Cost of Baptism, Marriage and Burial in 1800s

[RWTaylor]

Does anyone know what the charges were by the church for baptisms, marriages and burials in England in the early 19th century? I had found some costs in one Parish record book, but this was for 1740. I was surprised at how high they were relative to what must have been the average wage of agricultural labourers at the time. I wondered if they went up by much over the period.

Or is there anywhere I could search to find them?

Thanks

RWT

[Guy Etchells]

In most circumstances baptism & marriage are considered sacraments and therefore no charge may be made for them.
However charges may be made for extra items such as dressing the church for the ceremony, registering the baptism or marriage, etc.
Cheers
Guy

[RWTaylor]

Thank you for that. However, my interest was in how much things like baptism, marriage and burial cost - so maybe the actual service costs nothing, but the cost of registration is an element of costs that the family would bear. I have seen a list of charges in a parochial register and there is a paper on costs charged by St Martins in the Fields, so I am assuming that there were charges, even if they were for registration (also the 1812 Act says that "Nothing in this Act shall increase or diminish the fees heretofore payable or the right due to any Minister for the performance of the before mentioned duties"). The fees I've seen - 1/6 for a baptism for instance in 1714 - seems a lot given agricultural wages at the time.

My interest is in the early 19th century at the moment and I wondered if they had risen much since 1740, when I had the earlier information.

RWT

[Rena]

I've got quite a few marriages that don't seem to have been registered and I believe that this was due to there being a heavy tax levied on the ceremonies.   If the betrothed couldn't pay the levy the vicar would oblige by just accepting money for the ceremony but  not officially registering the marriage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamp_Duties_Act_1783

[Guy Etchells]

Yes it grew to such an extent that in 1872 an Act was passed outlawing the practice see
https://tinyurl.com/ynwnvzme

Various other Acts of Parliament of interest to genealogists on my website at
https://tinyurl.com/h3astpmb
Cheers
Guy

[Maiden Stone]

Does anyone know what the charges were by the church for baptisms, marriages and burials in England in the early 19th century?

Is you enquiry limited to C. of E.?
Custom in Catholic churches was to give an offering, amount varied according to what a family could afford. Poor people paid little or nothing. My grandma's family & their neighbours, small farmers near Castlebar, Mayo, Ireland, gave 3 shillings for baptisms in 1850s & 1860s. A railway porter gave 3 shillings. A few people gave half-a-crown (2s. 6d.). Army, constabulary and militia sergeants gave between 3 and 5 shillings. Shopkeepers and business owners in the town centre ranged from 5s. to £1. Men employed in an official capacity for government or local bodies 7s 6d. Crown solicitors and doctors £2.
Church of Ireland marriage licences were cheaper than marriage licences in England in 19th century.     

[RWTaylor]

Thanks - in this case, my interest is C of E in this instance, but all information is helpful for context.

RWT

[Maiden Stone]

 My grandma's family & their neighbours, small farmers near Castlebar, Mayo, Ireland, gave 3 shillings for baptisms in 1850s & 1860s. A railway porter gave 3 shillings.

Church of Ireland marriage licences were cheaper than marriage licences in England in 19th century.     

The farmer head of grandma's family was worth £20 when he died, aged 83 in 1912. He was a tenant holding 2 small portions of land when his 6 children were born. Amount of offering was written in the last column in the Castlebar baptism register.

I learned about the cost difference in Irish and English marriage licences recently in a link on a topic about marriages on RootsChat.
There were "Penny Weddings" at Manchester Cathedral on certain days in the year, Christmas, Easter, Whitsun. Many couples were married in 1 ceremony.
Burial fees varied depending on type of grave for one thing, also whether it was a new grave or opening an existing grave. Burial in cemeteries became more common after mid C.19th. Did fees vary by place?     

[jorose]

https://www.royall.co.uk/royall/marriages-for-free.php
This, regarding the Red Church in Bethnal Green where the Reverend famously abolished wedding fees as he thought the cost was preventing his parishioners from getting married,  mentions that the fees could vary by parish:

Church Building Acts of 1818-1884 whereby the Commissioners responsible for administering these Acts were empowered to fix a table of fees for any particular parish.