On Sun, 23 Jun 2002 18:13:24 -0400 "Mark & Joyce" <mj2ewe@bright.net> writes: > I was wondering if someone could explain the following phrase: > > >The marriage entry indicates that there is no record of an > > intention... Joyce - In colonial New England couples were required to publicise their intent to marry, or "marriage intention" (in other parts of the world sometimes called "marriage banns"). The intention had to posted in a designated public place, entered in the town record book, or announced at a public gathering such as a church service. If there were no valid objections to the marriage it could take place, usually two or three weeks after the intention, depending on the year and location. This prevented people such as the underaged and indentured servants from marrying without permisiion. Intentions were not always followed by a marriage. Sometimes that was due to a valid objection, sometimes the couple got cold feet - here's an example from West Bridgewater Vital Records, p. 162, that might be cold feet: PACKARD, Susan, Mrs., and Richmond Carr, int. Aug. 1, 1841. "Publishment taken down Aug. 14th 1841 by Mrs. Susan Packard, one of the parties -" (int. is the abbreviation for a marriage intention). Sometimes the posting of an intention was done without the knowledge or consent of the parties. Here's an example from Brockton Vital Records, p. 267: PHILLIPS, Francis and Olive Warren of Abington, int. Apr. 24, 1831. "This publishment put up without the consent of the parties, by the finesse of some villain, counterfeiting Phillips's name - Taken down April 26, 1831." In order to perplex genealogists of our time the crafty town clerks of yore often neglected to record which intentions were not followed by a marriage. <grin> Dale H. Cook, Chief Engineer, WWWR Roanoke VA, WCQV Moneta VA, WKBA WZZI Vinton VA, WKPA WLNI WLVA WZZU Lynchburg VA

***-----Original Message----- ***From: Dale H Cook [mailto:radiotest@juno.com] ***Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2002 7:45 PM ***To: MAYFLOWER-L@rootsweb.com ***Subject: Re: [MFLR] What does intention mean? *** *** ***On Sun, 23 Jun 2002 18:13:24 -0400 "Mark & Joyce" <mj2ewe@bright.net> ***writes: *** ***> I was wondering if someone could explain the following phrase: ***> ***> >The marriage entry indicates that there is no record of an ***> > intention... *** ***Joyce - *** ***In colonial New England couples were required to publicise their intent ***to marry, or "marriage intention" (in other parts of the world sometimes ***called "marriage banns"). The intention had to posted in a designated ***public place, entered in the town record book, or announced at a public ***gathering such as a church service. If there were no valid objections to ***the marriage it could take place, usually two or three weeks after the ***intention, depending on the year and location. This prevented people such ***as the underaged and indentured servants from marrying without ***permisiion. He's fast, he's thorough, and he seems to be always right. I'm hereby nominating Dale as Most Valuable Lister of this year. Here, by way of illustration from PCR, Laws 1623-1682 (PCR 11:13), is one relevant law from the early years of Plymouth Colony (bearing in mind that as Dale said practices varied from time to time and place to place): "That none be allowed to marry that are under the covert of parents but by their consent and approbation, but in case consent cannot be had then it shall be with the consent of the Governor, or some assistant [there were seven assistants] to whom the persons are knowne whose care it shall be to see the marriage be fitt before it be allowed by him. And after approbation be three several times published before the solemnising of it. or els in places where there is no such meetings that contracts or agreements of marriage may be so published, that then it shalbe lawful to publish them by a writing thereof made and set upon the usual publike place for the space of fifteen days, provided that the writing be under some magistrates hand or by his order."

Amen, Harlow. Dale has been helpful to me, and probably a bunch of other folks, too. But that's what the listserv idea is about. Bruce Harlow Chandler wrote: > ***-----Original Message----- > ***From: Dale H Cook [mailto:radiotest@juno.com] > ***Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2002 7:45 PM > ***To: MAYFLOWER-L@rootsweb.com > ***Subject: Re: [MFLR] What does intention mean? > *** > *** > ***On Sun, 23 Jun 2002 18:13:24 -0400 "Mark & Joyce" <mj2ewe@bright.net> > ***writes: > *** > ***> I was wondering if someone could explain the following phrase: > ***> > ***> >The marriage entry indicates that there is no record of an > ***> > intention... > *** > ***Joyce - > *** > ***In colonial New England couples were required to publicise their intent > ***to marry, or "marriage intention" (in other parts of the world sometimes > ***called "marriage banns"). The intention had to posted in a designated > ***public place, entered in the town record book, or announced at a public > ***gathering such as a church service. If there were no valid objections to > ***the marriage it could take place, usually two or three weeks after the > ***intention, depending on the year and location. This prevented people such > ***as the underaged and indentured servants from marrying without > ***permisiion. > > He's fast, he's thorough, and he seems to be always right. I'm hereby > nominating Dale as Most Valuable Lister of this year. > > Here, by way of illustration from PCR, Laws 1623-1682 (PCR 11:13), is one > relevant law from the early years of Plymouth Colony (bearing in mind that > as Dale said practices varied from time to time and place to place): > > "That none be allowed to marry that are under the covert of parents but by > their consent and approbation, but in case consent cannot be had then it > shall be with the consent of the Governor, or some assistant [there were > seven assistants] to whom the persons are knowne whose care it shall be to > see the marriage be fitt before it be allowed by him. And after approbation > be three several times published before the solemnising of it. or els in > places where there is no such meetings that contracts or agreements of > marriage may be so published, that then it shalbe lawful to publish them by > a writing thereof made and set upon the usual publike place for the space of > fifteen days, provided that the writing be under some magistrates hand or by > his order." > > ==== MAYFLOWER Mailing List ==== > Check out the Mayflower FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)page at http://www.macatawa.org/~crich/mayfaq.htm .