England, Durham Diocese, Calendar of Marriage Bonds and Allegations - FamilySearch Historical Records

England Durham

What is in the Collection?
This collection consists of marriage records from County Durham for the years 1594-1815. The collection consists of calendar (chronological) typescript copy of the Diocese of Durham Marriage Bonds and Allegations. It contains men, women, and place indexes in each volume

Allegations are handwritten documents. Later allegations are handwritten on pre-printed pages. Most of the originals have now been compiled and bound in volumes. The majority of the original marriage allegations have been preserved. While most are in the custody of the diocese, others may be found in the records of the Vicar General and the faculty office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Most are now in the county records office.

The Bishop of Durham’s transcripts of marriage bonds and allegations for Allertonshire Peculiar includes the following Yorkshire parishes:


 * Birkby
 * Cowesby
 * Hutton Bonville
 * Leake
 * Nether Silton
 * North Otterington
 * Osmotherly
 * Thornton-le-Street

A marriage allegation is a sworn statement filed often by the marriage participants in connection with their license application. It is a statement that there is no known reason that the marriage should not take place. Marriage licenses could be granted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, bishops, and archdeacons or their surrogates within their respective jurisdictions. The original allegations and bonds were held by the various church officials. Most were later transferred to county record offices. Many of the records are now published by the respective dioceses. The majority of English people would have been married by banns, not by license, and so would not have a marriage allegation. However, from the early 16th century those able to pay the fee could avoid the reading of public banns and obtain a license, since many families did not like the thought of public objection to their intended marriage. Dissenters (other faiths) were obliged to marry in the Church of England and obtain a license to marry.

For further information see the Related Wiki Articles and the General Information About the Records sections of this article.

Sample Image
Marriage records usually contain the following information:


 * Names of the marriage partners
 * Ages of the marriage partners
 * Occupations of the marriage partners
 * Marital status of the partners (whether single or widowed)
 * Parish of residence
 * Where the marriage was to take place
 * A parent’s name or signature
 * If either of the marriage partners was a minor, the name of the parent or guardian who was consenting to the marriage

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the name of the bride or groom. If no index is available, you should know the jurisdiction where the allegation was filed and an approximate marriage date.

To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Year Range" ⇒Select the appropriate "Durham University Reference Number" category ⇒Select the appropriate "Abstract or Index" which will take you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.


 * You can use the residence information for the bride and groom to look for their baptisms and to identify the children of this couple.
 * The ages can help you calculate an approximate year of birth.
 * For people whose ancestors married by license, the allegation could be a valuable research tool. The allegation can help define family relationships and residences as well as personal information such as age and occupation.

What if I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?
The following suggestions can help you find marriage allegation records for your ancestors:


 * Make sure you are searching in the right jurisdiction.
 * Check for indexes that will make your search easier.
 * When searching through the records, look for others with the same surname; they may be related.
 * Look for allegations of parents and earlier generations in the same jurisdiction.
 * Look for allegations of children in the same jurisdiction.

General Information About the Records
The Durham collection represents allegations or applications made to the diocesan chancellor or surrogate. Application may also have been made to the Archbishop's of York or Canterbury as the two provinces within the Church of England. In the case of Canterbury allegations, the license issued was valid throughout England.

Two people made the allegation (application) to designated officers of either the diocesan chancellor or surrogate or the Archbishop’s of York or Canterbury. Bridegrooms may make an allegation or have two friends do so on their behalf. Each allegation requires two bondsmen who would stand as surety in case any impediment to marriage is later discovered. Underage spouses required parental consent as part of the allegation.

The licenses were issued to the bridegroom and have generally not survived; the allegations and bonds are found at the diocesan or record office and here, forming this collection.

Both the Canterbury Vicar-General's and Faculty Office records are held at the Lambeth Palace Library, the residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and can be seen by appointment with the librarian. Printed indexes of these were also published by the Harleian Society, and the Society of Genealogists also has a collection of abstracts and indexes and has published a guide to them.

These records were created as part of the ecclesiastical process of ensuring that no lawful impediment to marriage existed, that persons of other faiths required to marry in the Church of England had a system to do so, and that an alternative was offered to those who did wish public banns to be read. The license was normally obtained from the chancellor or surrogate of the diocese in which one of the parties lived and in which the marriage was intended to be celebrated, but application could be made to the Vicar-General of the Archbishop of the province. If the parties lived in different diocese, they had to apply to the Vicar-General. If they lived in different provinces they had to apply to the Master of Faculties of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

It was used by the marriage official as evidence that the bride and groom were eligible to be married.

The information included in a marriage allegation is sometimes unreliable; fictitious names are not unknown! Generally if the bridegroom and a friend made the allegation the information is reliable; in the case of application by two "friends" a need for a degree of caution may be indicated. It was often the case that families of nobility would have others would handle the license application on their behalf. The use of fictitious bondsmen names occurs, but usually the parties to the marriage are accurate secretive marriage was being sought for pregnancy or another reason.

The Allegation or Application is only an intention to marry and, just as a banns book entry may not result in actual marriage, does not imply actual marriage.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing this Collection
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