Having your banns read

[Vasquez109]

My 3x GGrandparents were married in Kemble, Glocestershire on 12/06/1806 and when I went to the RO I couldnt believe it when I saw this...

Is this right? It seems very strange to have your banns read nearly a year before you get married. Unless there was a reason that has been lost to the sands of time...

[veeblevort]

It certainly seems an unusual delay. I think an accurate answer would depend on which religion is involved.

I have tried Google without finding any limit on the delay within canon law, however, came across a reference that said under English civil law, banns or a licence only validate the proposed marriage for a period of three months.

vv.

[Vasquez109]

Thats certainly very strange. Trying to think of possible reasons why but cant think of any!

[Billyblue]

Banns are proclaimed to allow anyone who has / thinks they have a valid reason for the people in the banns not to be allowed to marry, to speak up or 'forever hold your peace'.

Maybe someone challenged their right to marry and it took some months for it all to be sorted out.
This would explain why they required no further banns after the three months elapsed from the original banns (that vv. uncovered).

If this was the case you would think there would be some record of what happened, in the parish records.

Dawn M

[veeblevort]

It's a puzzle.

I see Dawn M is thinking along the same lines as me, but I'll post anyway.

Maybe there was an objection on the third reading, e.g. from a parent if one of the
parties was a minor. Do you know their ages?

Maybe they were separated for some reason, perhaps military service, illness, or prison.

Presumably you would know if the banns were read again nearer to the wedding.

On further Googling, it looks like the three month limit did not come into force
until after 1806.

vv.

[stanmapstone]

The three months was enacted by An Act for amending the Laws respecting the Solemnization of Marriages in England. [18th July 1823]
IX. And be it further enacted, That whenever a Marriage shall not be had within Three Months after the complete Publication of Banns, no Minister shall proceed to the Solemnization of the same until the Banns shall have been republished on Three several Sundays, in the Form and Manner prescribed in this Act, unless by Licence duly obtained according to the Provisions of this Act.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~framland/acts/alm1823.htm

Before this date the relevant Act was Lord Hardwicke’s Act, of 1753 which has no mention of a time limit.

Stan

[Rishile]

Maybe one or other (or both) changed their minds, then changed it back again.

It has been known 

Rishile

[Vasquez109]

In such a small rural hamlet, you cant keep many things a secret! Bet it was the talking point for ages!

[behindthefrogs]

It certainly seems an unusual delay. I think an accurate answer would depend on which religion is involved.

vv.

In 1805 most of this country was christian and so we can be fairly certain that was their religion.  This is supported by the fact that the banns book shown was used by the Church of England and so that can be identified as the denomination, although at that time most people were married in an Anglican Church.