Sarum Marriage Licence Bonds

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Information about Sarum Marriage Licence Bonds

The Sarum Diocese covered most of Wiltshire, most of Berkshire, parts of Dorset and a small area in Devon.
The records have been compiled from the bonds and allegations or sometimes from earlier transcriptions. In all cases the records have been checked against the original documents, which are deposited in the Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office.
The issuing of a licence does not necessarily mean that a marriage took place; some people may have had second thoughts and, it is believed, some thought the licence was sufficient and it was not necessary to get married. If a marriage did take place, it may not have been in a parish named in the bond of allegation. Note also that the marriage register or bishop"s transcript may not have survived, thus making the licence the only evidence of the intended marriage.
This collection contains 75,729 records of bonds issued between 1609 and 1823 and allegations from 1824 to 1837. The Record Office catalogues both in the same series. The following jurisdictions are covered:
MLB & MLA The Bishop of Salisbury in Wiltshire and Berkshire
DLB & DLA The Dean of Sarum in Wiltshire, Berkshire, Dorset and Uffculme, Devon
ELB & ELA The Dean & Chapter in Salisbury, Wiltshire
TLB & TLA The Treasurer in Alderbury, Figheldean, Pitton and Calne, Wiltshire
PLB & PLA The Precentor in Westbury, Bratton and Dilton, Wiltshire
GLB & GLA The Peculiar of Gillingham in Dorset, including Motcombe
CLB The Peculiar of Corsham in Wiltshire, including Stratton St Margaret
HLB The Prebend of Chute and Chisenbury in Wiltshire, including Winterbourne Dauntsey
WLB Wantage in Berkshire