| LONDON Diocese | 2nd July 1770 |
Appeared personally Richard Rymell and made Oath, that he is of the Parish of Isleworth in the County of Middlesex a Batchelor aged upwards of twenty one years
and intendeth to marry with Elizabeth Dickhuff of the same Parish and aged upwards of twenty one years
and that he knoweth of no lawful Impediment, by Reason of any Pre-contract entered into before the twenty-fifth Day of March, one Thousand seven Hundred and Fifty-four, Consanguinity, Affinity, or any other lawful means whatsoever, to hinder the said intended Marriage, and prayed a Licence to solemnize the same in the aforesaid Parish Church
and further made Oath that the usual Place of Abode of him the said Richard Rymell
hath been in the said Parish of Isleworth
for the Space of four weeks last past the mark of Richard X Rymell
Sworn before me Geo. Harris / surrogate.
Know all men by these Presents, That We Richard RYMELL of the Parish of Isleworth in the County of Middlesex, Ostler
are hereby become bound unto the Right Reverend Father in God Richard by Divine Permission Lord Bishop of London, in the Sum of Two Hundred Pounds of good and lawful Money of Great-Britain, to be paid to him the said Right Reverend Father in God, or his lawful Attorney, Executors, Successors or Assigns ; For the good and faithful Payment of which Sum, we do bind ourselves, and both of us, jointly and severally, for the Whole, our Heirs, Executors and Administrators, firmly by these Presents, Sealed with our Seals, Dated the 2nd Day of July in the Year of our Lord 1770
The Condition of this Obligation is such, that if hereafter there shall not appear any lawful Lett or Impediment, by reason of any Pre-Contract, Consanguinity, Affinity, or any other lawful Means whatsoever ; but that the above Richard Rymell, Batchelor and Elizabeth Dickhuff, Spinster
may lawfully solemnize Marriage together, and in the same afterwards lawfully remain and continue for Man and Wife, according to the Laws in that Behalf provided : And moreover, if there be not at this present Time any Action, Suit, Plaint, Quarrel, or Demand, moved or depending before any Judge Ecclesiastical or Temporal, for or concerning any such lawful Impediment between the said Parties : Nor that either of them be of any other Parish or Place, nor any better Estate or Degree, than to the Judge at granting of the Licence is suggested and by him Sworn to
And lastly, if the said Marriage shall be openly solemnized in the Church, or Chapel in the Licence specified, between the Hours appointed in Constitutions Ecclesiastical confirmed, and according to the Form of the Book of Common Prayer, now by Law established, and the above bounden Richard Rymell do have harmless and keep indemnified the above mentioned Right Reverend Father in God, his Chancellor and Surrogates, and all other his Officers and Ministers whatsoever, by reason of the Premises ; then this Obligation to be void, or else to remain in full Force and Virtue
The mark of Richard X Rymell
Sealed and Delivered in the Presence of W Bromelcombe
The above are transcripts of forms with the hand-written entries shown in Italics.
Persons intending to be married usually had their banns read in church on three Sundays before the marriage. Those not wishing to be married by banns could obtain a licence from an appropriate (usually ecclesiastical) authority to marry at a place within its jurisdiction. Marriage by licence was often preferred because it was quicker, more convenient and/or more discreet, or because it was thought to confer social prestige.
A marriage licence was issued only after a written allegation of intention to marry was made by the prospective bride or bridegroom (or by their representative), giving their parishes and their approximate ages and slating that there was no legal impediment to the marriage. It is the allegation which should be sought when evidence of the issuing of a licence is required, since the allegations were usually retained by the issuing authority, while the licences themselves, having been shown to the person who was to conduct the marriage ceremony, were not preserved systematically and rarely survive.
Until 1823 an applicant for a licence also had to sign a bond, by which he would incur a monetary penalty if it was found that there was a legal impediment to the marriage. The bonds were also usually kept by the licence-issuing authority.
Jurisdiction covers the Diocese of London (i.e. the City of London and Middlesex; also, until 1845, Essex and parts of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire; between 1845 and 1867, parts of Essex, Kent and Surrey; between 1867 and 1877, parts of Surrey).