Banns v Licence

[groom]

My great great grandmother Maria Elizabeth Hoare married her first husband James Moore Penfold on the 20th August 1828 at St Martins in the Fields, London. James was a solicitor and almost 22 at the time of the marriage and Maria was 21. Her mother and stepfather were witnesses. According  to the parish records, Maria was of that parish.

However, the marriage was by licence rather than banns and the licence was granted 2nd June 1828 ie. about 12 weeks before they married. Why would they have applied for a licence rather than just have the banns called? I thought licences were granted so that you could marry quickly?

James died 3 years later and Maria then married my great great grandfather, who was a gardener - so quite a change in her circumstances I would think!

[Ruskie]

Groom, I think I recall reading that marriage by licence was something favoured by the well-to-do, which could fit with James being a solicitor.

[BumbleB]

Another reason for marriage by Licence, rather than Banns, was that the couple didn't want their intentions made public.  James was not of the same parish, and perhaps the couple felt that Licence was the expedient way forward. 

[groom]

Thanks Ruskie, that would explain it - so it was a kind of snob value.  I don't think Maria's family were well off, in fact I think that Maria was probably illegitimate.

I did wonder about that, BB, but I would have thought if that was the case, perhaps James's family weren't keen on the marriage, that they would have married as soon as they had the licence.

[mazi]

It could maybe have something to do with the fact that preparations for the building of Trafalgar Square started in 1826, involving major demolition of the area around the church.

With a licence they were not tied to a specific date, so could fit in with the much disrupted demolition works.

Mike

[stanmapstone]

However, the marriage was by licence rather than banns and the licence was granted 2nd June 1828 ie. about 12 weeks before they married. Why would they have applied for a licence rather than just have the banns called? I thought licences were granted so that you could marry quickly?

A Licence was only in force for three months from the date of issue, so they left it late.

Stan

[groom]

Thanks Stan. Just about made it didn't they?

[Top-of-the-hill]

   The better off types also did not want their business paraded before all and sundry in Church.

[groom]

The Penfolds were quite well known solicitors and architects in Croydon and London, being mentioned several times in the London Gazette and Journals of the House of Commons, so I wonder if James was marrying beneath himself and the family didn't like it. So keeping it quiet makes sense - just why wait so long?