Marriage Licence Allegations Index 1694-1850
Vicar-General and Faculty Office


What are the Marriage Licence Allegation indexes?
A Marriage Licence Allegation was a document sworn by one of the prospective parties, usually the groom, to the effect that there was no impediment to the marriage and where the marriage could take place.

British Origins has two Marriage Licences Allegation indexes containing the names of over 670,000 people issued with marriage licences between 1694 to 1850, identifying couples, particularly Londoners, who intended to marry:
It is estimated that about 2-3% of marriages in England were by a licence issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury during 1694-1850. However, the issue of a Marriage Licence Allegation does not prove that the marriage actually took place.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, through his Vicar-General, issued common licences for couples to marry in any parish church or chapelry in the province of Canterbury which dispensed with the calling of banns on three successive Sundays. Until 1753, the Vicar-General's Office also granted relatively few special licences which allowed parties 'to marry at any meet and convenient place', generally a college chapel or nobleman's private chapel not normally licensed for marriages. From 1753 special licences could only be obtained through the Faculty Office.

Marrying by licence appealed to couples for whom the speed and discretion with which a license could be issued was important. It also appears that often couples, especially Londoners, went to a higher office than was necessary, using the registries of the Vicar-General and Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury located at Doctors Commons (see About Church of England Courts), because these courts had status and a reputation for efficiency. The indexes, therefore, are often useful for finding London marriages which otherwise might be difficult to locate.

Many ecclesiastical bodies had the right to issue marriage licences, many at archdeaconry and diocesan level. The theory a licence should be issued by the office which had jurisdiction over both parties. If a couple lived in different dioceses in the Province of Canterbury then the licence should have been issued by the Vicar-General. If they lived in different Provinces (eg. Canterbury and York) or overseas, then the licence should be issued by the Faculty Office. In practice people often went to a higher office.

The indexes are strictly finding aids for the original allegations. Hard copies of the allegation can be ordered online when you access the record in the British Origins database.
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The source records
The original records of the Vicar-General and of the Faculty Office are kept at Lambeth Palace Library, London. A full set of allegations corresponding to the indexes is available on microfilm at the Society of Genealogists. This microfilm was originally produced by the LDS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and copies may also be viewed at the Family History Library, Salt Lake City and the LDS Family History Centers worldwide.

The marriage licence allegations themselves have the full names of the bride and groom, whether over 21, their respective parish, and the church(es) (often up to three alternatives were given) for which the marriage was licensed. In the case of a minor (aged under 21), there is usually the written consent of a parent or guardian, sometimes from overseas.

Examples of original documents
These sample allegations, relating to well-known people, are typical. The format of 19thC pre-printed forms were similar for both Vicar-General and Faculty Office.

Robert Browning (1846) Faculty Office Allegation transcript  image 
Captain Cook (1762) Vicar-General Allegation transcript  image 
William Hogarth (1728) Vicar-General Allegation transcript  image 
Reproduced with the kind permission of Lambeth Palace Library.
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Online ordering
Order hard copies of licence allegations by clicking the Add to cart button at the side of the index record. You will be asked for a credit/debit card number and delivery details. Orders are processed by the Society of Genealogists and hard copies will be sent by post (airmail outside the UK).
Hard copy documents cost £10 GBP (approx US$15).
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Geographic coverage
The Vicar-General of the Archbishop of Canterbury could issue licences to marry in any church in the Province of Canterbury the extent of which is shown in this map of English and Welsh dioceses between 1541 and 1835, divided between the provinces of Canterbury and York. The map is not a definitive guide to where the parties to the marriage came from. For example, a Scottish or French groom living in London and marrying an English girl, could apply for, and be given a licence.
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Further information
The following books, available from the Society of Genealogists bookshop, provide well-informed and readable background.
There is extensive information on the marriage licence allegations and the indexing project at the Society of Genealogists web site.
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See also:  Help on Searching - Marriage Licence Allegations Index
  About Church of England Courts
  Using the Vicar-General and Faculty Office Marriage Licence Indexes
Genealogists' Magazine, December 2000




Presented in association with the Society of Genealogists www.sog.org.uk