Angmering Marriage Register (1754-1813)

Lord Hardwicke's Marriage Act of 1753 required that all marriages – even Nonconformist – be performed in an Anglican parish church or chapel. The banns of marriage had to be repeated for three successive Sundays and the wedding had to be conducted in a church according to the English Book of Common Prayer, and properly recorded in the parish register. This was intended to stop clandestine marriages without a licence, those conducted when the parties were intoxicated, and other corrupt practices. It came into force on 25th March 1754. Only Jews and Quakers were exempt.

The Act required marriages to be entered in a separate register. For the first time, bound volumes of printed forms were introduced in which the parish of residence of the bride and groom and the names of two witnesses to the marriage ceremony were recorded. Additionally, it was required to be recorded whether the marriage was performed by banns or licence, and the bride and groom were required to sign the register or make their mark.

The first entry in Angmering's new marriage register was on 6 March 1754, some 19 days before the mandatory implementation date of the Act. The following entries were transcribed by Neil Rogers-Davis in May 2004 from the original register entries.