This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/WWC.2ACI/3741.2.1 Message Board Post: Thanks for your reply. At your suggestion I did do a look up for the dates of Ash Wednesday in the years in which marriages occurred in February. Following is the result -- marriage date followed by the date of Ash Wednesday. 11/02/1822 -- 20/02/1822 26/02/1824 -- 03/03/1824 26/02/1827 -- 28/02/1827 15/02/1830 -- 24/02/1830 02/02/1831 -- 16/02/1831 08/02/1836 -- 17/02/1836 11/02/1836 -- do 14/02/1838 -- 28/02/1834 It certainly appears there was a rush to marriage before Lent began. Thanks again to everyone. Mike