I can answer #3. It's the day the 1753 Marriage Act came into force. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_Act_1753 regards Sheila >________________________________ > From: David Tennant <d_jtennant@sympatico.ca> >To: norfolk@rootsweb.com >Sent: Thursday, 5 January 2012, 15:20 >Subject: [NFK] Marriage Bond Question > >///I have just located the Marriage Bond of my many times GF William >Skitmore on the LDS site and have a question or two, see partial >transcription below most of which is a standard form. >1) This is an "application" for his marriage by License? He was married >on the day stated >2) The payment of 200 pounds is some kind of penalty? >3) The significance of the date 25 March 1754 >4)Who was Wharton Park >Dave >/ > > >//// > >/Know all Men by these Presents, That We/William Skitmore of the City of >Norwich? ? ? ? ? Nov? of ? in the County of Norfolk? /are holden and >firmly bound to/ the worshipful Wharton Park Doctor of Laws >Commissionary throughout the Archdeaconary of Norwicvh lawfully >constituted/in the sum of Two Hundred Pounds of good and lawful Money of >Great Britain, to be paid to the said /Wharton Park (?) /or his certain >Attorney, Successors or Agents To which payment well and truly to be >made, we bind/ /ourselves, and each of us by himself for the whole, our >and each of our Heirs Executors and Administrators, firmly by these >Presents, Sealed with our Seals, Dated the/ EighteenthDay of October/in >the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and/Sixty Eight** > >/The Condition of this Obligation is such, That if hearafter there fall >not appear any lawful Let or Impediment, by Reason of any Precontract >entered into before the Twenty-Fith of March 1754, / > >------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NORFOLK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >