England, Durham Diocese, Calendar of Marriage Bonds & Allegations, 1594-1815

What is in This Collection?

This collection consists of marriage records from the Diocese of Durham, including the Allertonshire peculiar, for the years 1594-1815.

Marriage allegations and bonds were sworn statements filed by a bride and groom as part of a marriage license application. The allegation stated that there was no known reason that the marriage should not take place; bonds contractually obligated the signers to pay a sum of money if the allegation was incorrect. Until 1733, marriage bonds were written partly in Latin but the wording was standardized and is easier to decipher in the printed forms that were in use by the 1690s.

Due to both tradition and a fee associated with obtaining a marriage license, most English couples were married by banns, not by license, and so would have neither a marriage allegation nor its related bond. However, families able to pay the fee would often avoid the reading of public banns and obtain a license, since many families did not like the thought of public objection to the intended marriage. Before the 1830s, nonconformists were required to marry officially in the Church of England, so most applied for licenses, rather than having their marriage announced by banns. Other possible reasons for obtaining marriage licenses are explained in the Marriage Allegations, Bonds and Licences in England and Wales page.

Although most bonds and allegations have survived, some are in poor condition and difficult to read, especially when the microfilmed images are badly focused. Licenses themselves were not normally retained for long after being handed to the officiating minister, but a few survive with parish records.

The Bishop of Durham’s transcripts of marriage bonds and allegations for Allertonshire Peculiar includes the following Yorkshire parishes:

For a list of parishes which historically made up this county, see the Durham Parishes page.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

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What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Marriage

• Names of the marriage partners
• Ages of the marriage partners
• Occupations of the marriage partners
• Marital status of the partners (whether single or widowed)
• Parish of residence
• Where the marriage was to take place
• A parent’s name or signature
• If either of the marriage partners was a minor, the name of the parent or guardian who was consenting to the marriage

Collection Content

The collection consists of calendar (chronological) typescript copy of the Diocese of Durham Marriage Bonds and Allegations. It contains men, women, and place indexes in each volume.

Sample Image

Marriage Bonds 1791