Marriage licences, bonds and allegations

1. About this guide

This guide explains how to search for marriage licences issued in the City of London and the counties of Middlesex and Surrey.

Most people who planned to get married had their banns read in a parish church on the three Sundays before the wedding took place. However, it was also possible to get a licence from an appropriate issuing authority (usually a church court). This would grant permission for a man and woman to marry at a location within the licence’s jurisdiction without the need for banns to be read.

2. What records survive?

To obtain a licence, the couple (or their representative) would have to provide a written allegation stating their intent to get married and that there was no legal impediment to the marriage. Until 1823, the applicant would also have to sign a bond that made them liable to a monetary penalty if the claims of the allegation were found to be false.

It is important to remember that usually only marriage allegations and bonds survive as the licence would have been kept by the couple to give to the person conducting the marriage ceremony. The marriage allegations and bonds were kept by the issuing authority.

3. Who issued the licence?

Here is a general guide on how to find the correct licence issuing authority:

• Most licences were obtained from the bishop of the diocese in which the couple lived and where the marriage was to take place. For example, the Bishop of London for the Diocese of London
• Some smaller ecclesiastical jurisdictions (archdeaconries, deaneries, peculiars) could also issue licences if the bride and groom both lived within the area
• If the couple came from different dioceses within the Province of Canterbury, they could obtain a licence from the Vicar General of the Archbishop of Canterbury
• If one party lived in the Province of Canterbury and the other in York, the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury could issue a licence

Please note that these rules were not always followed so it's worth checking all licence issuing authorities.

Ecclesiastical jurisdictions are given in the following sources:

• England Jurisdictions 1851
• The Phillimore atlas and index of parish registers edited by Cecil R. Humphrey-Smith on library shelfmark 60.53 PHI

4. Online Records

Many of our marriage allegations and bonds are available to view on Ancestry.co.uk. See London and Surrey, England, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1597-1921.

5. Records held at The London Archives

Use the table below to find the relevant reference codes:

6. Indexes and Transcripts

There are some useful indexes on Ancestry.co.uk and Findmypast.co.uk (charges apply):

• London, England, Marriage Licences, 1521-1869
• London, England, Crisp's Marriage Licence Index, 1713-1892
• Britain, Marriage Licences
• Allegations for Marriage Licences issued by the Vicar-General of the Archbishop of Canterbury 1669 to 1679
• Vicar General Marriage Licences
• Calendar of marriage licenses issued by the Faculty Office, 1632-1714
• Faculty Office Marriage Licences

7. Records held elsewhere

Please contact the following archives for records of other licence issuing authorities:

• Lambeth Palace Library for Archbishop of Canterbury, Deanery of the Arches and Deanery of Croydon
• Westminster Archives for Dean and Chapter of Westminster
• Surrey History Centre for Bishop of Guildford