Durham Marriage Bonds

Durham Marriage Bonds.

Licenses were issued so that marriages could take place without banns being called. This was useful for couples away from the home area, those who wanted to avoid the three week`s wait the having the banns called involved. It was regarded as a status symbol to be married by licence and kept the marriage private. Durham Marriage Bonds run from 1594-1815.

You will come across various abreviations, such as Pg for Jopling, Bg for Jobling, Pn for Joplin and Jn for Joblin. Others are more obvious, such as Ncl for Newcastle. Please let me know if there are any you do not understand. The Bonds are accessed as an Excel File, which takes time to download. Your patience will be rewarded. The marriage licences seem to be applied for mainly by the better off, though there are one or two for `labourers`.

D.M.B.