Hi Audrey Yes you are correct in that the money mentioned is a "penal element". However the person who gets the money if an impediment to the marriage is discovered is not the other party signing the bond, but the person issuing the licence - it will say who on the bond. All the people signing the bond are liable to forfeit it, so hopefully preventing the groom marrying the bride bigamously (say) and disappearing into thin air! If he does the others would have to cough up. Thus they made sure all was above board before signing, which of course was the whole point of the excercise. Polly