matt

[redtonyt]

Matt,

I can confirm that there is a marriage recorded, at St Nicholas at Wade, on the Bishop's Transcripts as held within the Archives at Canterbury Cathedral.

The details are as follows,

1668 Oct 29 John Philpot of Holy Cross, Westgate and Mary Hatcher of St Nicholas at Wade.

Hopefully, that puts the problem to rest.

Tony