Findmypast is excited to bring you some of the earliest marriage records we hold with records from as early as 1115. Sixteen English counties are represented including London, Lancashire, Suffolk, Exeter, Lincoln, Yorkshire, and more. Marriage licenses will reveal your ancestor’s intended spouse, father’s name, and the intended marriage place.
Findmypast is excited to bring you some of the earliest marriage records we hold with records from as early as 1115. Sixteen English counties are represented including London, Lancashire, Suffolk, Exeter, Lincoln, Yorkshire, and more. Marriage licenses will reveal your ancestor’s intended spouse, father’s name, and the intended marriage place.
With each result, you will find a transcript of the vital facts and an image of the digitised volume of marriage licences. The detail in each licence varies depending on the age of the document and the individuals named in the licence. People of high social standing usually have more detail recorded in their licence such as occupations and fathers’ names. You will find a combination of the following facts in the marriage licence:
Name
Residence
Father’s name
Spouse’s name
Spouse’s residence
Spouse’s father’s name
Marital status
Marriage place
Britain, marriage licences comprise licences obtained in Bedfordshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, London, Middlesex, Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Surrey, Worcestershire, and Yorkshire. Most of the records were created from a mixture of handwritten and typed record books from 1115 until 1906.
A full list of all the volumes is provided below. The volumes in this collection were provided by the College of Arms, Anguline Research Archives, and Gould Genealogy. You can also browse through each volume by searching Findmypast’s Britain, marriage licenses browse. We have also added Norfolk marriage license records created from original records help at the Norfolk Record Office.
A marriage licence was obtained from the Church of England for a fee and with a sworn declaration that there were no legal impediments to the marriage. The licence waived the banns period necessary for a marriage to take place. Marriage licences were first introduced in the 14th century. There are different reasons why couples married by licence instead of by banns such as wanting to get married quickly, wanting to show that they could pay for a licence, or intending to be married away from home. If a marriage licence was issued it did not guarantee that the marriage took place.
One of the oldest records in the collection is from 27 January 1446 for ‘Richard son of Sir John Beauchamp [knight] and Elizabeth Stafford, da. Of sir Humphrey Stafford [knight]. Licence to Master Robert Carrewe, master of arts, and Sir John Wellys, record of Alcester. The marriage to be solemnized in the chapel or oratory within the manor of the said Sir John Beauchamp near Alcester’. Sir Richard Beauchamp, 2nd Baron Beauchamp of Powick, participated in the War of the Roses and fought against Queen Margaret at the Battle of Tewkesbury. The marriage was not a happy one. Elizabeth committed adultery and conspired with a neighbour to kill Richard.
Archdeaconry Court & Peculiar of Southwell Marriage Licences, 1701-1853
Archdeaconry of Bedford Marriage Licences Vol I 1747-1790
Archdeaconry of Bedford Marriage Licences Vol II 1791-1837
Archdeaconry of Suffolk Marriage Licences Vol I 1613-1674
Archdeaconry of Suffolk Marriage Licences Vol II 1663-1750
Bishop of London Marriage Licences Vol I 1520-1610
Bishop of London Marriage Licences Vol II 1611-1828
Canterbury Marriage Licences Vol I 1568-1618
Canterbury Marriage Licences Vol II 1619-1660
Canterbury Marriage Licences Vol III 1661-1676
Canterbury Marriage Licences Vol IV 1677-1700
Canterbury Marriage Licences Vol V 1701-1725
Canterbury Marriage Licences Vol VI 1726-1750
Chertsey Marriage Licences
Commissary Court of Surrey Marriage Licences 1673-1770
Diocese of Bath & Wells Marriage Licences 1645-1775
Diocese of Exeter Marriage Licences 1523-1631
Diocese of Gloucester Marriage Licences 1637-1743
Diocese of Lincoln Marriage Licences 1598-1628
Diocese of London Marriage Licence Extracts 1598-1639
Diocese of Worcester Marriage Licences 1446-1725
Faculty Office Marriage Licences 1543-1700
Hampshire Marriage Licences 1689-1837, Vol I - A-L
Hampshire Marriage Licences 1689-1837, Vol II - M-Z
Lancashire Marriage Bonds 1648-1710
London Marriage Licences 1521-1869
Paver's Marriage Licences from the Registry of York 1567-1614
St George Hanover Square Marriage Licences Vol I
St George Hanover Square Marriage Licences Vol II
St George Hanover Square Marriage Licences Vol III
St George Hanover Square Marriage Licences Vol IV
St George Hanover Square Marriage Licences Vol V
St George Hanover Square Marriage Licences Vol VI
St Giles in the Fields Marriage Licences
St Mark Old Street Marriage Licences
St Mary Magdalene Fish Street Marriage Licences 1687-1713
St Mary Magdalene Fish Street Marriage Licences 1687-1737
St Mary Newington Marriage Licences A-C
St Mary Newington Marriage Licences C-G
St Mary Newington Marriage Licences H-L
St Mary Newington Marriage Licences M-R
St Mary Newington Marriage Licences S-Y
St Peter, Islington Marriage Licences