Downpatrick marriage query

[tomwdcraftr]

I have an Irish marriage I'm curious about. My GG Grandparent's John McMullan and Margaret Orr married in Downpatrick, Ireland. The orignal record acquired was apparently a record sent for registration, showing the date to have been May 2, 1845.

However, recently a kind person in Ireland has found the record apparently in the Church Registry, showing they married at the Downpatrick Cathedral May 2, 1844. I'm hoping he can acquire the actual image and send it to me this week.

I'm told the record reads:  "John McMullen of Down Parish and Margt Orr of Down Parish were married in this Cathedral by license with consent of parents this second day of May in the Year one thousand eight hundred and fourty four by me Jas Milligan".

I've been told "consent of parents" meant they were less than 21 years of age, and the parents would have had to allow the marriage. Wondering if this is correct?

Also, "by license"? Would there actually be a separate license for the marriage, or is that the record of the Church??

So far, I haven't found names for John's parents, and am hoping to find some record with that info.

Thanks!!  Tom McMillan (Washougal, WA)

[murney]

If a couple or one of the couple is under 21, then they did have to have the consent of the parents before they married.  I am not sure about Church of Ireland weddings but in the Roman Catholic church, a couple could apply for a licence if they didn't want the banns read out for 3 weeks before the marriage date.  I have been told that this was for different reasons, usually for status (they didn't want the neighbourhood knowing their business and they could afford to pay the extra fee; if the bride was pregnant and they didn;t want to wait the 3 weeks before they could get married; or if they were cousins.  Cousins had to apply for a dispensation from the bishop.  I am not sure about CoI, but the parents' names were never given on the RC Licence records, just the prospective bride and groom, when they applied and what they paid for the licence.  The licence records are usually found in the bishop's parish of a particular diocese.