How Were Marriage Registers Affected By The English Civil War?

Like baptism registers, marriage entries in marriage registers were also affected between 1645 and 1660, sometimes well beyond. During the Civil War and Interregnum, the reform with probably the most impact was the 1653 Act which made it possible only to have a civil marriage before a justice of the peace.
Church weddings, or weddings performed solely by a clergyman, were prohibited and the ceremony was often performed in a public place ~ 'at ye crosse' is a phrase that is used in records from the time, or in the Town Hall.

The civil ceremony was so unpopular that couples often had both a civil and a church marriage. However, entries of marriages for this period can contain much more information than those in the preceding period. Instead of just recording the name of the bride and groom, marriage registrations during the civil war often gave the occupation of the groom and the places where both the bride and groom had come from.

Add Comment

Report