Hello everyone, my 5 x g. grandparents are Robert STEPHENSON and Sarah SPARROW. I do have a copy of the marriage license for Robert and Sarah as well as a copy of the marriage bonds. The marriage bonds took place in Norwich, Norfolk and the marriage was at Aldham, Suffolk 1 April 1761' There is a date of 25 March 1754 also listed in the bonds. There is also a figure of 200.00 pounds to be paid to a Joseph ATWELL an official of the Confidential Court of Norwich. It also states that the marriage did not take place in Norwich but Aldham, Suffolk. The date of 25 March 1754 can this lead me to believe this marriage was an arranged marriage ? Bob

Hi Nivard; i re-read the marriage bonds and you are correct in that the 200.00 pounds was not paid. But i think they may have signed a promissory note stating if the marriage did take place on 1 April 1761 then they would not have to pay the 200.00 pounds? I hope anyone who is researching the line of Robert and Sarah Stephenson take a look at the marriage bonds and realize the marriage did not take place in Norwich but Aldham. Thank you very much Nivard for taking the time to send an explanation of the bonds. Bob On Tue, Aug 27, 2019 at 4:34 AM Nivard Ovington <ovington.one@gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Bob > > Aldham Suffolk was in the diocese of Norwich pre-1837, which is why the > bond was recorded as under Norwich > > The bond (very often £200) was not paid *unless* the information given > was found to be false (hence the reason for a stiff penalty to deter > false information being given) > > £200 then would be well in excess of £20,000.00 today, well out of the > reach of all but a very few people, I can't recall seeing anything > showing that a bond was ever paid, although it may have been at some point > > Dates wise, 25th March 1754 was the date that Hardwicks marriage act > came into force and probably refers to that, rather than it being the > date of the bond which was more likely to be the same year as the marriage > > The bond would state which parish/church they were to marry in > > People married by licence for various reasons, privacy, status, speed > etc but cost more than marriage by banns, often used by the wealthy > > Many marriages were arranged in the period but marriage by licence does > not of itself prove or disprove your one was arranged > > Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) > > On 26/08/2019 23:36, Robert Stephenson wrote: > > Hello everyone, my 5 x g. grandparents are Robert STEPHENSON and Sarah > > SPARROW. I do have a copy of the marriage license for Robert and Sarah as > > well as a copy of the marriage bonds. The marriage bonds took place in > > Norwich, Norfolk and the marriage was at Aldham, Suffolk 1 April 1761' > > There is a date of 25 March 1754 also listed in the bonds. There is also > a > > figure of 200.00 pounds to be paid to a Joseph ATWELL an official of the > > Confidential Court of Norwich. It also states that the marriage did not > > take place in Norwich but Aldham, Suffolk. The date of 25 March 1754 can > > this lead me to believe this marriage was an arranged marriage ? > > > > Bob > > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe > https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/suffolk@rootsweb.com > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: > https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb > community >

Hi Annette; first of all can i ask if you have the parish records for Aldham? In answer to your question i really think either Giles Colchester or Nivard Ovington are more capable in answering your question than i . I would help if i knew the answer. Bob On Mon, Aug 26, 2019 at 11:32 PM Annette McLean <ourplace.mclean8@gmail.com> wrote: > Hullo Robert, I cannot help with your question but I have a number of > births, deaths and marriages that took place in Aldham, Suffolk.from about > the mid 1400's up to about 1800's > Do I need to to for information about them in Norwich Norfolk and if so > what sort of records would that be? > > Annette > NZ > > On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 at 14:09, Robert Stephenson < > robertstephenson719@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Hello everyone, my 5 x g. grandparents are Robert STEPHENSON and Sarah > > SPARROW. I do have a copy of the marriage license for Robert and Sarah as > > well as a copy of the marriage bonds. The marriage bonds took place in > > Norwich, Norfolk and the marriage was at Aldham, Suffolk 1 April 1761' > > There is a date of 25 March 1754 also listed in the bonds. There is also > a > > figure of 200.00 pounds to be paid to a Joseph ATWELL an official of the > > Confidential Court of Norwich. It also states that the marriage did not > > take place in Norwich but Aldham, Suffolk. The date of 25 March 1754 can > > this lead me to believe this marriage was an arranged marriage ? > > > > Bob > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > > Unsubscribe > > https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/suffolk@rootsweb.com > > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: > > https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb > > community > > > > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe > https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/suffolk@rootsweb.com > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: > https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb > community >

Hullo Robert, I cannot help with your question but I have a number of births, deaths and marriages that took place in Aldham, Suffolk.from about the mid 1400's up to about 1800's Do I need to to for information about them in Norwich Norfolk and if so what sort of records would that be? Annette NZ On Tue, 27 Aug 2019 at 14:09, Robert Stephenson < robertstephenson719@gmail.com> wrote: > Hello everyone, my 5 x g. grandparents are Robert STEPHENSON and Sarah > SPARROW. I do have a copy of the marriage license for Robert and Sarah as > well as a copy of the marriage bonds. The marriage bonds took place in > Norwich, Norfolk and the marriage was at Aldham, Suffolk 1 April 1761' > There is a date of 25 March 1754 also listed in the bonds. There is also a > figure of 200.00 pounds to be paid to a Joseph ATWELL an official of the > Confidential Court of Norwich. It also states that the marriage did not > take place in Norwich but Aldham, Suffolk. The date of 25 March 1754 can > this lead me to believe this marriage was an arranged marriage ? > > Bob > > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe > https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/suffolk@rootsweb.com > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: > https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb > community >

Hi Bob Aldham Suffolk was in the diocese of Norwich pre-1837, which is why the bond was recorded as under Norwich The bond (very often £200) was not paid *unless* the information given was found to be false (hence the reason for a stiff penalty to deter false information being given) £200 then would be well in excess of £20,000.00 today, well out of the reach of all but a very few people, I can't recall seeing anything showing that a bond was ever paid, although it may have been at some point Dates wise, 25th March 1754 was the date that Hardwicks marriage act came into force and probably refers to that, rather than it being the date of the bond which was more likely to be the same year as the marriage The bond would state which parish/church they were to marry in People married by licence for various reasons, privacy, status, speed etc but cost more than marriage by banns, often used by the wealthy Many marriages were arranged in the period but marriage by licence does not of itself prove or disprove your one was arranged Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 26/08/2019 23:36, Robert Stephenson wrote: > Hello everyone, my 5 x g. grandparents are Robert STEPHENSON and Sarah > SPARROW. I do have a copy of the marriage license for Robert and Sarah as > well as a copy of the marriage bonds. The marriage bonds took place in > Norwich, Norfolk and the marriage was at Aldham, Suffolk 1 April 1761' > There is a date of 25 March 1754 also listed in the bonds. There is also a > figure of 200.00 pounds to be paid to a Joseph ATWELL an official of the > Confidential Court of Norwich. It also states that the marriage did not > take place in Norwich but Aldham, Suffolk. The date of 25 March 1754 can > this lead me to believe this marriage was an arranged marriage ? > > Bob

Marriage bonds and licences were quite common. It does not indicate an arranged marriage. Licences were used by wealthy persons and others who did not wish their banns to be read out in church or the delays associated with the reading of the bans, such as those in a hurry to get married (pregnant brides, bridegrooms about to leave for instance on joining the military in wartime, non-conformists, couples under the age of consent). A prerequisite to the issue of the licence was a marriage allegation - a sworn statement that there was no impediment to their getting married - and a marriage bond - an agreement to pay a sum of money should the marriage not take place. The licence normally allows for the marriage to take place at either the bride or the grooms parish. However, licences can also be issued that in effect requires the priest to marry someone there and then on presentation of the licence. This is often the method used for those persons who wished to get married at a location which was not the parish of either the bride or groom. I think that marriage licences can still be issued now, and certainly were still being issued in 1949, but by then were very unusual. None of the above suggests that it is an arranged marriage. Wishing you every success in your researches Giles Colchester, Researching COLCHESTER family, any spelling, any time, any place And PACKARD in England, Australasia and Africa -----Original Message----- From: Robert Stephenson [mailto:robertstephenson719@gmail.com] Sent: 26 August 2019 23:37 To: suffolk@rootsweb.com Subject: [SFK-UK] Marriage Bonds Hello everyone, my 5 x g. grandparents are Robert STEPHENSON and Sarah SPARROW. I do have a copy of the marriage license for Robert and Sarah as well as a copy of the marriage bonds. The marriage bonds took place in Norwich, Norfolk and the marriage was at Aldham, Suffolk 1 April 1761' There is a date of 25 March 1754 also listed in the bonds. There is also a figure of 200.00 pounds to be paid to a Joseph ATWELL an official of the Confidential Court of Norwich. It also states that the marriage did not take place in Norwich but Aldham, Suffolk. The date of 25 March 1754 can this lead me to believe this marriage was an arranged marriage ? Bob

Hi Giles; thank you for taking the time to send me what i think is the answer to my question? I really did not know the significance of the 1754 date but now i do. I did read the marriage bonds for Robert and Sarah and knew this was not a licence but a bond and actually knew beforehand the marriage took place at Aldham, Suffolk. Again,thank you Giles for the help. Bob On Tue, Aug 27, 2019 at 4:47 AM Giles Colchester <gscolch@gmail.com> wrote: > Marriage bonds and licences were quite common. It does not indicate an > arranged marriage. Licences were used by wealthy persons and others who > did > not wish their banns to be read out in church or the delays associated with > the reading of the bans, such as those in a hurry to get married (pregnant > brides, bridegrooms about to leave for instance on joining the military in > wartime, non-conformists, couples under the age of consent). A > prerequisite > to the issue of the licence was a marriage allegation - a sworn statement > that there was no impediment to their getting married - and a marriage bond > - an agreement to pay a sum of money should the marriage not take place. > The licence normally allows for the marriage to take place at either the > bride or the grooms parish. However, licences can also be issued that in > effect requires the priest to marry someone there and then on presentation > of the licence. This is often the method used for those persons who wished > to get married at a location which was not the parish of either the bride > or > groom. I think that marriage licences can still be issued now, and > certainly were still being issued in 1949, but by then were very unusual. > None of the above suggests that it is an arranged marriage. > > Wishing you every success in your researches > Giles Colchester, > Researching COLCHESTER family, any spelling, any time, any place > And PACKARD in England, Australasia and Africa > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Robert Stephenson [mailto:robertstephenson719@gmail.com] > Sent: 26 August 2019 23:37 > To: suffolk@rootsweb.com > Subject: [SFK-UK] Marriage Bonds > Hello everyone, my 5 x g. grandparents are Robert STEPHENSON and Sarah > SPARROW. I do have a copy of the marriage license for Robert and Sarah as > well as a copy of the marriage bonds. The marriage bonds took place in > Norwich, Norfolk and the marriage was at Aldham, Suffolk 1 April 1761' > There is a date of 25 March 1754 also listed in the bonds. There is also a > figure of 200.00 pounds to be paid to a Joseph ATWELL an official of the > Confidential Court of Norwich. It also states that the marriage did not > take place in Norwich but Aldham, Suffolk. The date of 25 March 1754 can > this lead me to believe this marriage was an arranged marriage ? > Bob > > > _______________________________________________ > Email preferences: http://bit.ly/rootswebpref > Unsubscribe > https://lists.rootsweb.com/postorius/lists/suffolk@rootsweb.com > Privacy Statement: https://ancstry.me/2JWBOdY Terms and Conditions: > https://ancstry.me/2HDBym9 > Rootsweb Blog: http://rootsweb.blog > RootsWeb is funded and supported by Ancestry.com and our loyal RootsWeb > community >