Stan
I'm a bit confused!
I appreciate that written consent wasn't necessary and have seen banns books where the cleric has noted that the process didn't continue because a parent/guardian objected.
However, in your first reply you said that, in the event that one of the marriage partners was a minor, the cleric was required include that consent of a parent/guardian had been given. But, in your second reply you say that if the parent/guardian hadn't objected to the banns, then consent was presumed.
Or am I reading it incorrectly?
I have an ancestor who married (in England) in 1822 and died in 1832, age 26 (according to the burial register) - have a thread about her on RC, so won't repeat the details here. So, at the time of the wedding she would have been 16/17 and I was thinking there might have been some mention of parent/guardian consent somewhere.
STG
I deleted my reply as I thought Stan had made it clear.
There was a restriction on marriages of minors (people under the age of 21) by licence between 1774 and 1823 as a result of Hardwick's Marriage Act 1773 but that was repealed in 1823.
The above restriction did not however affect any marriage by banns where it was advisory to obtain parental permission but it was not required for a legal marriage to take place.
Hardwick's Marriage Act 1773 puts it this way-
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01l5p/III. Provided always, and be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Parson, Minister, Vicar or Curate solemnizing Marriages after the twenty-fifth Day of March one thousand seven hundred and fifty-four, between Persons, both or one of whom shall be under the Age of twenty-one Years, after Banns published, shall be punishable by Ecclesiastical Censures for solemnizing such Marriages without Consent of Parents or Guardians, whose Consent is required by Law, unless such Parson, Minister, Vicar or Curate shall have Notice of the Dissent of such Parents or Guardians; and in case such Parents or Guardians, or one of them, shall openly and publickly declare, or cause to be declared in the Church or Chapel where the Banns shall be so published, at the Time of such Publication, his, her or their Dissent to such Marriages such Publication of Banns shall be absolutely void.
Cheers
Guy