I missed the beginning of this thread, but two points have occurred to me from reading the more recent messages. When superintendent registrars' licences existed, they could not authorise a wedding according to the rites of the Church of England, but a superintendent registrar's certificate without a licence could and can, if the incumbent is agreeable. According to the last edition of the diocesan handbook that I saw, it is the policy of the Archbishop of Canterbury that licences for second marriages during the life of the first spouse should not be issued in his diocese. I do not know whether there is, or has been, a similar policy in other dioceses. It would seem odd, though, if special licences were issued in the name of an authority whose surrogates may not issue common licences in such circumstances. Going a bit off the subject, those registering marriages are now instructed to use the expression "single" in place of bachelor or spinster, while if the deceased is described as single in an administrator's oath, the registry asks for evidence of divorce! Jeremy Wilkes