THE

FLEET REGISTERS.

COMPRISING THE

Sftetorg of dFUet Jttarriageg,

AND SOME ACCOUNT OF

THE PARSONS AND MARRIAGE-HOUSE KEEPERS,
WITH EXTRACTS FROM THE REGISTERS:

TO WHICH ARE ADDED NOTICES OF THE

MAY FAIR, MINT, AND SAVOY CHAPELS,

AND

RELATING TO PAROCHIAL REGISTRATION.

" Much may be, and much has been, said, both for and against this Innovation upon
our ancient Laws and Constitution." Blackstone on the Marriage Act.

BY JOHN SOUTHERDEN BURN,

/*
AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF PARISH REGISTERS.

LONDON:

PUBLISHED BY RIVINGTONS, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD;

HENRY BUTTERWORTH, 7, FLEET STREET; AND

EDWARD SUTER, 19, CHEAPSIDE.

MDCCCXXXIII.

LONDON:
PRINTED BY SAMUEL BENTLEY,

Donet-street, Fleet-street.

JOHN WILKS, ESQ. M. P.

CHAIRMAN OF THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE

ON THE STATE OF PAROCHIAL REGISTRATION, .
TO WHOSE EXERTIONS THE COUNTRY IS INDEBTED FOR

THAT IMPORTANT INQUIRY,
THESE PAGES ARE DEDICATED
AS A MARK OF RESPECT
BY THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE.

IN collecting materials for a History of Parish Registers, the
Author first had occasion to refer to the Registers of the
Marriages solemnized at the Fleet; since that time he has
made a very minute examination of them, and the following
pages contain some of the most curious particulars con-
cerning the Registers and the parties connected with them.

It is untrodden ground ; indeed hitherto few persons were
aware of the existence of such Records, and fewer still know
their extent and importance.

Without discussing their validity as a Public Record, and
without attempting to place them upon the same footing in
respect to evidence as a Parish Register, it must be allowed
to them that they have been occasionally admitted as Evi-
dence in the Courts of Nisi Prius ; and although within
the last thirty years they have been generally (though not
uniformly) rejected, yet they unquestionably contain the
record of many thousands of marriages, of which no other
evidence is to be found.

The Author has had some difficulty in compressing within
a small Volume the information relative to the Fleet Retris-

ters, without entering fully upon the Law of Marriage,
and giving an account of the Marriages at the different
Episcopal and Dissenting Chapels which were in existence
prior to 1754. He has voluminous transcripts from registers
of marriages solemnized at such chapels supplied by informa-

vi PREFACE.

tion obtained from an examination of the affidavits made
upon application of the parties for licences to marry, (and
which are preserved in the Registry of the Bishop of
London,) and from notifications of marriages in the public
journals of the period, from which he will be at all times
happy to afford information. From the circumstance that
out of the eighty or ninety chapels in and about London,
only fourteen of the Registers remain (some of which are
in private hands), these collections are of considerable value.
His thanks are especially due to John Shephard, Esq. the
Deputy Registrar of the Consistory Court of the Bishop
of London, for free and continued access to the Fleet
Books ; to the Rev. Daniel Lysons, F. R. and A. S., for
many curious extracts from old newspapers ; and to Charles
George Young Esq. York Herald, Registrar of the College
of Arms, for his kind assistance in preparing these pages
for publication.

25, TokenJiouse Yard, Lothbury,
3rd October, 1833.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Of Clandestine Marriages. St. James's, Duke's Place, and
Trinity, Minories. The Fleet Prison. Bishop's Visitation
there. Excommunication. Marriage of the Hon. Henry Fox.
The Marriage Act. Opposition to it. Blackstone's Commentary
upon it .......... 1

CHAPTER II.
The Fleet Prison, Wardens, and Chaplains . 21

CHAPTER III.

Clergymen who performed Marriages at the Fleet; and the
names of some of the persons who kept Marriage-houses, and acted
as Clerks ......... 25

CHAPTER IV.

The Fleet Books. Their transmission to the custody of the
Bishop of London. Extracts, &c. &c. .... 40

CHAPTER V.
The Fleet Registers as Evidence . . . . 81

CHAPTER VI.

Marriages at the King's Bench Prison, Mint, Savoy, and May
Fair .......... 92

ON PAROCHIAL REGISTRATION 105

Page 21. Since the 2nd Chapter passed through the press, the
name of another Warden of the Fleet has been discovered in the
notice of the following petition to Parliament :

In the 14 Hen. VI. the Duke of Gloucester presented a peti-
tion to the Parliament from " Alard Funk, Citizein and taillour of
London," stating, that one " William Venour" Wardeyn of the
Prison of the Flete, had in his keeping a prisoner called Piers
Mayn Henrickson, Ducheman, and had brought him before the
Chancellor into the Court of Chancery at Westminster, in the term
of" Seint Johan." in the xiijth year of His Majesty's reign ; but
the said prisoner "for defaute of kepinge, and thurgh necligence
of his keper, voided and wente out of the Chauncerye into the
Seyntuarye of Westmynstre," &c. &c. Miscellaneous Petitions in
Parliament in the Tower of London.

Page 22. In the note it is stated that Robert Castell is said to
have translated Vitruvius. The Author has since, however, been
favoured with the following note, by the learned translator of the
last English edition of the work of that celebrated architect.

Although the Bipont edition of Vitruvius, 8vo. (Argrentorati)
1807, gives as published in 1730, the following among the English
editions,
" 1730 The Architecture of M. Vitruvius Pollio translated into

" English, with the Commentaries of Inigo Jones and others,

" and the Latin text, by Robert Castell, London, fol. 2 vols."
such Book was never published. The fact is, that Robert
Castell in his Villas of tfte Antienis, which he publis/ied in 1728,
and which was dedicated to Richard Earl of Burlington, professes
that he undertook that treatise as & preparative to a translation of
Vitruvius into the English language: a work he had long enter-
tained a desire of performing. This intention of Robert Castell
was mentioned in the Acta Erudit. Lipsia?, 1731 ; hence it is pro-
bable the mistake of the Bipont Editor. Castell, however, never
fulfilled his intention, which was probably prevented by his pre-
mature death.

FLEET MARRIAGES.

CHAPTER I.

OF CLANDESTINE MARRIAGE ST. JAMES DUKE's PLACE AND
TRINITY MINORIES THE FLEET PRISON BISHOP'S VISITA-
TION THERE EXCOMMUNICATION MARRIAGE OF THE HO-
NOURABLE HENRY FOX THE MARRIAGE ACT OPPOSITION TO

IT BLACKSTONE'S COMMENTARY UPON IT.

IT was not until the Council of Trent (1429) that the inter-
vention of a priest, or other ecclesiastical functionary, was
deemed in Europe indispensable to a marriage. It was then
ascertained that the existence of the marriage contract as a
mere civil engagement, unhallowed by any spiritual sanction,
tended much to the formation of clandestine connexions, and
their concomitant evils. The celebrated Decree passed in
that session interdicted any marriage otherwise than in the
presence of a priest and at least two witnesses. But in Eng-
land previous to 1754 the Common Law continued to regu-
late the Law of Marriage, the authority of the Council of
Trent not having been acknowledged in this country ; and
whilst, in virtue of domestic institutions, a form was enjoined
for the more solemn celebration of matrimony, and persons
departing from these regulations were liable to ecclesiastical
censure, still other and more private modes of contracting a
marriage were tolerated and acknowledged by Law.

Hence a contract per verba de pr&senti, that is to say,
between persons entering into a present engagement to be-
come man and wife, or a promise per verba defuturo, which
was an agreement to become husband and wife at some future
time, if the promise were followed by consummation, con-
stituted marriage without the intervention of a priest ; for the
contract per verba de pr&senti was held to be a marriage com-

plete in substance, but deficient in ceremony. ) Although the
promise per verba defuturo of itself was incomplete in both
points, yet the cohabitation of the parties after exchanging
the mutual promise, implied such a present consent at the
time of the sexual intercourse, as to perfect the marriage in
substance and give it equal validity with the contract de pr<z-
senti, that is to say, the validity of an irregular marriage,
which could not be annulled by the Ecclesiastical Court,
though it might be censured for its informality, nor could
the vinculum be affected by a subsequent regular marriage.*

Certain privileges have been allowed to those who solem-
nized their marriage according to the form prescribed by the
Ecclesiastical Law, which were denied to those who refused
to comply ; yet the marriage, although celebrated in a dif-
ferent manner, was indissoluble, it being considered of Divine
institution, to which only a full and free consent of the
parties was necessary. Before the time of Pope Innocent the
Third, (1 198) there was no solemnization of marriage in the
church, but the man came to the house where the woman
resided, and led her home to his own house, which was all the
ceremony then used : hence the expression " uxorem ducere
et capere in virum"

* PetersdorflPs Lectures.

t The Author has many curious particulars relative to Espousals, which was the
contract per verl-a de futuro. It must suffice, however, merely to give an entry of
Espousals in the Parish Register of Boughton Monchelsea, Kent, the only one he
has ever met with.

" Michaelis.

1630 Sponsalia inter Gulielm' Maddox et Elizabeth' G limestone in debitA iuris
forma transacta 10 die Januarii.

Michaelis

1633 Nuptiae inter Gulielmu' Maddox et Elizabetha' Grimeston vltimo Octobris."
" By the Civil Law whatsoever was given ex sponsalitia largitate, betwixt them
that are promised, have a condition (for the most part silent) that it may be had
again if marriage ensue not. Si spimsus dederit aliquid et aliquo casu impedianlnr
nuptice, donalio penitus resdnditur nisi osmium intervenit ; but if he had a kiss
for his money, he loseth one half of that which he gave. But with the woman it is
otherwise ; for, kissing or not kissing, whatsoever she gave she may ask and have
it againe. This is but for gloves, rings, bracelets, and other small wares, and in
rehaving a woman hath greter favour in greater guifts than a man hath." Spon-
Crud. 9, fo. 13.

Banns were first directed to be published by Canon
Hubert Walter, No. 22 (1200) ; and the Constitution of
William la Zouch, No. 7 (1347) notices the performance of
clandestine marriages, and that " some contriving unlawful
" marriages, and affecting the dark, lest their deeds should
" be reproved, procure every day, in a damnable manner,
" marriages to be celebrated without publication of banns
" duly and lawfully made, by means of chaplains that have no
" regard to the fear of God and the prohibition of the laws."

These informal marriages appear to have been continued
in London notwithstanding the punishment denounced (and
sometimes inflicted) by the Ecclesiastical Law. Within a
few years previously to 1686, many thousands of clandestine
marriages were performed ; many of them in certain
Churches and Chapels exempted from the Visitation of the
Ordinary, the ministers of which churches did usually marry
without licence or banns : these were called " lawless
churches r for by this means those laws which had been
made to prevent clandestine marriages were rendered in-
effectual.*

In the Bishop of London's Registry (1 Compton 95) it
appears that the Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes, on
the 17th of Feb. 1686 suspended for three years (ab officio et
beneficio) Adam Elliott, Rector of St. James Duke's Place,
for having married or suffered persons to be married at, his
church without banns or licence.

This suspension is mentioned by Newcourt in his Reper-
torium, where are noticed the grounds of the " pretended
exemptions" of the church of St. James Duke's Place and
Trinity Minories. As to the former, the Mayor and Com-
monalty and Citizens of London, as lords of the manor and
patrons of the church, had then lately (1708) pretended an
exemption from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of London in
matters ecclesiastical. And as to Trinity Minories, " the
church is in the gift of the Crown, and the incumbent or
Curate thereof (for it is neither rectory nor vicarage insti-

* Nelson's Rights of the Clergy.
B2

tutive) holds the same by an instrument of donation, under
the Great Seal of England ; but of late these Curates have
pretended exemption from being subject to the Bishop of
London as Ordinary, on purpose to defend their marrying
without banns or licence"

The suspension of the Rector of St. James Duke's Place,
was relaxed on the 28th of May 1687, upon his petition to
the Commissioners ; and in the marriage register of Duke's
Place is the following entry

" There were no marriages from the tenth of March till
y* 29 day of May" (1687.)

after which, it appears, the Rector resumed his practice, and
married at the rate of sixteen couple per day.

The earliest Marriage Register in the parish chest com-
mences 1st Nov. 1664,' but some of the first leaves in the
book are missing, it having been for some years without any
cover to protect it ! It continues to 1691, occupying upwards
of 1000 pages. On some days there are between 30 and 40
marriages, and in this book alone are nearly 40,000 entries ! !*
The next book (also a large folio, but thinner than the first)
commences in 1692 and ends July 28, 1700 ; and the mar-
riages during this period continue very numerous. The
third book commences with 25 March 1700, and ends March
1754, during which period the number of marriages decreases.

The first register of marriages at Trinity Minories is of
parchment, commencing Jan. 1579, and ending 3 June 1644,
and is by no means singular on account of the number of
marriages. No. 2 begins 9 June 1644, and ends Feb. 1648 ;
the marriages now begin to increase, and in the month of
July 1645 are 30 entries. No. 3 is a rough square book,
much out of condition, with a brown paper cover, commenc-
ing Feb* 1657, and ending 25 July 1659 (the book from
1648 to 1657 is missing). No. 4 is a long rough book, com-
mencing 2 February 1660, and ending 9 April 1663, (from
this date to 1676 is missing.) No. 5 is a large folio newly

* furnishes him a house, provides a fine suit of cloathes, goes to Duke's

Place, and marries." (Tom Brown's Works, vol. iv. 278.)

bound in vellum, commencing 26 March 1676 and ending 21
June 1683, and contains about 6000 entries. No. 6 is a very
large folio volume, commencing 24 June 1683 ; it continues
to January 27, 1686, when it refers to another book,* and
begins again with November 1692, and ends 17 March 1754.
In this book are about 9000 entries. The register which
comes in between the first and second part of the last volume
commences 26 January 1686,* and ends November 1692 ;
it is roughly written, and contains about 5 or 6000 entries.

It is now to be considered from what causes arose the long-
continued and notorious practice of marrying at prisons, and
especially at the Fleet Prison.

Whether any marriages were performed at the Fleet
Prison without banns or licence anterior to the year 1674,
(the date of the earliest Fleet Register in the Bishop of
London's Registry) is still uncertain ; indeed the only men-
tion met with of an earlier marriage there, is in a letter from
Alderman Lowe to Lady Hickes in Sept. 1613, (Lansd.
MSS. 9317.)

" Now I am to enform you that an ancyentt acquayntance of
y re and myne is yesterday maryed in the Fleette, one Mr. Gorge
Lestor, and hath maryed M ris Babbington Mr. Thomas Fanshame
mother in lawe. Itt is sayed she is a woman of good wealthe so
as nowe the man wylle able to lyve and mayntayn hymself in
prison, for hether unto he hath byne in poor estate. I praye God
he be nott encoryged by his marige to do as Becher doth, I mene
to troble his frynds in Lawe, but I hope he wyll have a better con-
scyence and more honestye than the other men hathe."

Upon referring to the dates of the Fleet Registers, it will
be found that (with one exception) they commence about the
period of the Order of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners,^
and it may fairly be conjectured that when the practice of

* The suspension of the Rector of Duke's Place took place about the time of
the commencement of this register, which may account for the discontinuance of
the regular register, so that in case of a visit from the Commissioners, the register
would perhaps have been shewn as a proof that no marriages had been performed,
while in fact 5 or 6000 had been married and entered in another book.

t Order against Clandestine Marriages. (1 Compton, 94.)

clandestine marriages at Duke's Place and Trinity Minories
was checked by this order and the suspension of Mr. Elliott,
it was taken up by certain real and pretended clergymen in
and about the prisons not, however, on account of any real
privilege or exemption attaching to these prisons, for the
marriages were not even confined to the Rules of the Fleet,
but were performed sometimes at the villages adjacent,* but
because these Fleet parsons were generally prisoners enjoying
the Rules of the Fleet, and had neither liberty, money, nor
credit to lose by any proceedings the Bishop might institute
against them.

Some of the acts passed for preventing these marriages
convey particulars of the system adopted to evade prior
enactments. Thus the 7th and 8th Wm. III. cap. 35, recites
the 6th and 7th Wm. cap. 7. sec. 52, and that it was passed
for the better levying the duty of 5s. on licences and cer-
tificates, but was found ineffectual, because the penalty of
100/. was not extended to every offence of the same parson,
and because the parsons employed poor and indigent minis-
ters, without benefices or settled habitations, and because
many ministers being in prison for debt and otherwise, mar-
ried persons for lucre and gain.f

Did this account of the practices at the Fleet require any
confirmation, it would derive it from the evidence of one of
the Fleet parsons themselves, for some private memoranda
made by Walter Wyatt, in one of his pocket books of 1736,
are to the following effect, showing that if there was not
" some spark of grace left," there were at least now and
then some compunctions of conscience.

" Give to every man his due, and learn y e way of Truth."
" This advice cannot be taken by those that are concerned in
y" Fleet marriages ; not so much as y e Priest can do y e thing y 4

* One of Mrs. Wigmore's advertisements of the Fleet registers mentions them to
contain the marriages " at all the different houses of the Fleet and other parts of
town and country."

t Peregrine Pickle becomes acquainted in the Fleet with a clergyman " who
found means to enjoy a pretty considerable income by certain irregular practices in
the way of his function." Vol. iv. p. 157.

is just and right there, unless he designs to starve. For by lying,
bullying, and swearing, to extort money from the silly and un-
wary people, you advance your business and gets y e pelf, which
always wastes like snow in sun shiney day."

" The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The mar-
rying in the Fleet is the beginning of eternal woe."

" If a clark or plyer tells a lye, you must vouch it to be as true
as y e Gospel, and if disputed, you must affirm with an oath to y e
truth of a downright damnable falsehood Virtus laudatur &
algef."*

" May God forgive me what is past, and give me grace to for-
sake such a wicked place, where truth and virtue can't take place
unless you are resolved to starve."

Many of the early Fleet weddings were really performed
at the chapel of the Fleet ;-f- but as the practice extended, it
was found more convenient to have other places within the
Rules of the Fleet, (added to which the Warden was compelled
by act of parliament not to suffer them,) and thereupon many
of the Fleet parson and tavern-keepers in the neighbourhood
fitted up a room in their respective lodgings or houses as a
chapel. The parsons took the fees, allowing a portion to the
plyers, &c.;J: and the tavern-keepers, besides sharing in the
fees, derived a profit from the sale of liquors which the wed-

* " On Saturday last a Fleet parson was convicted before Sir Ric. Brocas of forty-
three oaths, (on the information of a plyer for weddings there,) for which a war-
rant was granted to levy 41. 6s. on the goods of the said parson ; but, upon appli-
cation to his Worship, he was pleased to remit Is. per oath ; upon which the plyer
swore he would swear no more against any man upon the like occasion, finding he
could get nothing by it." Grub Street Journal, 20 July 1732.

t " One Mrs. Ann Leigh, an heiress of 200. per annum and 6000. ready cash,
having been decoyed away from her friends in Buckinghamshire, and married at the
Fleet chapel against her consent ; we hear the Lord Chief Justice Pratt hath
issued out his warrant for apprehending the authors of this contrivance, who have
used the young lady so barbarously, that she now lyes speechless." Original
Weekly Journal, Sept. 26, 1719.

" Captain Pealy, a half-pay officer, was apprehended and committed to the
Gate-House, for stealing one Mrs. Anne Leigh, as mentioned in our last."

$ Thus on one occasion, " The Turnkey had Is. Boyce 1*. Clk, ye Plyer Is.,
and I had 3s. 8rf." (Ed. Ashwell.)

ding party drank. In some instances the tavern-keepers
kept a parson on their establishment at a weekly salary of
twenty shillings ; while others, upon a wedding-party ar-
riving, sent for any clergyman they might please to em-
ploy,* and divided the fee with him. Most of the taverns
near the Fleet kept their own registers, in which (as well as
in their own books,) the parsons entered the weddings.

The author has an engraving of " A Fleet Wedding,""
(published about 1747,) " between a brisk young Sailor and
his Landlady^ Daughter at Rederiff ;" it represents the old
Fleet market and prison, with the sailor, landlady, and
daughter, just stepping from a hackney-coach, while two
Fleet parsons in canonicals are offering their services. The
verses written below the print are as follow :

Scarce had the coach discharg'd its trusty fare,
But gaping crowds surround th' amorous pair ;
The busy Flyers make a mighty stir,
And whisp'ring cry, D'ye want the Parson, Sir ?
Pray step this way just to the Pen in Hand,
The Doctor's ready there at your command :
This way, (another cries) Sir, I declare,
The true and ancient Register is here :

Th' alarmed Parsons quickly hear the din,
And haste with soothing words t' invite 'em in :
In this confusion jostled to and fro,
Th' inamour'd couple know not where to go ;
Till slow advancing from the coaches side,
Th' experienc'd matron came, (an artful guide,)
She led the way without regarding either,
And the first Parson splic'd 'em both together.

The companion to this engraving is " The Sailor's Fleet
Wedding Entertainment, 11 which represents the party sit-
ting at table, round a bowl of punch, with pipes, &c. :

* " Yesterday a cooper in St. John Street was seized and carried before Justice
Robe, being charged with a r upon a certain young woman. The man con-
sidering the danger he was in, compounded the affair, by sending for a clergyman
from the Fleet, who married them at a tavern in Smithfield, to the great joy of all
parties." Post Boy, 18 June 1730.

amongst other pictures on the wall is a representation of the
Skimmington.* Under the print are the following lines :
Jack rich in prizes, now the knot is ty'd,
Sits pleas'd by her he thinks his maiden bride.
But tho' a modest look by Molly 's shewn,
She only .... known.

The b now from her daughter's charge reliev'd,

With pleasure smiles to think how he 's deceiv'd ;
Experienc'd in the trade, and void of shame,
To her the Man in crape imparts his flame.
The Lawyer grins, and Peg, with wanton glance,
Seems much delighted with Tom's antic dance.
Kit kisses Kate, vows she shall be his wife,
While cat and dog resemble nuptial strife.
The Skimmington observe. Mirth to provoke

Sam points the horns, with many a b joke.

For spouse's cloaths, the baily's crew are seen,
And change, oh sad mishap ! the jovial scene.

In 1702 the Bishop of London held a Visitation at the
Fleet, as appears by a paper in the Bishop's Registry to the
following effect :

4 to Junii 1702 Cor' Reverend:
Dno E'po London in Carcere vulgo
vocat' y e Fleet in Civitate London,
p'esente Ed' Alexander
Neg m Visitac'onis in Carcere vulgo )
vocat' y e Fleet London j

Comp* Mag r Jeronimus Alley Cle'cus D 8 E'pus
monuit eum ad exhibend' D no Cancellario ejus L'ras Ordinum intra
24 diem Junii instan' & his Lords p ordered him not to marry or per-
form any divine Office in y e Chappell in y e Fleet or in any place
within y e Dioces untill he has exhibited y c same.

M r Alley soon afterwards fled from y e s d
Prison & never exhibited his orders.

* A Skimmington is admirably described in Butler's Hudibras, (Lond. 1806.)
Vol. I. p. 467. Ralpho describes it as

a riding us'd of course,

When the grey mare's the better horse ;
When o'er the breeches greedy women
Fight, to extend their vast dominion.

Very little benefit was derived from this Visitation except
the flight of Mr. Alley, who, however, left many behind in
the Fleet to supply his place. An anonymous letter in the
Bishop's Registry, written some time between 1702 and
1714, contains some curious particulars.

"Sir

" I think it my Duty to God and y e Queen to acquaint you
with y e illegal practices of y e Ministers and Clark in y e Fleet Chap-
pell for marrying Clandestinely as they do som weeks fifty or sixty
couple. The Ministers that are there are as follows, M r Rob* El-
borough he is an ancient man and is master of y e Chappie and mar-
ries but very few now without Banns or Licence, but under a
colour doth allow his Clark to do w* he pleases, his name his Barth :
Basset. There is there also one M r James Colton a Clergyman,
he lives in Leather Lane next door to y e Coach and horses, he
hath bin there these four years to marry, but no Prisoner, he
marries in Coffee-houses, in his own house and in and about y e
Fleet gate and all y e Rules over not excepting any part of city
and Suburbs. This Clark Basset aforesaid registers wherever
Colton marries in y e Fleet Register and gives him Certificates.
Colton had a living in Essex till y e Bishop of London deprived
him for this and other ill practices. There is also one M r Nehe-
miah Rogers, he is a Prisoner but goes at larg to his P Living in
Essex, and all places else, he is a very wicked man as lives for
drinking whoring and swearing, he has struck and boxed y s bride-
groom in y 8 Chappie and damned like any com'on souldier, he
marries both within and without y e Chappie like his brother Colton.
There was one M r Alley he was a Prisoner and y benefit of wed-
dings but is gone to some other preferm*. The abovesaid Basset
rents y* sellers of y e Fleet and pays for y 1 and two watchmen 100
and JtJ20 p. ann but he him pays but 20 per ann. for y e Clergy
pay all y e rest monthly, and if they do not they are threatened to
be confined or outed. This Clark hath bin sworn in D 1 "* Com-
mons not to marry any without Banns or Licence unless it be
such poor people as are recomended by y e Justices in case of a
big belly, but have married since many hundreds as I and many
can testifie who are confined Prisoners. The chief days to marry
are Sundays Tuesdays and Saturdays, but evry day more or less.
The Clark Basset keeps a Register book, altho he told y c Bishop

of London he had none, he also antidates as he pleases as you
may see when you look over y e Registers, he hath another at his
sons, he does what he pleases and maintains a great family by
these ill practices. 200 p. ann. he hath at least. The Ministers
and Clark bribe one M r Shirley I think him to be Collector for y e
Queen's Taxes. I hope Sir you will excuse me for concealing my
name hoping y* you will inspect into these base practices.

For

D r Newton Chancell r

to my Lord of London
at D 1 " 3 Commons
These.

In 1712 another act was passed (10 Ann. cap. 19.) appa-
rently for the purpose of punishing Parsons who being
already prisoners, were in the habit of performing marriages,
without fear of affecting their liberty any farther. After
reciting the loss of duties by Clandestine Marriages, it enacts
that such offenders should be removed to the County Gaol.
Notwithstanding this additional penalty, and the conviction
in 1716 of one John Mottram for solemnizing two clandes-
tine marriages,* the law failed to prevent a continuance of
the practice, and in 1718 a bill prepared by Mr. Brigstock
and Sir John Phillips for preventing Clandestine Marriages

* In 1717 " John Mottram, Clerk, was tryed for solemnizing clandestine and
unlawful marriages in the Fleet Prison, and of keeping fraudulent Registers,
whereby it appear'd that he had dated several marriages several years before he en-
ter'd into orders, and that he kept no less than nine several Registers at different
houses, which contained many scandalous frauds. It also appeared, that a marriage
was antedated because of pregnancy ; and to impose on the ignorant there was
written underneath, this scrap of barbarous Latin, " Hi non nupti fuerunt sed
obtinerunt Testimonium propier timorem parentum," meaning that they were not
marryed but obtained this private Register for fear of their parents. It rather ap-
peared from evidence, that these sham marriages were solemnized in a room in the
Fleet they call the Lord Mayor's Chappel, which was furnished with chairs,
cushions, and proper conveniencies, and that a coal-heaver was generally set to ply
at the door to recommend all couples that had a mind to be marry'd, to the Prisoner,
who would do it cheaper lhan any body. It farther appear'd, that one of the Regis-
ters only contained above 2200 entrys which had been made within the last year."
Weekly Journal, Feb. 13.

He was tried at Guildhall before Lord Chief Justice Parker, found guilty and
fined 200-

was brought into the House of Commons and read a second
time, but was negatived as to the engrossment. In a hand-
bill printed for distribution about 1720, the reasons for the
failure of the several acts in preventing these marriages are
described to be

1. For that the penalty on the gaoler (which had ever

since deterred the Warden of the Fleet from suffering
any marriages there) was not extended to the owners of
taverns, alehouses, &c.

2. That the penalty on the clerk was too small and was not

extended to every person present at the marriage.

3. That the 10th Anne might be eluded by the offenders

removing themselves back to the Fleet by habeas corpus.

4. That every indigent clergyman that forfeits .^PlOO, de-

pending on the delay of a writ of error, carries on his
offences with impunity for a year and a half, in which
time his gain amounts to five times the sum of d^lOO,
and then he runs away.

No other parliamentary measure was effected, and the prac-
tice continued to increase at the Fleet,* which was resorted

* " From an inspection into the several registers for marriages kept at the several
alehouses, brandy shops, &c. within the Rules of the Fleet Prison, we find no less
than 32 couple joined together from Monday to Thursday last without licenses,
contrary to an express act of Parliament against Clandestine Marriages, that lays
a severe fine of 200 on the minister so offending, and 100 each on the persons
so marry'd, in contradiction to the said statute. Several of the above-mentioned
brandy men and victuallers keep clergymen in their houses at 20. per week each,
hit or miss, but it's reported that one there will stoop to no such low conditions, but
makes at least 500 per annum of Divinity-jobs after that manner. 'Tis pleasant
to see certain fellows plying by Fleet Bridge to take poor sailors &c. into the noose
of matrimony, every day throughout the week, and their clocks at their offices for
that purpose still standing at the canonical hour, though perhaps the time of day
be six, or seven in the afternoon." Weekly Journal, 1723, June 29.

" Margaret Prendergrass and Mary Henson, two Irishwomen, were convicted at
the Old Bailey Sessions for aiding and assisting one Russell an Irishman in forcibly
marrying and bedding with a young gentlewoman, the pretended marriage being
performed by a Fleet parson." D. Posf, 4 May 1728.

" We hear a person hath been committed to the Fleet Prison for lately advertizing
in the public papers, a reward of an l 00 to any that should discover and prove
the supposed marriage of two persons, by reason it might be an encouragement to
subornation of perjury.'' Weekly Journal, 1720, Aug.

to by persons of all ranks and conditions in life, from the
nobleman to the chimney-sweeper, who desired to be married
with secrecy and dispatch. Neither the penalties of the be-
fore-mentioned acts, nor even excommunication,* had any
effect in preventing these marriages, which it was well known
were valid and indissoluble, although irregular.

The newspapers of the day frequently adverted to the sad
consequences of Fleet marriages, and for some years the follow-
ing paragraph appeared occasionally in the various periodicals.

" Whereas several inconsiderate and unwary persons consent
to be married at the Fleet, May Fair, and other places, by sham
licences, without any banns or legal authority, by which the par-
ties that think themselves properly married, are much difficulted
in the proof of their marriages and of the legitimacy of their
children It is thought proper for the well being, peace and secu-
rity of such as intend to marry to make it known, that, besides
the inconveniences before mentioned, there is an act of Parlia-
ment made in the 7 and 8 years of king William cap. 35, by which
it is enacted, That every parson, vicar .... (here follows the
penal clause.)

In a Number of the Grub Street Journal for 1735, is
a very long letter on the practices at the Fleet, and which
(as it very faithfully describes the treachery and low habits
of the Fleet parsons) is added in a note.f A walk past

* By the Ecclesiastical Law, all persons present at a clandestine marriage were
considered as thenceforth excommunicate. It was frequently necessary to prove
these marriages at Doctors Commons, but the evidence of any witness present at
the ceremony was rejected ufit.il he or she had been absolved and had taken the
usual oath of absolution.

In the cause of Phillips v. Cross, Walter Wyatt (one of the most notorious of
the Fleet parsons) was offered as a witness and was willing to take the usual oath
of a witness, but not the oath of absolution, and the Judge therefore refused him.
1754, May 24, William Faucit, Esq. John Grierson, Clerk, and William Bromley
having incurred sentence of excommunication by having been present at a clandes-
tine marriage, were absolved. On the 28th, Susannah Faucit the wife was absolved.
(The Bishop's Assign".)

t Sir There is a very great evil in this town, and of dangerous consequence to
our sex, that has never been suppressed, to the great prejudice and ruin of many hun-
dreds of young people every year ; which I beg some of your learned heads to con-
sider of, and consult of proper ways and means to prevent for the future. I mean
the ruinous marriages that are practised in the liberty of the Fleet and thereabouts,

the Fleet Prison at that period, would appear to resemble
a walk through Rag Fair at the present day.

by a sett of drunken swearing parsons, with their myrmidons, that wear black coats
and pretend to be clerks and registers to the Fleet. These ministers of wickedness
ply about Ludgate Hill pulling and forcing people to some pedling alehouse or
a brandy-shop to be married, even on a Sunday stopping them as they go to church
and almost tearing their cloaths off their backs. To confirm the truth of these facts,
I will give you a case or two which lately happened.

Since Midsummer last a young lady of birth and fortune was deluded and forced
from her friends, and by the assistance of a wry-necked swearing parson married
to an atheistical wretch, whose life is a continued practice of all manner of vice and
debauchery. And since the ruin of my relation, another lady of my acquaintance
had like to have been trepanned in the following manner. This lady had appointed
to meet a gentlewoman at the Old Playhouse in Drury-lane : but extraordinary bu-
siness prevented her coming. Being alone when the play was done, she bade a boy
call a coach for the city. One dressed like a gentleman helps her into it, and
jumps in after her. " Madam," says he, "this coach was called for me, and since
the weather is so bad and there is no other, I beg leave to bear you company : I am
going into the city and will set you down wherever you please." The lady begged
to be excused ; but he bade the coachman drive on. Being come to Ludgate Hill,
he told her his sister who waited his coming, but five doors up the court, would go
with her in two minutes. He went, and returned with his pretended sister, who
asked her to step in one minute, and she would wait upon her in the coach. Deluded
with the assurance of having his sister's company, the poor lady foolishly followed
her into the house, when instantly the sister vanished ; and a tawny fellow in a
black coat and black wig appeared. "Madam, you are come in good time, the
Doctor was just a-going !" " The Doctor !" says she, horribly frighted, fearing it
was a madhouse : " What has the Doctor to do with me "!" " To marry you to that
gentleman : the Doctor has waited for you these three hours, and will be payed by
you or that gentleman before you go !" " That gentleman !" says she, recovering
herself, is worthy a better fortune than mine," and begged hard to be gone. But
Doctor Wryneck swore she should be married, or if she would not he would still
have his fee, and register the marriage from that night. The lady finding she could
not escape without money or a pledge, told them she liked the gentleman so well,
she would certainly meet him to-morrow night, and gave them a ring as a pledge :
which, says she, " was my mother's gift on her death-bed, injoining that, if ever I
married it should be my wedding-ring." By which cunning contrivance she was
delivered from the black Doctor and his tawny crew. Some time after this I went
with this lady and her brother in a coach to Ludgate Hill in the day time, to see
the manner of their picking up people to be married. As soon as our coach stopt
near Fleet Bridge, up comes one of the myrmidons. " Madam," says he, " you want
a parson !" " Who are you," says 1 1 " I am the clerk and register of the Fleet."
" Show me thechapel." At which comes a second, desiring me to go along with him.
Says he, " That fellow will carry you to a pedling alehouse." Says a third, " Go
with me, he will carry you to a brandy shop." In the interim comes the Doctor,

The marriage at the Fleet of the Hon. Henry Fox * with
Georgiana Caroline, eldest daughter of Charles second
Duke of Richmond, was in 1744 a subject of general
conversation; but it was not until 1753 that the law of
marriage was taken up with effect, when Lord Hard-
wicke brought in a Bill, (26 Geo. II. c. 33.) enacting that
any person solemnizing matrimony in any other than a
church or public chapel, without banns or licence, should on
conviction be adjudged guilty of felony, and be transported
for fourteen years, and that all such marriages should be void.

Such an impediment to matrimony, which thitherto had
been validly contracted without even the presence of a cler-
gyman such " an innovation (to use the words of Black-
stone) upon our ancient Laws and Constitution," could not
be expected to pass into a law without a violent opposition.

" Madam," says he, " I'll do your jobb for you presently !" " Well, gentlemen,"
says I, " since you can't agree, and I can't be married quietly, I'll put it off 'till
another time :" so drove away. Learned Sirs, I wrote this in regard to the honour
and safety of my own sex : and if for our sakes, you will be so good as to publish
it, correcting the errors of a woman's pen, you will oblige our whole sex, and none

more than, Sir,

Your constant reader and admirer.

January 15th, 1734-5. VIRTUOUS.

From the Grub Street Journal.

" The clergymen who perform marriages within the Rules of the Fleet Prison, are
under prosecution at the suit of the Crown, for not giving their certificates upon
stampt paper, pursuant to the statute in that case made and provided." Grub
Street Journal, 1 August 1730.

" We hear the frequent clandestine marriages at the Fleet have given such dis-
gust, that henceforth special licences will be granted to Commoners, which were
formerly allowed only to the nobility, to put a stop for the future to all scandalous
practices of that kind." Daily Post, 15 April 1737.

" A gentleman near the middle of the Strand died last week possessed of a con-
siderable fortune, which he bequeathed into the hands of trustees to his wife, but
with this exception, that in case she married an Irishman the trustees were to pay
her 10 10s. for a Fleet marriage, a dinner, a ring, inc., the remainder, which is
about 8000J. to devolve to his nephew." Daily Post, 1742.

* He was second son of Sir Stephen Fox, born 1705. Having been appointed Sur-
veyor of the Board of Works 1737 ; a Commissioner of the Treasury 1743 ; Secre-
tary at War, 1746 ; Secretary of State, 1755 ; he was at length created a Peer in
1763 by the title of Baron Holland of Foxley. county Wilts.

She was born 28 March 1723, and created Baroness Holland in 1762.

Mr. Fox's popularity was arrived at sue!) a height from his
strenuous opposition to the Bill, that for several days his
chariot was dragged along the streets by the populace.*
Handbills (pro and con) were distributed, those in favour of
the Bill urging that clandestine marriages had been the ruin
of many families, that the religious establishment of marriage
was entirely subverted, and the legal evidence thereof ren-
dered precarious ; while the others contended that the Bill
would discourage marriage, that it was brought in for the
protection of the fortunes of the noble and rich against alli-
ances with persons in more humble circumstances, and ad-
verted amongst other things to the Council of Trent, as
having first annulled clandestine marriages,-f- and made the
presence of a priest necessary to every marriage, and that it
was after " that excellent precedent" that the Bill in question
was drawn.

Notwithstanding the zealous opposition J to the Bill, it

* Wilkinson's Memoirs.

t This by the by was not so. " Dubitandum non est clandestine, matrimonia
libero contrahentium consensu facta rata et vera esse matrimonia. * * * Perinde
jure damnandi sunt, sicut et eos Sancta Synodus anathemate damnat, qui ea vera
et rala esse negant." Con. Trid. De Matrimonio, Cap. I.

t In the correspondence of the Hon. Horace Walpole, M. P. for Castlerising,
(afterwards Earl of Orford,) there are two letters in which the subject of this Bill
is mentioned ; and from which the following extracts are made. The first is a letter
dated Strawberry Hill, May 22, 1753, addressed to George Montagu Esq.

" News, there is none to tell you. We have had two days in the House of Com-
mons, that had something of the air of parliament ; there has been a marriage-bill,
invented by my Lord Bath, and cooked up by the Chancellor, which WRS warmly
opposed by the Duke of Bedford in the Lords, and with us by Fox and Nugent :
the latter made an admirable speech last week against it, and Charles Townshend
another very good one yesterday, when we sat till near ten o'clock, but were beat,
we in minority, by 165 to 84." See Correspondence, Vol. I, 284.

The second is in a letter to the Hon. Henry Seymour Conway. Henry Seymour
Conway, married 1747, Caroline Campbell, only daughter of John fourth Duke
of Argyle, relict of Charles Bruce first Earl of Aylesbury.

" It is well you are married. How would my Lady Ailesbury have liked to be
asked in a parish church, for three Sundays running ? I really believe she would
have worn her weeds for ever, rather than have passed through so impudent a cere-
mony ! What do you think ? But you will want to know the interpretation of this
preamble. Why, there is a new Bill, which, under the notion of preventing clan-

eventually passed into a law, and was to take effect from the
25th of March 1754. Mr. Fox is represented to have held

destine marriages, has made such a general rummage and reform in the office of
matrimony, that every Strephon and Chloe, every Dowager and her H***, will
have as many impediments and formalities to undergo as a treaty of peace. Lord
Bath invented this Bill, but had drawn it so ill, that the Chancellor ' was forced
to draw a new one ; and then grew so fond of his own creature, that he has cram-
med it down the throats of both Houses, though they gave many a gulp, before
they could swallow it. The Duke of Bedford attacked it first with great spirit and
mastery, but had little support, though the Duke of Newcastle did not vote

The lawyers were all ordered to nurse it through our House ; but except the
poor Attorney-General, 2 (who is nurse indeed, to all intents and purposes,
and did amply gossip over it,) not one of them said a word. Nugent shone ex-
tremely in opposition to the Bill, and though every now and then on the pre-
cipice of absurdity, kept clear of it with great humour and wit and argument, and
was unanswered. Yet we were beat. Last Monday it came into the committee,
Charles Townshend acted a very good speech, with great cleverness, and drew a
picture of his own story, and his father's tyranny, with at least as much parts as
modesty. Mr. Fox mumbled the Chancellor and his lawyers, and pinned the plan
of the Bill upon a pamphlet he had found of Dr. Gally's, where the Doctor, re-
commending the French scheme of matrimony, says, " It was found that fathers
were too apt to forgive." " The Gospel, I thought," said Mr. Fox, " enjoined
forgiveness, but pious Dr. Gaily thinks ' fathers are too apt to forgive.' " Mr.
Pelham, extremely in his opinion against the Bill, and in his inclination too, was
forced to rivet it ; and, without speaking one word for it, taught the House to vole
for it, and it was carried against the chairman's leaving the chair, by 165 to 84.
This is all the news I know, or at least was all when I came out of town ; for
I left the tinkering of the Bill, and came hither last Tuesday to my workmen."

(24 May 1753.)

May 29.

"I am come to town for a day or two, and find that the Marriage Bill has
not only lasted till now in the Committee, but has produced, or at least disclosed
extreme heats. Mr. Fox and Mr. Pelham have had very high words on every clause,
and the former has renewed his attacks on the Chancellor under the name of Dr.
Gaily The Speaker, who had spoken well against the clause, was so misre-
presented by the Attorney-General, that there was danger of a Skimmington be-
tween the great wig and the coif, the former having given a flat lie to the latter."

There is another letter to George Montagu, Esq. dated June 11, in which Horace
Walpole says :

" The Commons abuse the Barons, and the Barons retura'd it ; in short, Mr.
Fox attacked the Chancellor violently on the Marriage Bill, and when it was sent
back to the Lords, the Chancellor made the most outrageous invective on Fox that
ever was heard. But what offends still more, I don't mean offends Fox more, was
the Chancellor describing the chief persons who had opposed his Bill in the C'om-

1 Lord Hardwicke. a Sir Dudley Ryder.

up the Bill with all the additions, alterations, and erasures
it had sustained, and, to the infinite amusement of the
House, to have pronounced a parody on Anthony^ oration
over the mangled body of Caesar. It appears that the
amendments and alterations that had been made in the Bill
by the opposition, were designed to defeat its adoption,
when returned to the Lords; their object, however, failed,
as the Lords, in order to out-manoeuvre the tactics of the
opposition in the Lower House, consented to pass the Bill,
even though it appeared before them, like Banquo's ghost,
with twenty mortal murders on its head. 1

The interval between the passing of the Bill and the time at
which it was to come into operation, was busily employed in

mons and giving reasons why he excused them. As the Speaker was in the num-
ber of the excused, the two maces are ready to come to blows. The town says, that
Mr. Fox is to be dismissed, but I can scarce think it will go so far."

In the additional letters of Horace Walpole, recently published under the editor-
ship of the late lamented Lord Dover, (Vol. III. p. 94, 8vo. Bentley, 1833.) the
following remarks occur in a letter addressed to Horace, afterwards Sir Horace,
Mann, dated Strawberry Hill, June 12, 1753 :

" A Bill to prevent clandestine marriages,* so drawn by the judges as to clog all
matrimony in general, was inadvertently espoused by the Chancellor, and having
been strongly attacked in the House of Commons by Nugent, the Speaker, Mr.
Fox, and others, the last went very great lengths of severity on the whole body of
the law, and on its chieftain in particular, which, however, at the last reading, he
softened and explained off extremely. This did not appease ; but on the return of
the Bill to the House of Lords, where our amendments were to be read, the Chan-
cellor in the most personal terms harangued against Fox, and concluded with say-
ing, that ' he despised his scurrility as much as his adulation and recantation.' "

Horatio Walpole, son of Sir Edward Walpole, K. B. brother of Sir Robert
Walpole, K. G. first Earl of Orford, and great uncle to Horace Walpole the
writer of these letters, was married at St. James Duke's Place, 26 March 1691, to
Anne daughter of Thomas Duke of Leeds, the relict of Robert Coke of Holkham,
in the county of Norfolk, Esq. For an account of the marriages solemnized at
Duke's Place, see p. 4. l Debrett, vol. iii. p. 180.

2 The noble editor has appended to this passage a note stating that this Bill con-
tinued " in force till some years ago, and until the injustice of its provisions, and
the grievances resulting from them, became foo great to be borne." It may be
inferred from this observation, that Lord Hardwicke's act has been repealed, which
is not the case ; that act remains in full force.

marrying both at the Fleet 1 and May Fair, (another noted
place for marriages.) At the Fleet there appears by one
register book alone to have been on the 25th of March (the
day previous to the Act coming into operation) 217 mar-
riages ; which were the last of the Fleet Weddings?

On the subject of this act, Blackstone says, " Much may
be, and much has been said, both for and against this inno-
vation upon our antient laws and constitution. On the one
hand it prevents the clandestine marriages of minors, which
are often a terrible inconvenience to those private families
wherein they happen. On the other hand, restraints upon
marriages, especially among the lower class, are evidently
detrimental to the public, by hindering the increase of the
people ; and to religion and morality, by encouraging licen-
tiousness and debauchery among the single of both sexes ;
and thereby destroying one end of society and government,
which is concubitu prohibere vago. And of this last incon-
venience the Roman laws were so sensible, that at the same

1 This gave rise to the following satirical paragraph in the Daily Advertiser of
21 Oct. 1753 :

" Whereas there will shortly be an end put to the marriages of the Fleet, this is

to inform the public that Mr. late ticket-porter on Snow Hill, has undertaken

to marry and unmarry on very reasonable terms, so that all persons so inclined, for

farther satisfaction are desired to apply to at his office in Turn-again Lane,

Snow Hill, where constant attendance is given from one in the afternoon till six.
Note, as 'tis presumed the applications will be made more by the married than the
unmarried, those parties are required to bring their certificates."

8 At the Savoy, however, clandestine marriages were continued till 1756, but
eventually ceased upon the conviction and transportation of the minister, Mr.
Wilkinson, and his curate, Mr. Grierson. I have a scarce etching of" The Rev.
Mr. Grierson, who was transported for marrying at the Savoy, contrary to Act of
Parliament, 1756."

Mr. Wilkinson was the father of Tate Wilkinson the comedian. (See his Me-
moirs, 4 vols. 8vo. 1790.)

A method of evading the enactments of the marriage act was soon discovered, for
in 1760 there were " at Southampton vessels always ready to carry on the trade of
smuggling weddings, which for the price of five guineas transport contraband goods
into the land of matrimony," (Guernsey.) Gent. Mag. 1760, p. 30. And we
have still a species of Fleet parson left in the person of the Rev. David Lang, of
Gretna Green, where clandestine weddings may still be solemnized, but not at so
small a charge as the cheap weddings of the Fleet.

time that they forbad marriage without the consent of pa-
rents or guardians, they were less rigorous upon that very
account with regard to other restraints ; for, if a parent did
not provide a husband for his daughter, by the time she
arrived at the age of twenty-five, and she afterwards made a
slip in her conduct, he was not allowed to disinherit her
upon that account ; quia non sua culpa, sed parentum, id
commisisse cognoscitur. 1

There have been two attempts to repeal or alter the Marriage Act : one in 1765,
when leave was given to Sir John Glynne to bring in a Bill for that purpose and for
regulating Registers, &c. ; the other in 1781, when a Bill was brought in to amend
it in the following particulars, viz.

" To repeal the clause requiring publication of banns.

" To repeal the clause enacting that no licence shall be granted to marry in any
other church, &c. than where one of the parties lived.

" To repeal the clause enacting that all marriages solemnized without publication
of banns or licence, should be void.

" To make valid all marriages of English persons in Scotland.

" To make void all marriages solemnized in any place not being a parish church
or chapel, (except by special licence.") Journals of the House of Commons.

The following satirical propositions upon the subject of marriage, which appeared
in the Grub Street Journal in the year 1733, were copied into the Scot's Magazine
on the agitation of this question in 1753 :

" Clauses proposed to be added to the late Act against Clandestine Marriages.

" When two young thoughtless fools, having no visible way to maintain them-
selves, nor any thing to begin the world with, resolve to marry and be miserable ;
let it be deemed petty larceny.

" If a younger brother marries an old woman purely for the sake of a mainte-
nance ; let it be called self-preservation.

" When a rich old fellow marries a young wench in her full bloom, it shall be
death without leneftt of clergy.

" When two old creatures that can hardly hear one another speak, and cannot
propose the least comfort to themselves in the thing, yet marry together to be mise-
rable, they shall be deemed non compos, and sent to a mad- house.

" When a lady marries her servant, or a gentleman his cook-maid (especially
if there are children by a former marriage), they both shall be transported for
fourteen yeart.

" When a man has had one bad wife and buried her, and yet will marry a second,
it shall be deemed felo de se, and he shall be buried in the highway accordingly.
*******

" And when a man or woman marries to the disinheriting of their children, let
them suffer as in cases of High Treason."

1 Commentaries, vol. i. p. 438.

CHAPTER II.

THE FLEET PRISON, WARDENS, AND CHAPLAINS.

IN 1189 Richard the First confirmed to Osbert (brother
of the then Chancellor Longshanks,) and to his heirs, the
custody of the palace of Westminster and of the Fleet gaol.
It was subsequently used for the reception of the prisoners
committed by the Court of the Star Chamber. By a patent
of the 3rd Eliz. recited in letters patent of the 19 Car. II. it
appears to have been called Prisona de la Fleet alias The
Queen's Gaol of the Fleet. It was called the Fleet from the
Fleet Ditch adjoining, which was so called from the fleet or
swift running of the water.

After the 16 Car. II. the prison was used as a place of
confinement for debtors and for persons guilty of contempts
of the Courts of Chancery, Exchequer, and Common Pleas,
and fell under the same regulations as other gaols of the
kingdom. Charles the Second having by letters patent
granted the office of Warden of the Fleet and of the Keeper
of the Old Palace at Westminster, the shops in Westminster
Hall, certain tenements adjoining to the Fleet, and other
rents and profits belonging to the Warden, to Sir Jeremy
Whichcot and his heirs for ever ; he, in consideration of
such grant, rebuilt the prison at his own expense.

The prison and the custody of the prisoners being thus a
freehold, and falling by descent or purchase into the hands
of persons incapable of executing the office of Warden, was
the occasion of great abuses and frequent complaints to Par-
liament, till at length the patent was set aside, and Baldwyn
Leighton, Esq. having been at great pains and expense in
suing the patentees to a forfeiture, obtained a patent for
life ; and he dying soon afterwards, John Muggins, Esq, by
giving ^5000 to Lord Clarendon, obtained through his
Lordship's interest a grant of the office for his own and his
son's life.

Mr. Huggins * getting advanced in years, and his son not
wishing to take the office upon him, he was for some years
negotiating the disposal of it, and in August 1727 concluded
a final treaty with Thomas Bainbridge and Dougal Cuth-
bert, Esquires, and for 5000 engaged with them to sur-
render his patent for his own and his son's life, and to pro-
cure a new patent for Bainbridge and Cuthbert, and which
he accordingly obtained. 2

In 1728 a Parliamentary Committee was appointed to en-
quire into the state of the Prisons of the Metropolis, who
found many grave charges against Bainbridge, in conse-
quence of which an act passed to remove him from his office,
and render him incapable of ever holding a place of profit
under the Government, or of practising as an Attorney. 3

About the middle of the year 1729 Mr. James Gambier
was appointed Warden upon the recommendation of Sir John
Eyles, Sir Gilbert Heathcoate, and other merchants of the
City. At the time of his appointment he was Solicitor to the
Trustees for the forfeited estates of the South Sea Directors.

WARDENS OF THE FLEET.
Eliz. Richard Tyrrell, Warden.

1591 John Heath, Warden of the Fleet, buried at St.

Giles's, Durham. 4

Sir John Terrell, Knt. who sold his patent.

1629 Sir Henry Lellowe, Knt. 5 jointly with John Eldred,

Esq. by purchase.

1 In May 1729 a true Bill was found against Mr. Huggins and his agent James
Barnes, for the murder of Mr. Arne, a prisoner. a Report of Commitee.

3 In May 1729 he was tried for the murder of Mr. Robt. Castell, a prisoner in
the Fleet, but acquitted for want of evidence. He died the llth July 1741, at his
Chambers, No. 9, Paper Buildings, Temple. (Mr. Castell was an architect, who
died in the Fleet on the 18th Dec. 1728, and had just finished a translation of
Vitruvius.) Some verses in No. 84 of the Grub Street Journal have the following
lines on Bainbridge :

" Find gaoler more and more uncivil,
And B ge nothing to the Devil."

4 Register of St. Bride's, Fleet Street.

5 By the Will of Sir Henry Lello, of Ashdou, co. Essex, dated the 7th January
1629, he directs that in case he should die in London he should be buried at St.
Bride's, London, where his predecessors, Wardens of the Fleet, have been buried ; he

1654 Jan. 5, Henry Hopkins, Esq. 1

1667 Jeremy Whichcot Esq. Barrister at Law, and Soli-

citor General to the Prince Elector Palatine.
At the request of King Charles II. during his
exile, he purchased the Wardenship, and by
officiating sometimes himself, sheltered the
King's agents, and prevented a treacherous design
against his person, for which he was honoured
with the title of Baronet, by patent, dated at
Brussels, 2d April, 12 Charles II. 1660. He died
22d June 1677, and lies buried in Hendon church. 2

1694 _ Fox, Esq.

1699-1707 William Weedon Ford, Esq.

1708-1710 Anthony Grindall, Esq. 3

Baldwyn Leighton, Esq. (sometimes called Colonel L.)

1713-1729 John Huggins, 4 Esq. High Bailiff of Westminster, ap-
pointed in June 1713, vice Col. Leighton, dec d . 5

1728 Nov. Thomas Bainbridge and Dougal Cuthbert, Esq rs . (vice

Huggins, who resigned.)

1729 May 1735 Ja s . Gambier (appointed 1729, vice Bainbridge.)
1734 Carbonnell.

1736 June 1740 John Garth, Esq. on the surrender of Cuthbert

and Gambier. Mr. Daniel Hopkins his Deputy.
1740-1758 John Eyles, Esq.

recites that he and John Eldred purchased the Fleet and keeping of the palace of
Westminster jointly to them and their heirs, since which the said John for the con-
sideration of 8000/. had released his title to the said office, &c ; bequeaths to his
nephew Henry Hopkins, all his manor or capital messuage called the Fleet, other-
wise the King's Gaol of the Fleet, with the office of Warden of the Fleet, with all
profits &c. and also the keeping of the palace of Westminster, called the Old and
New Palace, with all profits &c. arising from shops and stalls in Westminster Hall,
and without &c. with all right &c. in as ample manner as he and said Mr. Eldred
purchased the same of Sir John Terrell, Knt. Proved 18 January, 1629-30.
Buried at St. Bride's, 16 Jan. 1630. l Buried at St. Bride's, 5 Jan. 1654.

2 Collins' Baronetage, (1741,) vol. iii. p. 12.

3 " Anthony Grindall, Warden, and Robert Saunders, Register of the Marriages,
appear to have been guilty of forging books which, when produced to a committee
of the Commons, proved to be so ; besides they weie destitute of every particular
which makes a Register valuable." Malcolm's Lond. vol. i. 375.

* Mr. Wm. Huggins, his son, was married in 1723, in Windsor Chapel, to Mrs.
Tylson.

s Oct. 1718 " Died Mr. John Stone, Deputy Warden of the Fleet, a person of
great humanity to the Prisoners."

1758-1820 John Eyles, Esq. 1 (son of the preceding,) Warden.
Nicholas Nixon, many years Deputy and Clerk of
the Papers. Robert Hillier, Deputy Keeper of
Westminster Hall, appointed 2d May, 1807.

1821-1822 Nicholas Nixon, Esq.

1822 Wm. Robert Henry Brown, Esq. the present Warden.

Wm. Brown, Deputy and Clerk of the Papers.

CHAPLAINS OF THE FLEET PRISON.

Very little information has been obtained on this head,
arising from the circumstance of the destruction of all papers
and documents at the Fleet at the time of the riots in 1780.

The earliest Chaplain met with is Mr. Haincks in 1698,
who is noticed in the Register of Lincoln's Inn Chapel. The
next is Robert Elborough, who in the letter of 1702 before
quoted is called the " Master of the Chapel, 11 but the same
letter mentions other ministers.

In 1714 Mr. John Taylor was Chaplain, and received a
salary as such, but he does not appear to have solemnized
matrimony at the Fleet.

In 1728 Dr. Franks, Dean of Bedford, was officiating
Chaplain, and was allowed forty guineas a-year, and forty
guineas a-year more, when there was a real Chaplain.

In the Report of the Committee in 1729, is a Table of
Fees ordered by the Judges to be paid by the prisoners of
the Fleet, from which the following is extracted :

" That there is due to the Minister who officiates and performs
divine service within the said prison for the time being, from every
prisoner within the walls of the said prison, or without the walls,
or within the Rules, four-pence per week, to be paid to the War-
den for the use of such Minister ; and that no such Minister or any
other Clergyman, being a Prisoner within the walls or Rules of the
Fleet, do presume to marry any person without License within the
Prison or Rules of the Fleet ; and that the Warden and his Officers
do use their utmost vigilance to prevent all such marriages."

1 Patent dated 32 Geo. II.

In several of the novels written about the middle of the last century, the Fleet
was chosen for the scenes described.

CHAPTER III.

CLERGYMEN WHO PERFORMED MARRIAGES AT THE FLEET.

JOHN GAYNAM, from about 1709 to 1740. 1

1 This man, famed for the number of his marriages, and unrivalled for notoriety
of character, appears to have been styled " Doctor Gaynam." The following evi-
dence given at the Old Bailey on the trial of Robert Hussey in 1733 for bigamy,
will give some idea of his character and pretensions.

Dr. Gainham. The 9th of September 1733, I married a couple at the Rainbow
Coffee House the corner of Fleet Ditch, and entered the marriage in my register, as
fair a register as any church in England can produce. I shewed it last night to the
foreman of the jury, and my Lord Mayor's Clerk, at the London Punch House.

Counsel. Are you not ashamed to come and own a clandestine marriage in the
face of a Court of Justice 1

Dr. Gainham. (bowing) Fiden melwra, deteriora sequor.

Q. You are on your oath, I ask you whether you never enter marriages in that
book when there's no marriage at all ?

Gainham.}. never did in my life. I page my book so, that it cannot be altered.

From the trial of Edmund Dangerneld, for bigamy, in 1736.

Dr. Gainham. I don't know the prisoner. I did marry a man and woman of
these names. Here, this is a true register : " Edmd. Dangerfield of St. Mary
Newington Butts, Batchelor, to Arabella Fast." When I marry at any house I
always set it down, for 1 carry one of the books in my pocket, and when I go home
I put it in my great book.

Court. Do you never make any alteration ?

Gainham. Never, my Lord. These two were married at Mrs. Ball's, at the Hand
and Pen, by the Fleet Prison, and my name its to her book.

Counsel. 'Tis strange you should not remember the prisoner.

Gainham. Can I remember persons 1 I have married 2000 since that time.

The prisoner's defence. "Arabella Fast said to me, ' There is a minister,
(naming his name) who often lies with me, and if you'll say you are my husband
we may get some money out of him.' I took a room for her, within a fortnight after ;
she told me the parson was come to London and now was the time to make him
our prize ; ' Come into our room (says she) about 10 o'clock at night' I did,
and found Arabella and he a-bed. ' Hey ! (says I,) how came you a-bed with my
spouse V ' Sir, (says he,) I only lay with her to keep my back warm.'

In the morning the gentleman said, ' I must make you a present if you can pro-
duce a certificate.' I knew not what to say. ' Sir, (says Arabella) we were
married at the Fleet,' and says she to me, ' For a crown I can get a certificate
from the Fleet.' I gave her a crown, and in half an hour she brings me a certifi-
cate." The Prisoner was acquitted.

It is believed that it was Gaynam who was named " The Bishop of Hell," a
notice of which appellation was taken at the trial of Ruth Woodward, in 1737, for
bigamy.

John Hall. I saw her married at the Fleet to Robert Holmes ; 'twas at the Hand
and Pen, a barber's shop.

Counsel. And is it not a wedding-shop too ?

Hall. Yes. I don't know the parson's name, but 'twas a man that once belonged
to Greed Church a very lusty, jolly man.

Counsel. Because there's a complaint lodged in a proper court, against a Fleet
parson, whom they call The Bishop of Hell.

In one of the pocket-books used by the Fleet Clergymen is the following.
Sept. 16, 1728, " Witness that they (Hutchis and Brown) saw Walter Chandler
strike John Gaynam, Clergyman, with a stick, several blows."

EDWARD ASHWELL, 1734-1743.

In the Lansdown Manuscripts (841. 61) are the following
particulars of him :

Reverend Sir, June 21, 1725.

There was lately at Southam, in Warwickshire, one Edward
Ashwell, who in my absence got possession of our school and
preach'd in several churches in this neighbourhood. I take the
liberty to inform you, since I hear he is at Kettering, that he is a
most notorious rogue and impostor. I have now certificates on my
hand of his having two wives alive at this present time, and he was
very near marrying the third in this town, but the fear of a prosecu-
tion upon the discovery of the flaming and scandalous immoralities
of his life forc'd him away from us in a short time. Afterwards, in
a village not far from us, he attempted to ravish a woman, but was
prevented by a soldier then in the house. I can assure you he is in
no orders, though the audacious villain preaches when he can get
a pulpit. I have a whole packet of letters by me, all tending to
the same character, which I think exceeds . for variety of all
manner of enormous practices what can be charg'd upon the very
scum of mankind. The accounts are from persons of integrity and
known reputation.

I prevented his preaching one day at Brawnston, Mr. Somes's
parish. It would be a very kind and Christian office to give some
information among the clergy, that they may not be impos'd
upon by him, particularly to Mr. Heyrick, for I married Mr. Alli-
cock's sister of Loddington. I know you will pardon this trouble
if the fellow be amongst you. I am,

Your affectionate brother,

W. HODGSON.

Ashwell had a great deal of business at the Fleet, and was
one of the most notorious of the parsons. In one of his pocket-
books is :

" May 2 d . 1740. C. sine matrimonio Wm. Wallby of Suson in
Waltham Abby Parish Husb. and Mary Vale Ditto Sp: Venit
nuper ad Dominu' B d."

Ashwell died in January 1746, as appears by the follow-
ing notice of his death in the General Advertizer, for the
15th of that month :

" On Monday last died in the Rules of the Fleet, Doctor Ash-
well, the most noted operator in marriages since the death of the
never-to-be forgotten Dr. Gaynam."

WALTER WYATT, 1713-1750.

On the cover of one of the Registers is :

" Mr. Wyatt, Minister of the Fleet, is removed from the Two
Sawyers, the corner of Fleet Lane (with all the Register Books)
to the Hand and Pen near Holborn Bridge, where marriages are
solemnized without imposition."

He had a great deal of business in this way, and by his
pocket-book for October 1748, it appears that he received for
weddings in that month 511. 12s. 9d. His last marriage was :

3d March 1749, Hart Sam. Cord : of St. Paul's Debtford,
Bat. and Sarah Watson Sp."

In one of his pocket-books is entered :

''Sarah Wyatt Mary Wyatt born 2 April 1717 Baptized
May 2, 1717."

By the following advertisements of Mr. Keith (of May
Fair notoriety) it appears that Wyatt set up a marriage-house
in May Fair in opposition to Keith :

" The Fleet Parson (who very modestly calls himself Reverend)
married at the Fleet in Mr. L-yl's house, Mrs. Co-ks, at the Naked
Boy, and for Mr. W-yt, the Fleet Parson. And to show that he
is now only Mr. W-yt the Fleet Parson's deputy, the said W-yt
told one in May Fair that he intended to set up in opposition to
Mr. Keith, and send goods to furnish the house, and maintains
him and the men who ply some days at the Fleet, and at other
times at May Fair. But not to speak of the men, if he himself was
not a Fleet Parson, he could never stand in Piccadilly, and run
after coaches and foot people in so shameful a manner, and tell
them Mr. Keith's house is shut up, and there is no chapel but
theirs ; and to other people he says, their Fleet chapel is Mr.
Keith's chapel, and this he has said in the hearing of Mr. Keith's
clerk, and it is known to most of the people about May Fair, and
likewise Mr. Keith appeals to the generality of people about the
Fleet and May Fair, for proof of Mr. Reverend's being only Mr.
W-yt's the Fleet parson's deputy." August 27, 1748.

" The town being informed in this paper for some months past,
of a Fleet Parson that had open'd a chapel in May Fair in order to
supplant M. Keith, we think it not improper to acquaint the Public
that we shall not trouble them on that score for the future, he
having decamp'd on Thursday last, and returned to his own place,
the Fleet." Craftsman, 26 November, 1748.

The following are Mr. WyattV receipts for weddings for
a few weeks :

October y e 1st 1748, s. d.

At home 2 11 6 ab 8 nil 8 to 15... 17 6 6

2 5 13 6 11 6 15 21. ..10 6

3 2 15 6 16 21 72... 6 17

4 12 3 10 28 31... 5 9 6

5 1 5 nil

6 10 6 1 4 6 Total 57 12 9

7 186 nil

Total 17 19 3

1 Some memoranda made by this individual in his pocket-book, have before been
noticed at page 6. 2 Abroad.

He died 13th March 1750. By his Will proved at Doctors 1
Commons, he appoints his brother William guardian to his
children ; bequeaths to his son William his study of books
and sermons ; to his daughter Mary, wife of Thomas Gor-
den, of Colebrook, five guineas, and his estate at Oxford ;
and notices his two other children Jemima and Katherine-

PETER SYMSON, 1731-1754.
One of his hand-bills runs thus :

G. R.

At the true Chapel
at the old red Hand and Mitre, three doors from Fleet Lane

and next Door to the White Swan ;

Marriages are performed by authority by the Reverend Mr.
Symson educated at the University of Cambridge, and late
Chaplain to the Earl of Rothes.

N. B. Without Imposition.

On a trial in 1751, for Bigamy, Symson was thus examined :

Q. Why did you marry them without licence ?

Symson Because somebody would have done it, if I had not.
I was ordained in Grosvenor Square Chapel by the Bishop of
Winchester the Bishop of Lincoln. Can't say I am a pri-
soner in the Fleet. Am 43 years old. Never had a benefice in my
life. I have had little petty curacies about 20/. or 30/. per year.
I don't do it for lucre or gain.

Court. You might have exposed your person had you gone on
the highway, but you'd do less prejudice to your country a great
deal. You are a nuisance to the public ; and the gentlemen of the
jury, it is to be hoped,will give but little credit to you."

It appears by an entry in one of the May Fair Registers,
that he officiated at May Fair Chapel for Mr. Keith, in conse-
quence of the committal of the latter to the Fleet on his ex-
communication. There is a whole Register of May Fair Mar-
riages from 1750 to 1754, " Performed by the Reverend Mr.
Peter Symson and Mr. Fran 5 Denevau, for Keith, May Fair."

WILLIAM DARE, 1732-1746.

He at one time resided at No. 12, Bell Court, Bow Church
Yard. He used to marry from 150 to 200 couple per month,
and kept a curate to assist him. In one of the Registers is :

1723, 14 April, Peter Kulett of St. Brides Fram Maker,
Mary Ann Paviour Sp: forged by Mr. Dare in 1741, who married
y att Smiths att y e same time."

To a marriage by Mr. Dare in 1742 are these witnesses,
who were no doubt members of his family :

" Elizabeth Dare Anna Catherina Dee 1 Sussex Dare."

JOHN FLOUD, 1709-1729.

He died suddenly 31 December 1729, " at his lodgings in
the liberty of the Fleet. He married also at the King's
Bench Prison and the Mint in 1725, having a back room 1 ''
at the latter place. He appears to have been a man of bad
character, and to have been several years a prisoner for debt.
There is the following memorandum in Greek characters to a
marriage in 1727 :

" Paid five shillings, and one certificate, brought by Mrs. Blood,
Doctor Floud's mistress."

DANIEL WIGMORE, 1723-1754.

By his hand-writing, he appears to have been an elderly
man, and it will be seen in a subsequent chapter, that he
was addicted to the bottle.

" Yesterday Daniel Wigmore, one of the parsons noted for mar-
rying people within the Rules of the Fleet, was convicted before
the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, of selling spirituous
liquors contrary to law." Daily Post, May 26, 1738.

JOHN MOTTRAM, 1709-1725.

In 1716 he was convicted in the Consistory Court of Lon-
don for solemnizing clandestine marriages within the Liberty

1 Qu. Dare.

of the Fleet Prison, and suspended from the execution of his
ministerial functions for three years. 1

An account of his conviction in the Court of King's Bench
in the same year, when he was fined 200/. has been given at
p. 11. In one of his pocket-books he states the arms of the
family of Mottram, of Mottram, in the deanery of Maccles-
field, to be, S. a chev: Arg. charged with three roses be-
tween three cross crosslets Or.

He left the Fleet prior to August 1727.

ROBERT ELBORROW, 1698-1702.

He is called in 1702, an ancient man, and master of the
chapel ; that in 1702 he married but few without banns or
licence, " but under a colour doth allow his clerk, Bartho-
lomew Bassett, to do what he pleases. 1 '

Qu. if the following is his marriage at St. James's, Duke's
Place, in 1680: " Rob* Elborrow, B r Avis Short, Sp r .
Cornelius Lilly, F r ."

ROBERT CUTHBERT, 1723-1730.

He appears to have married a great many, and to have been
pretty well off in the world, as various memoranda are met
with in his pocket-books for 1733, relating to his stud ;
thus, " My man came att ten pounds a-year ; my old horse
went out y e 26th ;" my pad went out y e 8 Sept." He died
4th August 1734, aet. 42.

JEROME ALLEY, 1681-1707.

He was a prisoner at the Fleet ; he left the practice of
marrying there " for some other preferment."

JAMES STARKEY, 1718-1730.

In 1737 it was deposed upon a trial at the Old Bailey that
he had run away into Scotland.

1 Chronological Register, February 1717.

THOMAS CRAWFORD, 1723-1748.

The following Letter from the Grub Street Journal, June
10, 1736, mentions this individual.

" Gentlemen. Having frequently heard of the many abomi-
nable practices of the Fleet, I had the curiosity on Sunday, May
23, to take a view of the place, as I accidentally was walking by.

" The first thing observable was one J L by trade a

carpenter, (whose brother, it is said, keeps the sign of the B

and G r,) cursing, swearing, and raving in the street in the

time of divine service, with a mob of people about him, calling one
of his fraternity, (J. E.) a Plyer for Weddings, an informing
rogue, for informing against one of their Ministers for profane
cursing and swearing, for which offence he paid three pounds odd
money : the hearing of which pleased me very well, since I could
find one in that notorious place, which had some spark of grace
left ; as was manifested by the dislike he shewed to the person
that was guilty of the profanation of God's sacred name.

" When the mob was dispersed, I walked about some small time,
and saw a person exceeding well-dress'd in a flower'd morning
gown, a band, hat and wig, who appeared so clean that I took him
for some worthy divine, who might have accidentally come out of the
country by coach, and as accidentally be making the same remarks
as myself; but upon enquiry was surpriz'd at being assured that
he was one T C ' a watchmaker, who goes in a Minis-
ter's dress, personating a Clergyman, and taking upon him the
name of Doctor, to the scandal of the sacred function. He may
be seen at any time at the Bull and Garter, or the Great Hand
and Pen and Star, with these words under written ' The old
and true Register ' near the Rainbow Coffee-House T. S."

JAMES LANDO, 1737-1743.

I think he must be the person who, under the signature
and address of " Paul Crape,"" " from my abode not a mile
from Fleet Ditch," maintains a long controversy in the Gazet-
teer of 1737, on a commercial question ; especially as Paul

1 Qu. Thus. Crawford.

refers to his having been chaplain of a man-of-war. His op-
ponent, " Jack Bowline," is very severe, thus :

" But your patron must be at his last shift, when reduc'd to the
necessity of hiring one of the most abandon'd of all wretches, a
Fleet Parson, to ridicule and confound some, and explain away
other Articles of Treaties, &c."

" But, reverend Sir, let us leave Divinity, 'tis indeed beyond the
reach of my lead-line. Yet along shore and in the shallows, my
sea-boots on, I'll wet them with you or any Fisherman in Eng-
land ; and now for dabbling a little. True it is, the subject, as
you say, is invidious and unpopular, but more so, I '11 venture to
say, near the banks of a certain Canal west of Fleet Ditch, than
on any bank to the eastward of it in England; and though at
present you can hope for no presentation from any West India
merchant, yet I doubt not but in due time you will become fully
intitled to the patronage of one merchant at least, very eminent in
the Virginia Trade, who often has had it in his power to translate
many a worthy Gentleman who, before you, has liv'd within less
than a mile of Fleet Ditch ; but possibly your greater merit may
intitle you to higher preferment within less than a mile of Hyde
Park Corner." l Daily Post, Oct. 31.

In his advertisements he styled himself " late Chaplain to
His Majesty's ship The Falkland, and the public are in-
formed that the said Mr. Lando teacheth Latin, French, &c.
Three times a Week." He had a place he called St. John's
Chapel, in Half Moon Court, the first house joining to Lud-
gate, on Ludgate Hill.

" Marriages with a Licence, Certificate and a Crown Stamp, at
a Guinea, at the New Chapel, next door to the China Shop, near
Fleet Bridge, London, by a regular bred Clergyman, and not by a
Fleet Parson as is insinuated in the public papers ; and that the
Town may be freed mistakes, no Clergyman being a prisoner in
the Rules of the Fleet dare marry; and to obviate all doubts, this
Chapel is not in the verge of the Fleet, but kept by a Gentleman
who was lately Chaplain on board one of his Majesty's men-of-

' Qy. Tyburn ?
D

war, and likewise has gloriously distinguished himself in defence
of his King and Country, and is above committing those little
mean actions that some men impose on people, being determined
to have every thing conducted with the utmost decency and regu-
larity, such as shall be always supported in law and equity."-
Daily Advertiser, 1749.

At the end of one of the Fleet Registers is the following,
supposed to be written by some opponent in the marrying
business :

" John Lando, a French Minister, in Church Street, Soho, oppo-
site att a French pastry or nasty cook's. His Landlord's name is
Jinkstone, a dirty chandler's shop : he is to be heard of in the first
flower next the skye."

It appears by the Books at the Admiralty that he was ap-
pointed to the Falkland on the 29th May 1744, and served
on board till the 17th Jan. 1746. He does not appear to

have been in employ afterwards.

James Wagstaffe . . 1689 1729

John Tarrant . . 1742 1750

Richard Sindrey . . 1722 1740

The persons named in the foregoing pages appear to have
been the most notorious of the Fleet Parsons, and married a
great many.

Bates.

John Becket . 1748

Samuel Buckler . 1732 to 1751

Samuel Brayfield . 1754

Benjamin Bynes . . 1698 1711

Michael Barrett 1 . 1717 1738

JamesColton 2 . . 1681 - 1721

Joseph Callow . . 1752

Clayton . .1720

Colteman . . 1688

1 Barrett used to marry at the Mint and King's Bench, at very low fees.

4 Colton lived in Leather Lane, next door to the Coach and Horses. He had a
living in Essex till the Bishop of London deprived him for ill practices. In Sept.
1721 he lodged with Mr. Lee in Bare Alley, Fleet Ditch, at 3s. 6d. per week.

Draper
Francis Denevau '

. 1689
1747

1716
1754

William Davis

. 1718

John Evans 2

1689

1729

Ed. Evans

. 1727

John Farren

1688

Henry Gower
Thomas Hodgkins 3
Anthony Hanson
John Jones

. 1689
1674
. 1731 -
1718

1718
1728
1732
1725

William Loveday
Morton

. 1750
1720

Edward Marston

. 1713-

1714

John Marshall

D \fuVTTT

1750
. 1719
1753
. 1712
between 1728 and

1732
. 1722 to
1698

1740
1743

Qwjyolc]

Thomas Privavaul

Thomas Ryder
Edward Roberts .

E. Reynolds
Nehemiah Rogers 4
Ralph Shadwell s
James Shaw

. 1749
1700 to
. 1733 -
1723

1703
1734

1 He assisted Keith at May Fair : see the account of Symson, page 29.
* He used to marry at the Mint and King's Bench also.

3 Hodgkins appears to have been one of the earliest of the Fleet Clergy.
In one of the Fleet Books, commencing 1674, the marriages are " solemnised by
Dr. Thomas Hodgkins, Minister of the Fleet and Rules thereoff." Query, If not
his widow, who kept a marriage-house in Fleet Lane.

4 Rogers was a prisoner in the Fleet, but went at large to his living in Essex,
and all places else ; " he is a very wicked .man as lives for drinking, whoring,
and swearing." (See Letter at p. 10.) He was Rector of Ashingdon in Essex,
13 June 1687, and died in 1710. (See Morant's Essex.) On the cover of one of
the Fleet pocket-books is "Nehemiah Rogers, of Ashendon, Essex; Zachariah
Rogers, Tain, near Colchester ; Lydia Rogers."

5 Shadwell. This man was blind, at least so it appears by the following memo-
randum after one of his marriages : " Marr: and Clerk four shillings. No Cer-
tificate. This Parson was blind." See also the use made of a blind parson,
page 39.

D 2

Edmund Stacy . .1719

Anthony Shellburn' . 17221737

John Stainton . .1730

Anthony Simpson . 1726 17.54

Walter Stanhope . . 1711

Standly . . 1747 1750

Nathaniel Skinner . . 1716

J. Town . . . 1754

John Tomkings . . 1740

John Tarrant . . 1688

Jacob Townshend . . 1754

Jo. Vice . . . 1689 1713

J. Wise . . . 1709

Wilkinson 2 . . 1740

Wm. Williams . .

Clem. Walker . . 17321735

Isa. Wodmore . . 1752

It is impossible to obtain particulars of all the Fleet Parsons
who married at the Fleet, for by the following paragraph
they appear to have been sometimes common beggars :

" On Friday last (19th,) was brought before Sir Joseph Hankey,
at Guildhall, a man in a Clergyman's habit, for begging, which he
made a common practice of: he was committed for further ex-
amination the next day, when it appeared he was a notorious idle
fellow, and common cheat, having made use of that habit only
to impose on the public ; as also to perform the office of marry-
ing several persons at the Fleet Prison ; whereupon he was com-
mitted to Bridewell to hard labour."

General Advertizer, Dec. 22, 1746.

1 He died some years prior to 1740.

2 Query, If the Minister of the Savoy, who was transported in 1756 for mar-
rying contrary to the Marriage Act of 1753, and of whom an account is hereafter
given.

THE NAMES OF SOME OF THE PERSONS WHO KEET MARRIAGE
HOUSES, AND ACTED AS CLERKS.

Bartholomew Bassett, 1699. 1

Joshua Lilley, Hand and Pen, near Fleet Bridge. 2

John Lilley, Bull and Garter. 3

1 Bassett rented, in 1702, the cellars of the Fleet Prison, at 1001. per an-
num. By his ill practices at the Fleet, he maintained a large family. (See letter,
p. 10.) He was clerk of the Fleet Chapel.

On the trial of " Handsome" Fielding in 1706 for marrying the Duchess of
Cleveland, a Fleet Register was produced to prove the person Fielding had first
married, was a married woman, and had been married at the Fleet. Elizabeth
Bassett deposed that her father-in-law was clerk of the Fleet Prison, and kept
the Register of the Marriages there, but he having been sick, she had the Re-
gister in her keeping ; and that about two or three months ago a woman came
to the house of deponent and said there was a marriage of one Lilly Bradly
and Mary Wandsworth, and offered deponent a piece of money if she would
strike it out. The entry being read, Mr. Roscorloe deposed that he went with Mr.
Longford by the Attorney General's order, and searched the books in the Fleet and
found no such entry as that now produced, and deponent took particular notice of
the blank where this certificate was then entered. Celebrated Trials, vol. iii. 540.

a Lilley. This man pretended to hold his appointment as Register of Mar-
riages, &c. at the Fleet, from the Lord Chancellor, and to have given lOOOi. for it.

The following entry is made in one of the Registers by one of the parsons :

" June y e 13th, 1744. Whereas one Joshua Lilley, being a noted man for having
more marriages at his house than the generality of y e people could have, he the
said Joshua Lilley keeping several plyars, as they are call'd, to gett these weddings,
I have put his marriages down in a separate book, but finding ill-convenience arise
thereby, fro' this 13th instant do insert it w th y e rest."

Ashwell has inserted in his pocket-book the following note of this man :

" N. B. On Sunday, November y 6, 1740, aty e hour of 9, in my house de-
clared that if he had not come home out of y e country, being fled for punish-
ment, having cut of his hair (to prevent being known) yty" indictment for marry-
ing James Huney to Miss Herietta Arnold, he had been ruin'd but y l he swore
it off and y e attorney promis'd to defend him, and it cost him only a treat of 10s. ;

had I staid, says the s d Joshua Lilley, where I was, viz. , the indictment would

have stood good against me, but my taking y e side of the prosecutor, y e young ladies,
I have got it safe off." One of his hand-bills is as follows :

" J. Lilley at y e Hand and Pen, next door to the china shop, Fleet Bridge,
London, will be perform 'd the solemnization of marriages by a gentleman regularly
bred att one of our Universities, and lawfully ordain'd according the institutions
of the Church of England, and is ready to wait on any person in town or countrey."

3 In 1717, John Lilley, Turnkey of the Fleet Prison, was found guilty and fined
51. as being clerk to a clandestine marriage in the Fleet. " This John Lilley keeps an
alehouse joyning to the Fleet Prison, and calls one room in it his chapel, which he

John Burnford, lived, in 1742, at the upper end of Half-Moon
Court, at the Hand and Pen, and Noah's Ark, next Ludgate. He
acted as clerk, and kept a register of his own. He died about July
1747.

William Bettell.

Thomas Bennett.

Thomas Cox, Hand and Pen, Ditch Side.

Thomas Hodgkins.

Sarah Barrett, Fleet Bridge, 1747, (many marriages appear to
have been solemnized at her house.)

Bethra Reynolds, 1745.

Mrs. Levy.

Ann Hodgkins, 1 Fleet Lane, kept a register.

Matthias Wilson, Hand and Pen, near Fleet Ditch, kept a
Register.

John Wheeler, (a great many marriages were performed " at
Wheeler's.")

John Connor.

pretends to be tolerated by the Bishop of London, and gives out marriage certifi-
cates printed with the City arms, calling *em (as was then proved) my Lord Mayor's
certificates." (Printed handbill.)

1 On the trial of John Miller for Bigamy, the following evidence was given :

Ann Hodgkins. " On the llth March 1724-5, in the evening, the prisoner and
this woman Mary Moore were married at my house in Fleet Lane, by James
Starkey, a minister that lodged with me nine years. Mr. Ballantine gave her away,
and his wife was present at the same time.

Ballantine. " I never gave away Mary Moore to the prisoner, nor ever so much
as saw them together at Mrs. Hodgkins' house in my life ; but any body may have
a certificate at her house for half-a-crown, and have their names entered in her
book, for as long time past as they please.

Mrs. Ballantine. " 1 never saw the prisoner and Mary Moore married at Mrs.
Hodgkins' house, though I lodged there, nor ever knew of their being married at all.

Ann Glover. " Mary Moore says she'll do my business for me. I went with her
to prove her marriage at Mrs. Hodgkins', and Mrs. Plodgkins said, for half-a-
guinea she 'd enter her name in the Register, for a certificate would not do if the
marriage was not registered : her name was not in the book, and I saw Starkey the
parson interline her name in the book five years backwards. The parson is now
run away into Scotland, and Mary Moore begg'd me not to appear at this trial.

Andrew Montgomery. " Mrs. Hodgkins offered me a marriage certificate for a
young woman that happened to be with child, and was hunted by the parish officers,
and she said, for half-a -guinea it might be entered backwards in the book, and
would skreen her from the anger of her friends." Prisoner acquitted, and allowed
a copy of his indictment.

James Crookes.

Isaac Ewell, the King's Head, Turnkey of the Fleet Prison,
and appears to have kept a Register.
John Smith.
M. Artridge.

Mr. Potter, Mr. Albone, 1743, Roger Griffin, Fountain Tavern.
Thomas Dawbykin.
Thomas Gibson.
Ed. Patty, (clerk in 1729.)
Mrs. Balls, Hand and Pen, 1736.

Mr. Crosier, Hoop and Bunch of Grapes, Holborn Bridge, 1740.
George Gillett, Swan, in Fleet Market, 1742.
Mr. Roberts, The Lamb, 1725.

William Wyatt, Walter Wyatt's brother, a house in Sea Cole
Lane, 1746, the New Market House, Fleet Lane.
King's Arms, Fleet Market.
Mr. Boyce, King's Head, in the Rules, 1714 to 1729.

Horse Shoe and Magpie, Fleet Market, 1753.

Wheatsheaf, Fleet Market, 1734-1749.

Hand and Pen, and Noah's Ark, next Ludgate.

The Bishop Blaze and the Two Sawyers, Fleet Lane.
Mrs. Francis, Queen's Head.

Rainbow Coffee House, Corner of Fleet Ditch.
Mrs. Johnson, Golden Lion Tavern, Old Bailey.
Samuel Pickering ")

Thomas Owen, 1725.' > The Fighting Cocks, Fleet Lane.
Mr. Keen, 1739. 3

Oates, 2

Daniel Stebbings, Shepherd and Goat, near Fleet Bridge, 1748.
Mr. Crompton, and on his death, Mr. Green, the Cock and Acorn.
Mr. Demat, The Cock.

1 Upon the trial of Thomas Heild, in 1756, for Bigamy, this man deposed that
he had kept a public house in the Fleet, since 23 March 1754, and that one
Thomas Russel with Sarah Mills came there to have a marriage entered seven
years back, which he refused. Mills denied this, and the Court committed Owen
for perjury. (He had possession of many of the Fleet Registers, see p. 42.)

8 (Jn Tuesday, one Gates a plyer for and clerk to Weddings at the Bull and
Garter, by the Fleet Gate, was bound over to appear at the next Sessions, for
hiring one John Funnell, a poor boy, (for half-a guinea,) that sells fruit on Fleet
Bridge, to personate one John Todd, and to marry a woman in his name, which he
accordingly did ; and the better to accomplish this piece of villainy, the said Gates
provided a blind parson for that purpose. (Grub Street Journal, Sept. 1732.)

CHAPTER IV.

THE FLEET BOOKS. THEIR TRANSMISSION TO THE CUSTODY OF

THE BISHOP OF LONDON EXTRACTS, ETC. ETC.

TH E Fleet Marriages having been performed at a great
number of houses in the neighbourhood of the Fleet, and
the proprietors of the houses being frequently the possessors
of the registers of marriages performed there, it is impossible
to trace all these books from their first use until their de-
posit in the registry of the Bishop of London.

There are, it is believed, several of the Fleet Registers
still in private hands ; two of them are in possession of Mr.
Philip Charles Moore in Doctors'* Commons ; the one com-
mencing 2nd Feb. 1716 and ending 31st Dec. 1722, containing
about three or four thousand marriages; 1 the other (indorsed
" John Lilley his book,' 1 ) commencing 14th Oct. 1716 and
ending 1719- Another Register is in Rawlinson's Collection
(marked B. 360.) in the Bodleian Library at Oxford ; it com-
mences 4th March 1725 and ends 16th March 1730 : on the
first leaf is written " A True and exact Register of Marriages
at the Fleet, A.D. 1724-5."" Which being produced on a
trial relating to the marriage of Francis Goulding, in Aug.
1726, came to the hands of Richard Woolfe, Esq. Register
of the Duchy, who gave it to Dr. Rawlinson, 2nd Feb. 1754."

After much trouble and enquiry, however, the following
is the best account which can be collected.

By a printed bill pasted in one of the Fleet Registers, it
appears that after 1754, the Clerk of the Rev. Mr. Lando

1 The following Exhibit is written in this Book : " Phillips otherwise Delafield
otherwise Devall, against Delafield otherwise ])evall. This Book was in the pos-
session of Ann Hodgkins at the time of her examination in the above cause, the 19 th
of June 1733. Edw* Rushworth NOT Publ:"

(one of the Fleet parsons) had the Register Books of Dr.
Wigmore, Evans, Lando, Callow, Wodmor, Nodes, Bray-
field, and Townsend ; and that he had taken an office in
Half-Moon Court, Ludgate, where searches for marriages
might be made.

In another book are pasted the following advertisements :

This is to acquaint the Public,

To prevent the trouble and expense of searching at different
houses for Fleet Marriages,

That the Books of all the Marriages performed by D r Wigmore,
D r Dare, and several other former clergymen, at all the different
houses of the Fleet, and other parts of Town and Country, are to
be seen at the Public Register-Office, the uppermost house but
one in Half-Moon Court, joining to Ludgate.

And that the Public may not be deceived, no person has the
originals but the Keeper of this Office, and no Certificates, but
from the same, are good at law. To be searched any day of the
week except Sunday.

Kept by the Widow of the said D r Wigmore.

" N.B. These Registers mention the exact house where every
marriage was performed, both in the Liberties of the Fleet, &c."

Marriages '

Decently solemnized (as they are at May Fair,)
At the old original private Chapel of the llev d Mr. Lando, late
Chaplain to His Majesty's ship the Falkland. St. John's Chapel
is in Half-Moon Court, the first house joining to Ludgate, on Lud-
gate Hill.

Where Marriages from the year 1700 may be found of the Rev d
D r Allen, D r Mortram, D r Bucklan, D r Ryder, D r Syndery, D r
Cuthbert, D r Flood, D r Gainham, D r Ashwell, with some of D r
Wyatt's, and all of D 1 Evans and D r Wigmore, to be searched
without imposition.

The Fleet Registers became a saleable article as early as
1732; for, on the trial of Eliz. Reader in 1741, Wm. Scape

1 This advertisement is headed with the King's Arms in the centre, with the
device of a hand and pen on one side, and the ship Falkland on the other.

deposed, that about eight or nine years previously he bought
a Register Book, in which was the marriage in question,
but the person who owned it was dead ; and on the trial of
Thomas Hurnell, in 1741, the following evidence was given :

Mrs. Barrett. I knew Anthony Shellburn, he has been dead
some years. I live in Fleet Lane ; but the book this marriage is
in, belongs to Mr. Cox, at the Hand and Pen, at the Ditch Side.
I have got with me the Registers of my husband's Marriages. Mr.
Cox is dead, and tJie book went to his ividow ; she has since sold it to
other persons.

When one of the Fleet Registers was taken to Shrewsbury,
on a trial there in 1794, a Mrs. Olivi * gave the following
evidence on the subject :

" My first husband was Thos. Owens. I had the Register
Books of Fleet Marriages in my possession from my marriage in
1761, till I went to America eleven years ago. I then sold them
to Mr. Panton. My husband Owen died about 1773. My hus-
band made a will. I had the possession of the books myself, as
my husband had other business. I heard my husband say he pur-
chased these books. He had a Marriage House in Fleet Lane. I
used the books to grant certificates upon parish affairs."

By the Will of Thomas Owens, dated 18th Feb. 1775, and
proA^ed in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, he bequeaths
to his wife Susan Owens, " All the Books of the Registry of
the Fleet Marriages, now in my possession."

By the evidence on the before-mentioned trial in 1794, it
appears that " The persons who kept the different Marriage

1 Mrs. Olivi, or Olive, was originally a servant to a man named Lilly, who kept a
Marriage House near the corner of Fleet Street. She used to ply for Lilly, and when
he died, Owens succeeded to one of the Marriage Houses, and married this Mrs.
Olivi. It is not improbable that Owens bought the books of Lilly's representatives.
Lilly was one of the most fortunate of the marriage-house keepers, and had a very
brisk trade.

The following advertisement shows Mr. Olive's residence :

" All the original Register Books containing the marriages solemnized at the
Fleet, May Fair, and the Mint, for upwards of one hundred years past, may be
searched by applying to George Olive, at the Wheat Sheaf, in Nicholl's Square,
near Cripplegate. The great utility of these Collections prevents any encomiums."

Houses were occasionally the Clerks ; if nobody was in the
way, any person executed the office as a Clerk. The man
that in general was their servant, he registered them." a

Five or six hundred of these books were purchased of
Mrs. Olivi, about 1783, by Mr. Benjamin Panton. Mr.
Panton, in his evidence in the cause of Lloyd v. Passingham,
said they weighed more than a ton ; that he had been in the
habit of attending Courts of Justice with them, and never
knew them refused. 2

About the year 18 Mr. Panton died, leaving a Will,

whereby he bequeathed these books to his daughter,

Panton, who, in 1813, disposed of them to Mr. Wm. Cox. 3

Amongst the books is one used to contain an account of all
searches made: it is headed, " This Book contains all the
searches found and not found from the year 1784 to 1804
and 1819, that as been made by any of Mr. Panton's familly
since inn their possession, and is now going on by Mr. Wm.
Cox, 1813." 4

They were purchased of Mr. Cox by Government, in 1821 ;
and in one of the printed parliamentary estimates for that
year is the following item :

" An account showing how the sum of 280,000 granted by Par-
liament to provide for extraordinary expenses of a civil nature
was expended ;

1 In one of the Registers is a memorandum, " Here ends the Register kept by
my wife."
8 Short-hand notes taken at the trial.

3 By some entries made in one of the Fleet books, (No. 219.) and probably
made by Owens, it appears that in 1761 he received for Searches and Extracts in
and from the Books in his possession, 61. 14s. In 1762, 90. 4s. 8d. Fora
Certificate of the Marriage of James Ford and Isabella Liscomb, 6. 6s. Od.

Isaac Gouldin and Ann Willis . . .550

Tho 9 Bassett and Jane M'Doual . . 550

Jn Baptiz Brozos and Mary Potter . . 10 2 6

And there is in the same book the following minute : " Nov. 30, 1761 , bought the

Books of M Dnimmon."

A great many of the small memorandum books have the name of " Tho Cope"

on the covers.

4 It is believed the following office, mentioned in the Law Lists for several yeais.
belonged to him, " Register containing Marriages of the Fleet, May Fair, and
Mint, in Rutland-House, Charter House Square.''

" George Maule, Esq. Solicitor for the affairs of the Treasury, to
enable him to purchase for the use of the public a series of
Books containing the Entries of Marriages in the Fleet Prison
and the Rules thereof, from the year 1686 to the year 1754.

260. 6*. 6d."

The following letter was upon that occasion sent by Lord
Sidmouth to the Bishop's Registrar, who received the books
from Mr. Maule, and deposited them at the office of the Re-
gistrar of the Consistory Court of London, where they have
ever since remained. 1

Sir,

" It having been judged expedient to purchase a set of books
containing the original Entries of Marriages solemnized in the
Fleet Prison and Rules thereof, from the year 1686 to the year
1754, 1 have been honoured with His Majesty's commands to de-
sire that you will receive the said books from Mr. Maule, the
Solicitor to the Treasury, and give him a receipt for the same, and
deposit them in the Registry of the Consistory Court of London.
" I have the honour to be, Sir,

" Your most obedient humble Servant,

" SIDMOUTH."

" The Registrar of the Consistory
Court of London, or his Deputy."

1 It is to be wished that they were better arranged and indexed. There are
several very large indexes, which only require a little time and attention to ascertain
to what Registers they refer. The pocket-books also might be bound together, and
preserved from dust and dirt ; and if Government would give another 100, these
objects might be attained. It was a labour of many months to go through so many
hundreds of dusty, dirty, and sometimes ragged books, to extract the materials for
this volume.

" A very important discovery has a short time since been made of the original
books of Registry of Marriages and Births which occurred in the Fleet Piison and
its Rules from the year 1686 to 1754, together with those celebrated at the Mint and
May Fair Chapel : of the authenticity of these records no doubt is entertained ; and
they have, by an order from Lord Sidmouth, been lately deposited with the Regis-
trar of the Diocese of London, in Godliman -street. The long period of doubt and
difficulty which obscured the union of the marriages and births of that era, before
the date of the Marriage Act, will now be cleared, and the titles to estates during
that period find a clear elucidation hitherto very much required." (Courier, 8 June
1821.)

The following are extracts from the Fleet Registers which
consist of about two or three hundred large Registers, and
a thousand or more of the rough Books, or, as they are called,
Pocket Books.

" November 5 th 1742 was married Benjamin Richards of the
parish of St. Martin in the Fields B* & Judith Lance D Sp
at the Bull and Garter and gave g & for an antidate to March y e
11 th in the same year, which Lilley comply'd w th & put 'em in his
Book accordingly, there being a vacancy in the Book sutable to the
time"

" On Tuesday Aprill the 20 th 1742 came a man & woman to
the Bull & Garter the man pretended he would marry y e woman
by w'ch pretence he gott money to pay for marrying & to buy a
ring, but left the woman by herself and never returned, upon
which J. Lilley takes the woman from the Bull & Garter to his
own house and gave her a Certifycate as if she had been married

to the man. The Maid a Welch Girl call'd brought me

a Guinea to change and told me the story."

" Jn Ellis & Jane Davis, she being dead left a house in y e
Market Place in Ailsbury 2 Flower pots at y e Door. Wanted by
y e Soror & Wax Work a Sham C of y r Nupt Oct r 9 th 1739."

"June 10 1729 John Nelson of y e Pa of St. George Hanover
Batchelor and Gardener & Mary Barns of y c same Sp: married

Jn Floud Min r
Cer: dated 5 November 1727 to please their parents."

" Wanted 18 years back."

" 15 th offered me 10" 6 d to fill up a blank in Mr. Flood's Name &
Books."

" John Thomas Briquett of the Pa of St Giles's Attorney at Law
and Sara Jarman of the Pa of St Anns Westm r W & Sp mar: by
me in Newgate some years since

in Major Barnardy's Room. Jn Floud Cler."

" Aug st 31 st 1738 James Clement Gent of St Edmund y e King
London B r & Eliz Taylor of St Pauls Covent Garden Sp r at Far-
rells Bagnio in Long Acre 5. 5. 0."

" 1728, Joseph South, of the parish of Deptford in Kent, and
Eliz. Durham of the same place Ba. and Sp. married at a Cook-
shop, next the Yorkshire Gray, at the house of John Warminger."

" These wicked people came this day ; Peter Oliver of St.
Olaves Carpenter and Elisabeth Overtoil B. and W would have a
certificate dated in 1729, or would not be married if it was to be
dated to this time went to Lilley's and was married."

" This 31 8t of May came a man and a wooman to be married at
M rs Levi's. Gave M r Ashwell 2 s 6 d : he would have 5" O d all ; but

they abusied him, and all persons there went to Bates or

M r Dare's, and gave 6 9 6 d and was married, which was nine shil-
lings, when they might been done cheaper."

" N. B. A coachman came and was half married, and wou'd give
but 3 s 6 d and went off."

1741, Walter Turner, of St. Ann's Soho, B 1 , and Sarah
Sysam, appear'd to be a vile design'd skeme, as I afterwards dis-
covered."

" September y e 11 th , 1745.
Edw dl
and Elizab th

were married and would not let me know their names, y e man said
he was a weaver and liv'd in Bandylegwalk, in the Borough.

P r E. Ashwell."

1 Besides the Registers, there are in the Bishop's Registry a very great number
of small pocket books used by the Fleet parsons, and which, it appears, they were
in the habit of carrying about with them to the different public houses where Mar-
riages were to be done, and making the entries therein, and afterwards transcribing
them into the larger Register. In case, however, the parties did not pay for register-
ing, or if they wished the marriage to be secret, their surnames were not trans-
cribed into the large Register, so that these pocket books are valuable as containing
particulars not to be met with in the larger Register.

After the entries of Marriages, the remarks of the clergyman are often to be met
with ; as a specimen of them, are the following

" Jn Todd of St. John's Wapping at King Edw d * Staires waterman, a friendly
adviser and director to y e Fleet for Marriages."

" N. B. they had liv d together 4 years as man and wife : they were so vile as to
ask for a Certifycate to be antidated."

" N. B. they wanted an antidate from 45 to 41."

" N. B. Both y 6 man and woman were exceedingly vile in their behaviour."

" N. B. the woman was big w t!l child, and they wanted a Certifycate antidated ;
and because it was not comply'd with, they were abusive w' h a Witness."

" N. B. the person belonging to y e house aloud me only 2 s out of 8 s ."

" 4..0 2. .6 p d 3..0 Waterman."

(About 4s. or 5s. appears to have been the clergyman's fee, and Is. or 2s. the

" 13 Sept. Edw d Emmet Gent, of Barkin in Essex B and Han-
nah Bowie D Sp. Castle Tavern Paternoster Row, M r Burnford's
Weding. W. 2 guineas, M. 1 guinea, was to be secret for a month."

" Sept r the 6 tk , John Fletcher of the Parish of St. Mary's,
Oxon. Ba. and Gent., and Mary Gardner, of the Pa. of Fulham,
Hammersmith, Spinster, att the Goat, Phillips's, the 6 th .

John Flood.

" This was a Gentleman, Gaynam refused to marry. By reason
of his being student att Oxford, and knowing his father."

May y e 6 th 1740 James Wheeler Drum r of y* 1 st Regim* &
Catherine Smith W & W At y e new Bawdy-house joyning
Grinley's."

" June the 21, 1741. Thomas Millis Butcher of Kingston- upon-
Theams B* & Mary Jarvis of S* Clement Dean Sp. M" Crooks
N. B. Madam Roberts the player who lives in Duke Street West-
minster came w th them & a Barronight who keeps her came with
them."

" Jan* 4, 1743-4. Thomas Brown of the first troop of Horse
Guards Wid r & Mary Hope of St. Pancras at the Shepherd &
Goat. N. B. This s d Thomas Brown that took the Standard at
Dedingen."

" June, 26. 1744 Nathaniel Gilbert Gent of St Andrews Hoi-
born and Mary Lupton at Oddy's. N. B. There was 5 or 6 in
company, one amongst seem'd to me by his dress and behavi r to
be an Irishman. He pretended to be some Grand Officer in the
army. He y e said Irish Gent told me before I saw y e woman y l
was to be married y* it was a poor Girl a going to be married to a
Common Soldier, but when I come to marry them I found myself
impos'd upon, and having a mistrust of some Irish roguery, I took

clerk's. Out of these, an allowance was made to the persons who brought the par-
ties to be married.)

" Had a noise for foure hours about the money."

" N. B. Stole a silver spoon."

" 1740 Geo Grant & Ann Gordon B & Sp. Stole my cloathes brush."

" 1740 R d Shears & Hannah Allen B & S. The person whoe was with them
I believe knew it to be a made marriage."

" Davis and Wyatt brought the others, and were very abusive to Mr Ashwell.
I absent, and went and left a pott of 4 penny to pay."

" Her eyes very black, and he beat about y e face very much."

upon me to ask what y e Gentleman's name was, his age &c and
likewise the Lady's name & age Answer was made me What
was that to me G . . dam me if I did (not) immediately marry
them he would use me ill ; in short, apprehending it to be a con-
spiracy I found myself obliged to marry them in Terrorem N. B.
some material part was omitted."

" 1742 May 24 A Soldier brought a Barber to the Cock who
I think said his name was James, Barber by Trade, was in part
married to Elizabeth, they said they were married enough."

" 1717 Feb 4) Cha Bowles of Southwark Merchant & Doro-
at his own House > thy Hunt of Lower Areley in Worstershire.
Southwark ) W and Sp."

" I have put a secret Wedding in my private Book of Memo-
randum on this day" (Nov. 5. 1742.) '

" The Woman ran across Ludgate Hill in her Shift." *

" Entered in Lilleys Book by an unknown hand Dec r 1 1716
Dan Paul St James's Capt" in y e Horse Guards. Elizabeth Murray
B Sp."

March y e 4 th 1740 William 3 and Sarah

he dress'd in a gold waistcoat like an Officer, she a Beautifull young
Lady with 2 fine diamond Rings and a Black high Crown Hat &
very well dressed at Boyce's."

" N. B. There was 4 or 5 young Irish Fellows, seem'd to me
after y e Marriage was over to have deluded y e young woman gave
d Clk y & : 4 N. B. behaved rogueshly, Broke the Coachman's
Glass."

" N. B. married at a Barbers Shop next Wilsons viz. one Ker-
rils for half a Guinea, after which it was extorted out of my
pocket and for fear of my life delivered."

1 A separate Book was kept for the purpose of inserting Marriages which were
desired to be kept secret Upon perusal of a private Book of this sort from 1748 to
1753, it appears that nearly all the contracting parties were of a superior station in
Life, the additions being " Gent, and Sp."

* It was a vulgar error that a man was not liable to the Bride's debts if he took
her in no other apparel than her shift. The Daily Journal of 8 Nov. 1725, men-
tions a similar exhibition at Ulcomb, in Kent.

3 In a great many instances the parties refused to tell their surnames.

4 Letters were used to denote the Sums received for fees, in the same way as they
are now used by Tradesmen for their private marks.

20 May 1737. Jn Smith Gent of St James West r Batch' &
Eliz Huthall of St Giles's Sp r at Wilson's. By y e opinion after
matrimony my Clark judg'd they were both women, if y e person
by name John Smith be a man, he 's a little short fair thin man
not above 5 foot."

" After marriage I almost co d prove y m both women, the one was
dress'd as a man thin pale face & wrinkled chin."

" Thomas Monk Sawyer & Marg* Lawson pawn'd to Mr. Lilley
a handkerchief & silver Buttons for 2 s ."

" N. B. y e woman was a Neighbour's Daughter, the Sister
raised a Mob & s d my maid was my W "

No. 5. A very large folio intituled " The Register of the
Fleet wherein is contained the severall marriages cele-
brated and performed In The New Chappie St Brides
beginning January 1751" ends July I153.( l )
" Charles a Countryman & Lusey would not tell their names vil
Beaheaver. J. F. " 24 Dec. 1751.
No. 24. A very large square folio, commencing Sept. 14

1709 ending 13 Oct. 1715 (about 1200 entries.)
"Xmas 1714. John Caterwood in White Lyon Cort Cornhill
married to Mad m Wattgraves att Mr Lilleys and her former hus-
band is Liveing. Married by Mr John Mottram. Shee lodging att
Charles Street in Westminster."

No. 27. A thin folio of 40 pages, for the year 1744. The
initials of the Clergyman's Name and the fees paid are
added to the entries ; the amounts of fees paid for the
marriages registered on three pages are thus :

. 5

7. 6

10.

3. 6

1. 1

2. 6

10.

7. 6

10. 6

Jan: 13. 1744. John -
& Mary

" " "I WD 2.6"

(') The Numbers here placed against the Books from which the Author's extracts
are made, are those in his own manuscript, not those of the Registers themselves.

No. 30. " The Registry of the Weddings at the King's
Arms Fleet Market by Sundry Parsons."

" 1740 Octo 24. Gwin Lloyd of Hendor Merionethshire Esq. &
BUz" 1 Taylor of St James's Westm r B & S. P r W. Wyatt."(')

No. 40. The Marriages in this Book performed by Mr. Floud
about 1725, have the Names of the Witnesses sub-
scribed.

No. 41. 1721-1727, " Register Book of Marriages by Sundry
Parsons. The Chappie Register."

"October 6, 1722. Thomas Hinkly, Mitcham, Husbandman.
Sarah Baker, Morton B. S. (Mott) no cer : under

02. 2. 6 for cheating of me Matt. Wilson."

(At the end of the Book.) " At the sign of the Hand and Pen
on the ditch side London, where the Ancient Register Books of
Fleet Marriages are kept, persons may be married at their own
conveniency by a Minister of y e Church of England."

No. 47. About 5000 entries 1725-1736.

" N. B. that a Woman by the name of Martha Mathews came
here when Mr Lilley was out and said she was married to one
Rich d . Edwards. I enter'd it down by mistake it) a Certificat but
no such marridge was ever in this Book Jobson."

" 1728-9 March 3. Henry and Ann, no other names.

Ja. Wagst."

Novemb r 1728, 4 th . Edward Euerretof St James Westmins r &
Hannah Grady of y e same, Batch 1 & Spins'

not married."

January 1728-9, 13 th . Tho 8 Conden of St Margaretts West-
minster Shoemaker and Mary Jones Sp l of do.

" N. B. behav d very indecent and rude to all."

" 1729 June 15. Francis and Sarah thay went a way in hast But
married P l Jos a . Lilley P r John Floud, Min r "

1734 December 15. John Mountford of St. Ann's Sohoe Taylor
B, Mary Cooper Ditto Sp.

suspected 2 Women, no Certif :"

(' ) This was the entry in question in the case of Lloyd and Passingham.

1735 June 5 th . Dennis and Ann

Done at the Mitre at Brentford 1 T

... v P r J. Gaynam.

would give no sirnames J

No 44. 1721-1733, about 1200 entries, with an Index.

"1728 March 1. Christopher Martin of Hanover Sq: St.
Georges and Ruth Agar of Marribone married. J. Floud, Min r

25 June 1729. W m Kniht of the Pa of Hampstead Gardner
and Batchelor & Joanna Woodward of the parish of Wilsdon
Spinster, married. P Jn Floud."

W m Knight none to search but him >.
or Joanna Woodward, Bride no /
month set on the Cer. only the {

24 th day W m Knight. )

No. 46. 1731-1737.

" 1733-4, January 14. Cornelius Tho s of St Mary Rotherhithe
B r & Gent & Hester Green Sp r . Left a ring. 0. 10. 6.

Rob 1 uthbert."

No. 51. 1727-1754, but has entries as early as 1700, with
an index.

This is one of the most curious of the Books, as nearly
every entry has some observation annexed to it, written in
Greek characters, which illustrate the shameful practices of
the Fleet Clergymen.

"March 1729, 2 d . John Gordon Esq r . of the liberty of Westm r &
Barbara Raynes of Greenwich in Kent B & Sp. P r Jn Floud.

They were married at East Lane in Greenwich paid two
guineas, Clark five shillings & two parchment Certificates half a
guinea more. Doctor & self made an equal division (E^uaX A<ut-
siov) of the whole. I had five guineas since for proving the mar-
riage."

" Robert King a Fisherman & Elizabeth Price, both of St. Giles
in the fields. B & Sp P r Jn' Evans.

P* 1 one shilling only, the Bridegroom a boy about eighteen years
of age & the Bride about sixty five. They were brought in a coach

(') On the 4th August is an entry of the marriage on that day, and in the margin
" the Certificate dated ye ! of March 1728," so that there was an entry to agree
with the certificate and another to agree with the fact.

& attended by four Ihvppivy Whopv out of Drury Lane as
guests."(')

" November 1735, 6 th . John Fletcher a Butcher of St Clements
Danes & Hannah Neelor of St Andrews Holbourn B & Sp.

J. Gaynam.

This couple had cohabited many years but upon a small legacy
being left they then thought proper to marry. I gave them an old
Certificate & antedated it to the 24th of Aug* 1734 sign'd Backler
for which I was to have had five shillings but marr seven & six
pence. They were brought by Mrs Warner."

"May 1730, 28 th . William Tew Gent & Katherine Skeere both
of St Buttolphs Bishopsgate B & Sp P r Robt. Cuthbert

married at the Globe Tavern Hatton Garden, myself had five
shillings as Clark & gave a Certificate on stampt paper (Hand-
somely entertained.)"

"June 1727, 11 th . William Whittingham Watchmaker & Ra-
chael Babington both of St Ollaves Silver St, B & Sp

P r Jn Floud

paid marr five shillings & two shillings Certiff : the said Rachel the
prettiest woman I ever saw."

" November 1727, 30 th . Richard Stokes, Shipwright & Frances
Thompson both of St Giles's in the Fields. B & Sp

P r Jn Floud

(') The immorality of some of these clandestine marriages is thus noticed by
M 1'Abbe le Blanc, in his Observations on the Laws relating to Marriage previously
to the Marriage Act. " They all have a tendency to favour even the most indecent
marriages ; they do not require by far enough of public solemnity. As the -wedding
ceremony may here be transacted in any place whatever, I have heard that a clergy-
man who was in prison, to get a more tolerable subsistence, hung an advertisement
at his window with these words ' Weddings performed cheap here.' They autho-
rize all the acts of the common prostitute their most common way is to intoxicate
the man whom they have a design upon, and then such a creature who wants to be
the wife of a man who would perhaps be ashamed to own her for a mistress, pre-
vails upon him by her dangerous caresses, to own before witnesses that he takes her
for his wife. It often happens so, when he imagines he is only in jest or sport. But
all jesting in this affair becomes serious in England. The ' yes' is always taken in
the strictest sense of the letter; the woman perhaps has a chaplain ready, this
minister of the Gospel lends himself to the mystery of iniquity, and that which in
France would be only a farce, which the civil magistrate would be prepared to
chastise, becomes in England a serious art authorized by the Laws ; whence it fre-
quently happens that a man who went to bed very easy and very drunk, finds him-
self at waking, married to a creature whom he most heartily despises and abhors.

marriage seven shillings & six pence & four shillings bed & certiff :
Bob Balls wife brought them and had them bedded."(')

" Aug st 12, 1729. Abraham Wells a Butcher of the Parish of
Tottenham in Mid'ex & Susannah Hewitt of Enfield W r & W

P r John Floud

p d five shillings per total. N. B. The 28 th of Aprill 1736 M 1 "* Wells
came and Earnestly entreated me to erase the marriage out of the
book, for that her husband had beat & abused her in a barbarous

manner, and she had much rather be esteemed his W that

she might have a proper recourse of Law against him. I made her
believe I did so for which I had half a guinea and she at the same
time delivered me up her Certificate, no person present (according
to her desire.")

" 1734 May 13 th . Samuel Stewart, a Chocolate Maker, &
Mary Nugent, both of St. M. Ludgate. B. & Sp.

P r Ralph Shadwell.

Mr. Comings gave me half a guinea to find a Bridegroom, and
defray all expences. Parson two and sixpence Husband D
and five and sixpence myself."

" July 1728, 22 d . Josiah Welsh, a Cordwainer, and Elizabeth
Cutchey, of St. Giles's, Cambridge. W. & Sp. P r Jn Floud.

Brought by Mr. Half and Mr. Hargrove of the Guards, who paid
me two guineas to provide a Husband for Madam, and defray all
the subsequent charges of the wedding, viz. Docter 7 s . 6 d . Bride-
groom 6". the rest to myself. For a further account of Mr. Welsh
vid. May 8, 1727, December the 11 th and 23 d , 1727."

"December 1727, 11 th . Walter Janes, Cordwainer of St.
Martins Ludgate, and Mary Spreadbourough, of St. Giles in the
Fields. W & Sp r . P r Jn Floud.

The other day a gentleman of Lincoln who had been unfortunate in this respect,
shot himself through the head the next day, as soon as he understood the foolish
step he had taken." (Letters of a Frenchman, No 10.)

(') " Now 1 have promised him mountains, if in one of his mad fits he will bring
you to him, in her stead, and get you married together and put to bed together, and
after consummation, Girl, there's no revoking." (Love for Love.)

In 1737, Richard Leaver was indicted for Bigamy, when the following evidence
was given.

Alice Allinglon. "On January 18, 1733 4, I was married to the prisoner, at
the Hand and Pen, in Fleet Lane, by the famous Doctor Gainham.

Prisoner. " I don't know that woman for my wife. 1 know nothing alx>ut the

Marriage five shillings one D Clerkship, and one D Certiff.
The man had five shillings for marrying her, of which I had one
and sixpence. N.B. The above said person marrys in common."(')

1727 December 23. Richard Armstrong, Cordwainer, and Mary
Roberts, of Shoreditch. Wr & Sp. P r Jn Floud.

paid one pound five shillings, viz. parson five shillings, and the
man five shillings, (vid: December 11 th ut supra,) and fifteen shil-
lings myself."

"July 1729, 11 th . John Rogers, Gent, and Elizabeth Hussey,
(alias) Rebecka Mitchell, both of St. Margaret's, WestnT. W r &
W. P r Jn Floud.

wedding. I was fuddled over night, and next morning I found myself a-bed with a
strange woman, ' And who are you "? how came you here ?' says I, ' O my
dear, says she, we were marry'd last night at the Fleet.' (Sessions Papert.)

( ! ) Thus it clearly appears that Welsh, alias Janes, alias Armstrong, alias
married four women in fourteen months ; each time changing his name. The
object of the brides in paying for a husband to be found for them, was to enable
them to plead coverture to any action for debt, or to give them the means of shew-
ing a certificate in case of their being enceinte. After an entry on the 19 th Dec r
1728, we find the Bridegroom thus paid "for his trouble." (See p. 53.)

" George Mackarly, a Soldier, & Bridget Marcan, of St. Giles in the fields,

W & Wo Pr Jno Floud.

p* eight shillings per total, viz. two & sixpence to the Bridegroom for hit
trouble, the rest between Doctor and self."

Dr. Gaily, in his " Considerations on Clandestine Marriage," (1750,) observes,
"It is well known to be a common practice at the Fleet, and that there are men
provided there, who have each of them within the compass of a year married several
women for this wicked purpose."

Nov T 21, 1729, was tried a cause in the Court of King's Bench, between James
Hopman plaintiff, and Jane Hunter defendant, when Defendant proved she was
married to one Matterson, a soldier in the Foot Guards, at the time she contracted
the debt ; but it being proved on the other side that Matterson had a wife then
living, and that Defendant gave him half a guinea to marry her, to screen her from
paying her debts, the Jury found for the Plaintiff. Daily Journal, 1729.

In one of the pocket-books are the following entries " This to be incrted 21 of
Febr 1739-40, Will Jones, Vintner, of Covent Garden, B. & Jennett Hunter, D.
Sp. (at Wheeler's.) They came first to Burnford's, and would give but 5s. she
dress' d very fine, and looked like a common woman, wanted a man to personate."

" Oct' 14 1732. John Blewington, of Rippon, in Yorkshire, Bricklayer, B. &
Sarah Barington, of Colchester, Wid w . N.B. This Barrington s<* she had 40 pr
annum, had been confined for debt, and married Blewington to skreen her."

" 24 July 1737. Simon Parrott, Plasterer, of Swallow St., St. James's, & Ann
Pritchett, Wid r & Wid w . When he had married her sl he would never bed her,
he would marry any body."

p d half a guinea per total. Mrs. Hussey, though a Quaker,
(none of the most scrupulous,) she could not comply with the cere-
monies of our church, yet would take the man to bed to her upon
the bare dependence of credit of a Fleet certificate ; she being
only personated by Beck Mitchell."

" Robert Draper, Gardiner, and Ann Osborn, both of Battersea,
married at Kit Linerells. I gave a certificate, for which I had
only a quartern of brandy.'

" 22 July 1728. Nicholas Richardson, invalid soldier in Chel-
sea Hospital, and Judith Taylor, of Chelsea. W & W. P r Jn
Floud. Married at Chidleys. I gave a Certificate, and was paid
with a promise."

" 10 Dec. 1728. W m Salkeld, a Marriner, and Mary Jones,
both of St. Andrews, Holborn. B & Sp. P r Jn Floud. Marr: ten
shillings, two and sixpence Clark ; one D Register, two and six-
pence Certificate. They were married at twelve at night, and lay all
night in bed in my house, for which had one shilling and sixpence
more."

" 22 March 1728. Tho s Stringer, a Brewer's Servant, and Ann
Criswell, both of St. Sepulchre's. B & Sp. P r Jn Floud. Paid
three shillings and sixpence, Certificate one and sixpence ; it being
pretty late, they lay here, and paid me one shilling for bed, (a kind

girl-")

" Edmund Daviss, a Hatter, of St. George's, Bloomsbury, and
Mary Sprigg Martin, of St. Giles's in the Fields. B & Sp. P r Jn
Floud. These couple were bedded about six minutes, and paid
only five shillings per total, being friends of Mary Hall. Vid.
Apr. 9, 1727."

" Patrick Fitzgerald, a Carter, of St. George's, Hanover Square,
and Grace Bennit, of St. Giles's in the Fields. B & Sp. P r Jn
Floud. Marr: five shillings, certif. one do. ; brought by Mr. Clark,
overseer of St. Giles's."

(After another Parish Wedding.)

" Paid three shillings, a Parish Wedding, and the people being
pretty remarkable, I believe there was a mob of three hundred
people after them."(')

(') On Saturday last, the Churchwardens for a certain parish in the City, in order
to remove a load from their own shoulders, gave 40s. and paid the expense of a
Fleet marriage, to a miserable blind youth, known by the name of Ambrose Tally,
who plays on the violin in Moorfields, in order to make a settlement on the wife

" 29 Aug' 1729. John Wills, Distiller, of St. Dunstans in the
East, and Mary Mackarty, of St. Andrew's, Holborn. W & W.
Marr: five shillings, and two do. Certif. Two most notorious
Thieves. P r Jn Floud."

" 12 Dec. 1729. John Slater, Gent, of St. Andrew's, Holborn,
and Frances Thompson, of St. Dunstan's in the West. B & Sp.
P r Jn Floud. This Marriage upon Honour. Vid. the 30 th of Nov.
1727."

" 16 Dec. 1729. George Stewart, Gent, and Mary Hill, both
of St. Dunstans in the West. B & W w . P r Jn Floud. Marr:
viz. per an old Licence (') one guinea and a half, the wedding half a
guinea, and Certif. five shillings, performed at the Sun Tavern, in
Holbourn."

" 23 Aug. 1732. John Cope, Gent, and Susannah Clark, both
of Clapham, in Surry. W r & Sp. P r Sam 1 Backler. P ten and
sixpence per total, being married before by proxy."

" 25 Aug* 1735. Matthew Medcalf, a Weaver, and Ann Hub-
bard, both of Whitechapel. B & W. D. Wigmore. Total three
and sixpence ; but honest Wigmore kept all the money ; so fare-
well him."

" 20 Nov r 1735. John Greentree, a Husbandman, and Eliza-
beth Seager, both of Wimbledon, in Surry. B & W. P r Walter
Wyatt. Total nineteen shillings, my Lord and self took them
from Brown, who was going into the next door with them."

" 27 April 1736. Cotton Bartlett, Apothycary, and Elizabeth
Sharp, both of St. Bride's. B & W. P r W. Wyatt. Total six
shillings. Brought by a Counsellor."

" 1 July 1728. Joseph Otway, Gent, and Deborah Smith. B &
Sp. Married by the Doctor abroad, but upon his letter to me for
that purpose, registered here, and was paid one shilling."

" 12 July 1729. Thomas Whiting, a Coppersmith, and Dorothy
Todd, both of St. Bottolph's, Aldgate. B & Sp. P r Jn Floud.

and future family in Shoreditch parish. To secure their point they sent a parish
officer to see the ceremony performed. One cannot but admire the ungenerous pro-
ceeding of this City parish, as well as their unjustifiable abetting and encouraging
an irregularity so much and so justly complained of, as these Fleet matches. In-
vited and uninvited, were a great number of poor wretches, in order to spend the
bride's parish fortune Daily Post, 4 July 1741.

(') Perhaps a Licence from the Commons which had already been used.

Marr: ten shillings and sixpence, and two and sixpence Clark. No
certif. I had them married at Mrs. Johnson's, at the Golden Lion
Tavern, in the Old Bailey, January 30 th , 1731.(') Mrs. Whiting
had a Certificate and paid me two and sixpence for it."

" 30 Dec. 1729. Joseph Payne, a Picture Frame Maker, and
Mary Hall, both of St. Dunstan's in the West. B & Sp. P r Jn
Floud. Marr: eight shillings, one Clark and two certificate ;
brought by Friend Pickett. I had not my share of the Wedding,
Doctor Floud being call'd home, taken ill, and dying the next
morning.

The following is the form in which the entries in this book
are made.

28 th

pugg: 7//g>]T) (7>.

QV1)

1735
October

Bay, Thomas, a Mealman, of Springfield, &
Rebecka Brown, of Much Baddah, in Essex
I* Jn Floud.

No. 50. A narrow folio, commencing 1730 to 1773, intitu-
led " Robt. Cuthbert's Marriages."

"1731 May 8. Tho 8 Rolte and Ann Calvert, Ba & Spinster,
Gent, of St. Giles's Camp's. She of St. Andrews, Holborn ; no-
body to see it. W m Toone Father. An old Gentleman gave
1. Is. and a Gent, from my Lord Baltemore 2. 2s. he had cert:
20 day."

" 1731 August 11. W m Charlton and Mary Laneve, Ba &
Spinster, weaver, of Blackfriars, at my Ladyes,( a ) Fleet Lane."

(At the end of the book is) " Rob 1 Cuthbert, Minister of
the Fleet, mortuus anno Dom: 1734. Quarto die Augustii
aetatis sui 42.""

(') Although performed in 1731, entered as 12 July 1729.
( 2 ) The Rev. Kobt. Cuthbert was doubtless so occupied in the solemn duty of
marrying others, that he had no time to go through the ceremony for himself.
" My Ladye '' might be supposed to mean Landlady, but after another entry of
marriage is a memorandum less equivocal, it runs thus,

" paid five shillings, and one certificate, brought by Mrs. Blood, Doctor
Floud's Mistress."

No. 60. A narrow folio, 1738 to 1740.

" Nov r 6, 1739. Richard Oliver, Gent, of St. Katherines, B r and
Eliz. Holloway, of St. Gregory's Sp r . Mar: upon Tick."

" March y e 30 th 1740. John James, B r and Eliz th ; would not
tell their names, but paid 1. 10s."

No. 68. A large narrow folio, 1739 to 1743.

" October y e 13, 1741. Denis Christopher, Bookbinder, Ches-
ham, Bucks, Wid r , to Martha Townsend, of Ailsbury, D Sp r . att y e
Cock. N.B. Married for nothing to obblige Mr. Golder Attorney-
att-Law."

" Nov er y e 21, 1742. Akerman Rich d , Turner, of Christ Ch r ,
Baf, to Lidia Collet Mrs. Crooks. N.B. They behaved very
vilely, and attempted to run away with Mrs. Crooks Gold Ring."

28 th . Smith Robert, Hosier, of St. Martin's in y e fields,

Wid r , to Sarah Skett : appear'd a rogue."

No. 69. A long narrow folio, 1742 to 1743, intituled " Re-
gister Book of Marriages, by Mr. Dare."
" 2 d October 1742. James, son of Ephraham and Mary Miller,
of White Fryers, in the parish of St. Bride's, half baptized at Bos,
by W. Dare, priest of the Church of England."

" 7 November 1742. Thomas Boadish, of St. Andrew Hoi-
born, Gent. Widower, and Carew Tate, of St. Pauls Covent Gar-
den, Spinster.

f Elizabeth Dare,
Present-? Anna Catherina Dee,

i. Sussex Dare.

" November 23 d 1742. George Wright, &c. &c. &c."
" October 2 d 1743. John Figg, of St. Johns the Evang 5 , Gent,
a Widower, and Rebecca Woodward, of Ditto, Spinster, at y e same
time gave her y e Sacrament.'^ 1 )

(') This is the only instance met with where these Clergymen have added to
their infamy by administering the Sacrament after marriage. They were, however,
anxious to impose on the ignorant by as much attention to * rites and ceremonies' as
was consistent with their own interests, thus :

On a trial for Bigamy, in 1731, Samuel Pickering deposed "the prisoner was
married at my house in the Fleet, to Mr. Humphreys, by Mr. Mortram a clergy-
man. I gave her away, and saw the ring put upon her hand, and broke the biscuit
over her head."

And

No. 73. A long narrow folio, 1742 to 1744.

" 1744 Aug 1 y e 20. John Newsam, Labourer, of St. James's
West, and Ann Laycock, D. Wid r & Wid w . They run away with
the Scertifycate, and left a point of wine to pay for ; they are a
vile sort of people, and I will remember them of their vile usage
for a achample for the same."

No. 76. A narrow folio, 1742 to 1749.

" October 6, 1745. Mr. Francis Snead of Cheapside ~\
his friend, Went to Roehampton, the persons Robert and M. I."
Mary.

Octo r 21, 1745. Siff

Hannah, proceed no further then
ring. Wyatt.'

i the [-M. D.
." J

No. 81.

" March 19, 1744. Church a Woman, Mrs. Dillion, Nurse in y e
Herald's Office."

No. 101. A short folio, ending about 1719, and intituled
" The Register kept by Thomas Hodgkins, wherein is
contained y e several marriages celebrated and pe'formed
within y e Rules of y e Fleett and Chappell thereoff by y e
Rever d John Vise, John Draper, James Colton, Henry
Gower, and y e other Clergymen officiating there. Be-
ginning November y e 4 th 1700."

" February 1717, 10 th . John Green, Batch. House Carpenter of
St. Dunstans Stepney, and Elizabeth Felton, Spinster, of St.
Mary White Chappell.

not married because not agreeing with y s Doctor."

No. 106. A short folio. On the first page, " Christnings
by D r Draper ;" on the second page, " Marridges in y e
year of our Lord 1714."

And on the trial of Robert Wilson, in 1737, for Bigamy, a witness deposed, " I
know the prisoner was married to Steel, I was present when that affair was trans-
acted. They were married at a brandy shop at the Fleet ; the ceremony was per-
formed by a man in a night gown ; whether he was a parson or not, I can't tell."
(Sessions Papers.)

" John Harrison, of St. Giles in the Fields, a Taylor, and Mary
Cunigham, Ditto. B. W. June y e 4, 1723. These not marr:
only names inserted."

" Memorandum. The 21 st day of August 1725, being Saturday
at night was assaulted by Samuel Pickering, at his own house the
signe of the Fighting Cocks, in Fleet Lane, and he throatled me
and most murdered me, as

Witness my Hand, John Evans, Minister." (')

No. 110. A short folio, intituled, " Marriages at the Fleet
By Henry Glover, Clerk, November y e 1 st An Do m
1716."

" 1728 April 3. Michael Rebout & Ann Surgeirs, Both of St.
Clement's Deans. P. Jn Floud Min r .

N.B. The Certificate bares date 12 Sep* )
1720, to satisfie Parents and friends." /

No. 118. A short narrow folio.

" January 20, 1729-30. John Pigott, of St. Martins Orgars,
London, Captain of a West Indian Merchant, Bachl r & Constantia
Maria Burgoyne, of the P h of St. Martin's in y e fields, in y e
County of Middx, Spinster, married at Justice Webster's, in Castle
Street, over y e Mews, in St. Martin's aforesV

No. 119. A short thick folio, Sept. 1734 to Sept. 1736.

" May y e 14, 1736. John Blackball, of St. Martin's in y e Fields,
Clogmaker, & Hannah Cockerell, B & Widow at y e

King's Head Henry Charlton, Clark. N Cert:

under 2.

Wigmore being sent for, but was drunk, so I was a stop-gap."

" July 18, 1736. William Potts, of Allhallows, Barkin, Wine
Cooper & Mary Small, D B & Sp r at Wilson's

(') The many opposition Marriage-houses, the plying for custom, and scrambling
for fees, gave rise to repeated quarrels. The following is from the Grub Street
Journal, Dec. 12, 1734.

" On Wednesday two Fleet Parsons preferred against each other
Bills of indictment for assaults made by brother upon brother,
But they both appearing aggressors and scholars alike famous,
The Jury returned both their bills ' Ignoramus.' "

a sham I believe as to his name, because

he told me another name first, and y e woman contradicted him."

No. 136. A short folio of Walter Wyatfs.

" Lyonel B* & Jane, a Lady, B & Sp r at Webb's,

Esq. at Cornhill, in White Lyon Court Oct. 19, 1735."

No. 148. A short folio.

" 1 Oct. 1747. John Ferren, Gent. Ser. of St. Andrew's, Hoi-
born, B r & Deborah Nolan, D " Sp r . The supposed John Ferren
was discovered after y e Ceremonie were 'over, to be in person a
woman."

" 27 Dec' 1747. Francis Harwood, Feltmaker, of St. Botolph
without Bishopgate, B r & Mary Brockholes, Widow.

After marr: I perceived it to be a Hird Job.( l ) He a thin-jaw'd
mean-looking fellow, Irish or Scotch, she gravida( 2 ) and very gent."

" May 30 th 1748. A genteel cuple married with a 5 s stamp,
enter'd in a parchment cover pocket-book whhPri on y c BacksV( 3 )

" Edward Warner, Gent, of Crundal, Hants, & Mary Mitchell,
W 3 Jan. 1749. 10. 10. 0."

No. 156. A short folio, " W. Wyatfs Register Book of
the Fleet Marriages commencing June 25, 1751 to
Mids r 1752." The entries are numbered, (1137 in all,)
and there is an index.

Nov r 11

470 1751.

Pri 3

No. 158. On the cover of this Register are two entries
" never to be seen."

(') See page 54 for other instances of hired Husbands.

(") " Yesterday morning an odd affair happened in the Liberties of the Fleet,
where a young man and woman, (country people, and veiy well dressed,) came to
be marry'd ; but before the minister had half performed the ceremony, the woman
was delivered of a daughter. (This poor girl, though literally born in wedlock,
seems to be somewhat more than half a bastard.") Grub Street Journal, 1735.

( 3 ) These blank entries in the Registers make the small pocket-books valuable,
as without them the parties could not be known. (See note at p. 46.)

No. 161. A short folio, June 1745 to June 1747.

" July 24, 1745. James Gent. & Mary at Georgia,

near Hampstead. By M r Wilkinson.

5. 5

5. for a horse."
" April 23, 1746. Joseph

and Mary vide July 3 d Ult"(')

Aug* 22, 1746. Samuel & Eliz: He a tall man

about 40 years of age, she a fresh colour'd Pock fretten woman,
very well built."

No. 164. A small quarto, from 1700 to 1730, and at the

other end from 1715 to 1742.

" 1723, 14 April. Peter Hulett of St. Bride's, Fram Maker,
Mary Ann Paviour, Sp r . forged by Mr. Dare in 1741, who married
y m att Smith's att y e same time."

No. 167. A small quarto.

" Nov r 28, 1723. John James Jaxon & Mary Newell, both of
St. James's, West r B r & Sp r .

" Memorandum. Mr. Fairplay he called himselfe, would not say
' I will,' nor did she bee he did not both afterwards comply'd,
& so were married, tho y e man designed nothing but a little
w g & leaving y e woman in y e lurch."

No. 170. A small quarto, 1731 to 1732.

" May 15, 1732. John & Ann, Brought by one Willson, a

Limb of y e Law, & married at Mr. Willson's by y e Ditch Syde, &
never entered in any Booke, Refusing to pay Clarkship and y f
Entry Fees any Otherways than by y e name of Jn & Ann."

No. 209. A long narrow book, from 1738 to 1744.

" Living near to one Joshua Lilley, and a person troublsome, I
agreed to marry none at home, upon condition I married all y*
came to his house." (Ashwell.)

" 28 Ap 1 1740. Henry Mercer, ofLusam, late of Abinger, in
Kent, Gent. Bat r , & Jane Sparrow, Ditto, Wid", at Crumpton's.

(') Upon looking back to the 3d of July, the following entry appears interlined,
and which is, of course, a false entry.

" July 31, 1745. Joseph Garratt, Hatter, of St. James, W r , & Mary Jackson,

N.B. This last marriage was to be kept as a secret, the Lady
having ajoynture during the time she continued Wid w ."

No. 210. Ditto, from 1734 to 1738.

" Novb y e 24, 1733, att y e Baptizd hed Tavern to go to Mr.
Gibbs for to marry him in y e countrey. Wife worth 18,000."

No. 212. Ditto, from 1744 to 1745.

" 22 Aug 1 1744. Rob 1 Parker, Labourer, of Yoel, in Surry, &
Hannah Horton, of D B' & Sp, at the Shepherd & Goat.

N.B. The officers of the Parish took y e fellow up by Warrant to
force him to marry her vile behav'd."

" Sept r 5, 1744. Andrew Mills, Gent, of the Temple, & Char-
lotte Gaillairdy, of St. Mildred, Poultry, at Mr. Boyce's, King's
Head. N.B. One gentleman came first in a merry manner to
make a bargain w th the Minister for the marriage, and immediately
came the parties themselves disguising their dress by contrivances
particularly buttning up the coat, because the rich wastecoat
should not be seen, &c."

" 25 September 1744. Thomas Games, Carpenter, of St. Mar-
tin's in the Fields, & Lucy Hern, D B 1 & Sp.

N.B. I examined them strickly, seeing a dirty fellow w^ long
beard, and was afraid it was done as a skreen fr Debt."

" December 4, 1744. Charlton Leigh ton, of the parish of Over-
burry, in Shropshire, Gent, (belonging to y e Hon ble Collonel Cot-
terel's Reg*) B 4 , & Anna Maria Mytton, of Conouer, in y e same
County, Gentlewoman, Spinster.

N.B. Two Gentlemen directed me to meet them at y e Vine
Tavern, Upper Turn Stile, Holborn. After waiting 2 hours a foot-
man came & call'd me to another house below, after very stict
examination, I proceeded to marry them as appears."

" May 2, 1745. John Harrowson, of the Duke Man of War, &
Susannah Lawson, Sp. at Burnford's.

this s d Harrowson swore most bitterly, & was pleas'd to say
that he was fully determined to kill y e Minister &c. y l married him.
N.B. He came from Gravesend, & was sober."

" 26 Feb. 1745. Rob 1 Tayler & Marg 1 came into

my own appartment, behav'd very rudely, swore sadly, oblig'd me
to marry them for what they pleas'd for fear of my life, late at
night, by the names above-mention'd."

"Juney' 12 th 1745. Challen Miller, Gent, of y" parisli of
Horsham, in Sussex, Batch', & Elizab"' Parham, of the same,
Spinster. N.B. A clergyman whose name was the Rev d Mr.
Cheynell came to the Fountain Tavern, on Ludgate Hill, & wanted
a Minister to converse with, as then was pleas'd to say. When
I came to him it was to goe with him to the Royal Oak, near Vaux-
hall, to marry a couple, viz. Miller, which he said he would have
done it himself but was apprehensive he might offend some
Friends, he himself living in y' neighbourhood, but he would stand
Father, and accordingly Did Do so."

EXTRACTS FROM SOME OF THE POCKET-BOOKS.

" Nov r 1741, 5 th . John King, of St. Paul's, Covent Garden, Car-
penter, B. Diana Nicholson, Do. Sp. Done at his house, Maiden
Lane, she sick in bed."

1737. Temple West, Gent. & Frances Balchen, " not to be
registered in y e yearly Book."

" April 14, 1737. W m Evrett& Sarah Brunell, at my Shoe-
makers.' "

" Aug. 14, 1718. Offer'd 5 guineas to enter Walter Borthwick,
of Waltham Stone, Gent : Ann Sharpless, D. B. Sp. Feb. 4,
1714."

" Hary Porter, Higler at Leadenhall Market, married by a rong
name to draw him."

" April 18, 1745. R d Humphris, of St. James's, Grosvenor
Sq. B. & Eliz* Greenwood, of St. James's, Clerkenwell, Wd w .
in a cellar under the Fountain." J. G.

" Ganderwaine, of Woolwich, a man of note, and brings wedings
to y e Fleet, Sailors, &c."

NAMES OF SOME OF THE PERSONS MARRIED AT THE FLEET.

B. Bachelor. S. Spinster. W. Widower, Widow. Ditto, same parish as the

Husband.

1724 May 6. Right Hon. Edward Lord Abergavenny, and Cath.

Tatton, B and S.
1740 April 17. Jn Acton, Furnivalls Inn, Gent, and Ann Barker,

St. Andrew's Holborn, S.

1747 Feb. 2. Thomas Adams, Gent. Aldingham, Herts, and

Sarah Howard, W and W.
1714 Feb. 6. Matthew Addams, Gent, and Eliz. Warberton,

St. Giles's, B and S.
1750 Oct. 14 Lewis Augustus Alexander, of Tooting, B. and

Gent, and Ann Dines of same, S.
1732 July 15. Matthew Appleford, Gent. Duke of Bol ton's

Horse, and Jane Lee, Aylesbury, B and S.

1746 June 22. James Archibald, Gent. Waltham Abbey, and

Mary King, B and S.

1740 Nov. 1. Peter Ashenhurst, Gent. 1 st Reg 1 Foot, and

Elizabeth Isham, of Aldgate, B and W.

1747 March 18. Wm Bartley, Gent. and Susannah Church, B andS.
1742 July 5. Chambers Bate, Gent. Foston, Derbyshire, and

Ann Frye, of Anmey, Gloucestershire, S.

1742 May 23. Francis Bailly, Gent. St. James's, and Elizabeth

Farrer, ditto, B and S.

1748 Jan. 9. John Bailly, Gent. St. George's Hanover Square,

and Ann Standrod, B and S.

1754 March 25. Charles Bailey, Gent. St. Martin's Westminster,
and Ann Rives, B and S.

1743 Sept. 22. Thomas Bamfield, Esq. Chelsea, and Elizabeth

Copplestone, Old Windsor, B and S.
1736 April 28. Joseph Bampton, Gent, of Cheney, Bucks, and

Mary Combs, W and W.
1731 Jan. 20. Daniel Barker, Lewston, Bedfordshire, Gent, and

Ann Barker, Ditto, B and S.

1748 Oct. 3. Thomas Bartlett, Gent. Reading, and Mary Peel,

B and W.

1741 April 21. R d Thomas Barrington, of Herefordshire, and

Esther Rigway, Stafport, Cheshire, B and W.

1749 Feb. 3. ^neas Baynes, Gent, of St. James's, and Isabella

Elwes, B and S.
1736 Nov. 19. Isaac Beaufills, of St. Antholins, Gent, and Rache

De-la-Cart, B and S.
1741 April 6. David Becellor, Surgeon, St. Andrew's Holborn (

and Sarah Parker, Ditto, S.
1735 June 29. Isaac Beeke, Gent, of St. George's Hanover

Square, and Christian Walker, B and S.
F

1735 Oct. 12. Ephraim Bell, Gent. Inner Temple, and Frances

Harrison, B and S.

1743 Aug. 16. Thomas Bellamy, Gent. Kingstone, Surrey, and

Ann Lomax, of St. Albans, B and S.

1742 Oct. 19. Capell Berrow, Clerk, Aldersgate, and Eliz.
Smith, B and S.

1737 May 25. Jn Evans Bewley, Gent. St. Clement Danes, and
Eliz. Miller, St. Giles Fields, B and W.

1745 Jan. 9. Thomas Biggs, Gent. Horse Guards, and Eliza-
beth Roden, B and W.

1745 Aug. 10. Robert Bird, Gent, of St. George's Bloomsbury,

and Eliz. Roberts, of Ditto, B and S.

1749 June 15. Joseph Bissell, Gent. St. Peters Oxon : and Sarah
Cowper, Worcestershire, B and S.

1742 June 15. Phillip Blinch, Gent. Bidiford, Devon, and Eliza-
beth Gery, Northampton, B and S.

1744 Dec. 26. Sir John Bloy, of St. Gregorys, Feltmaker, B.

and Ann Moore, of St. Olaves, Surrey.

1742 Nov. 7. Thomas Boadish, St. Andrew's Holborn, Gent,
and Carew Tate, St. Paul Covent Garden,
W and S.

1746 July 26. Joseph Bonquett, Gent. Aldgate, and Elizabeth

Elves, B and S.
1754 March 16. Montagu Borman, St. Michael Cornhill, Gent.

and Eliz. Short, Hampstead, B and S.
1742 Oct. 4. William Bowers, Gent. Sherborne, Oxon. and

Sarah Holt, B and S.
1746 Feb. 9. Jessup Bough ton, Gent, of Huntingdon, and Eliz.

Wix, of St. James's, B and S.
1729 Jan. 20. The Honourable John Bourke Esq." of Great

Ormond St. and Catherine Hamilton, W.
1751 June 13. George Bowles, Gent, of St. James's, and Mary

Vandryck, of Kensington, B and S.
1741 April 5. Robt. Brabant, of Blandford, Dorset, Gent, and

Eliz. Lawrence, of Buckland, in Do. B and S.
1741 Dec. 2. Thomas Bradley, Gent. Horse Grenadiers, and

Mary Bedford, Hemel Hempstead, B and S.

1736 June 22. Silas Bradshaw, Gent, and Mary Fere, both of

St. Margaret's Westminster, W and Sv

1737 Feb. 2. Wm. Bray, Gent. St. Ann's Blackfriars, and
Hannah Ward, St. James's Westminster.

1728 Feb. 18. Philip Brien, St. Giles Fields, Gent, and Barbara
Salvell, ditto, Wand W.

1739 Aug. 31. Jno. Brook, of Norwich, Gent, and Catherine

Watson, of Ashby, Leicestershire, B and S.

1724 July 6. (') Jn Brooke, Gent. St. Peter's, Norwich, and
Catherine Watson, of Ashley, Leicester, B
and S.

1740 Oct. 31. Peter Brooke, Gent. Cobham, Surrey, and Mary

Godson, B and S.

1751 July 17. Edward Broom, Middle Temple, Gent, and Mary

Maria Joyce, ditto, S.

1752 April 2. Christ. Browne, Esq. B. and Lydia Knight, S.
1736 April 10. Walter Bruce, Gent. Chatham, and Ann Short,

Ditto, B and S.
1744 Jn Burch, Gent. St. George's Southwark, and

Ann Rowland, of ditto, B and S.

1744 Feb. 22. William Burnee, Geu,t. St. Martin's, and Susan-
nah Stanley, B and S.
1735 Sept. 2. Richard Burgoyne, of Cornwall, Gent, and Ursula

Eades, W and S.
1713 Aug. 23. Wm. Burgon, Gent, and Ann Johnson, of Coven t

Garden, B and S.
1742 Dec. 6. Richard Butler, Surgeon, Eastry, Kent, and Ann

Wood, Woodnesborough, B and W.
1740 Oct. 20. Daniel Byrne, Gent. St. James's, and Mary

Woolley, W and S.
1716 Nov. 12. Richard Doidge Callington, Esq. and Mary Ma-

naton, of South Hill, B and S.

1747 June 22. Andrew Cameron, Gent, of Furness, and Sarah

Me Duggan, B and W.

1748 Aug. 2. Charles Campbell, Gent, of Suttonbenjar, Wilt-

shire, and Sarah Toms, B. and S.

1750 Feb. 18. John Carey, Gent. St. Martin's Fields, and Kathe-
rine Douglas, W and S.

(') Qu. If this marriage was not performed in 1739, and registered under that
date, as well as under 1724 ? See note at page 51 on the practice of antedating.

F 2

1754 March 21. Wm. Carrington, Gent. Teverton, Salop, and
Frances Holt, B and W.

1735 Nov. 13. William Chancellor, Gent St. Margaret's West-
minster, and Eliz. Kennedy, W and S.

1738 Aug. 24. Jn Chester, St. Paul's Covent Garden, and Eliz.
Chester, ditto, B and S.

1720 Dec. 6. George Chapman, Gent. St. Margaret's Westmin-
ster, and Ann Park, ditto, B and W.

1744 Feb. 25. John Chetwood, Gent. Wellington, Somersetsh.
and Susannah Kettleby, W and W.

1733 Jan. 16. Jn Church, Chemist, Lambeth, and Mary Faith-

full, St. Clement Danes, W and S.

1738 Oct. 8. James Clayton, Gent. Chichester, and Ann Par-

ker, Ditto, B and S.
1744 March 4. Jn Clayton, Esq. Hust, Berkshire, and Sarah

Browning, St. Lawrence Waltham, B and S.
1747 Dec. 27. Robert Coker, Gent, of Cripplegate, and Ann

Fowler, B and S.

1739 Sept. 10. Jn Coleman, Gent. Holborn, and Mary Terry,

Chigwell, B and S.

1740 May 19. Edw. Compton, St. Luke's Middlesex, Gent, and

Mary Young, ditto, W and S.
1718 May 13. Col. Thomas Condon, 1 st Regt. Guards, and

Elizabeth Mellish, of St. James's, B and S.
1737 Jan. 19. Jno. Coningham, of St. James's Gent, and Mary

Crafts, ditto, B and S.

1749 Feb. 25. Peirce Cook, Gent. St. James's, and Elizabeth

Rachel Newman, B and S.
1743 July 30. Jn Conyer, Gent. St. James's West: and Sarah

Wood, St. Andrew's Holborn, B and S.
1732 Aug. 23. Jn Cope, Gent, and Susannah Clarke, both of

Clapham, W and S.

1750 June 10. Jn Copley, Gent. St. Dunstan's East, and Hannah

Simkins, B and S.

1734 Jan. 14. Thomas Cornelious, St. Mary Rotherhithe, Gent.

and Hester Green, B and S.

1751 April 23. Archelaus Courtany, Gent, of Chelsea, and Grace

Annett, W.

173- Jan 28. Hercules Courteney, Esq. St. James's Westmin-
ster, and Margaret Drysdale, ditto, S.

1738 Jan. 4. Samuel Cox, of St. George's Hanover Square, Gent,
and Rosamond Friend, B and S.

1746 Aug. 11. James Crumpton, Gent, of the Light Horse, and

Mary Caruthus, of Iver, B and S.

1738 Jan. 9. John Cullen, St. Peter's Canterbury, Gent, and
Ann Morgan, St. Andrew's, ditto, B and S.

1736 April 14. Tempest Culliford, Gent, of Chelsea, and Eliza-

beth Day, B and S.

1737 June 11. Wm. Cundell, Gent. St. Bride's, and Sarah Bathe,

St. Martin in the Fields, W and S.

1748 Feb. 11. Alexander Currie, Gent. St. James, and Eliza-

beth Edwards, W and S.

1743 Sept. 27. George Daniel, Gent. Westminster, and Sarah
Jones, B and S.

1738 Aug. 21. Nicolas Urbain Guillou Darmenonville, St. Ann's

Westminster, Gent, and Marsanne Conche,
of ditto, B and S.

1732 Jan. 22. Sherrington Davenport, Esq. Davenport House,
Salop, and Gratiana Rodd, Hereford, S.

1749 Sept. 9. Thomas Davidson, Gent, of Baling, and Sarah

Fisher, St. George's Bloomsbury, B and S.
1743 Oct. 26. Ab m Davis, Gent. Falmouth, and Grace Lewis,

B and S.
1752 April 17. John Dawes, Esq. Tunbridge Wells, and Lydia

Clark, S.

1743 July 23. Jn Baptist Delacormetiere, Gent. Walthamstow,

and Jane Neftell, B and W.

1736 Aug. 23. D r Franciscus Alius Delamar, St. Anne's West-
minster, and Mary June, ditto, B and S.

1744 Oct. 29. Elias Phillip Delaporte, Gent. St. Andrew's, and

Catherine Deveil, B and S.
1742 Nov. 4. Jn Christ r . Vequetin Delutz, St. James's, Gent.

and Rose Cath. Roquin, Ditto, B and S.
1718 July 30. "Thomas Deverock's" Esq. and the Lady Eliz.

Johnes, B and S.

1751 Sept. 18. George Devenport, Esq. and Salle Knight, S.
1736 June 25. Andrew Dillon, Gent St. Martin's Fields, and

Ann Corbs, St. Giles Fields, B and W.

1747 Nov. 21. Thomas Disen, Gent. Marylebone, and Mary

Holmes, B and S.

1717 Sept. 16. John Duer, Esq. St. James's Westminster, and

Elizabeth Eyre, St. Clement's, B and S.

1742 Aug. 26. Carey Elwes, Gent. Isleworth, and Esther Ewer,

Richmond, B and S. (7. 17s. 6rf.)

1754 March 19. Wm English, Gent. St. Margaret's West: and Ann
Saunders, St. George's Hanover Sq. B and S.

1735 Oct. 13. Jn Evans, Gent. St. George's Hanover Square,

and Mary Thompson, Ditto, W and S.

1736 May 11. Robt. Fabian, Gent. Wesf. and Sarah Edwards.
1747 March 15. R d Fanshire, Gent. St. Giles, and Ann Poynton,

B and S.

1743 Sept. 11. James Farquharson, Marybone, Gent, and Susan-

nah Watts, St. James's, B and W.
1743 March 13. Thomas Fazakerley, Gent, and Eliz. Marshall, S.

1743 Sept. 24. Edward Finch, Gent. Watford, and Sarah Clark,

ditto, B and S.
1722 Sept. 21. Jn Fitzpatrick, Gent, and Eliz. Lovett, B and S.

1718 Aug. 10. Maurice Fitz- Gerald, Gent. St. James's, and

Mary Whitfield, St. Martin's, B and S.

1749 April 17. Garret Fitzgerald, Gent, of St. Andrew's, and
Mary Stilingfleet, B and W.

1744 May 3. The Hon. H. Fox, B. and Lady Caroline Lenox, S.
1736 Sept. 3. Nicholas Ambrose French, Covent Garden, Gent.

and Mary Tonman, ditto, B and W.
1743 Nov. 3. Alex. Gardener, M.A., Corpus Christi College,

Ox. and Sarah Norman, St.George's Hanover

Sq. W and S.
1718 March 30. John Gilbert, Esq. of Abergaveny, and Susanna

Gower, ditto, W and S.
1743 Oct. 15. Archibald Gillon, Gent. St. James's, and Ruth

Jackson, Ditto, B and S.

1745 Oct. 1. Thomas Godfrey, Gent.GreatParndon, Essex, and

Sarah Benton, Epping, B and S.
1741 April 1. Samuel Gordon, Surgeon, St. James's, and Eliz.

Bradford, Ditto, S.
1729 March 2. John Gordon, Esq. Westminster, and Barbara

Raynes, Greenwich, B and S.
1734 March 7. Edmund Grantham, Gent. Harrow-on-the-Hill,

and Rebecca Annesley, Ditto, B and S.

1722 July 24. Bevill Granville, Gent. St. James's, and Mary
Rose, Weedon, Buckinghamshire.

1742 Jan. 14. William Gray, Gent. St. James's, and Mary
Watson, B and S.

1740 The Honourable John Graydon, and Kasandra

Tahourdin.

1724 Nov. 27. Marmaduke Gresham, Knight and Bart, of Limp-
field, and

1717 Sept 10. Walter Griffith, Bachelor of Laws, and Euphany
St. John of St. James's, B and S.

1746 March 12. Alexander Grimaldi, Painter, and Esther Barton,
W and S. (')

1751 July 1. Samuel Grove, Gent, of Norwich, and Mary Car-
penter, of Attelborough, B and S.

1717 Sept.. 5. Marmaduke Gwinn, Glamorganshire, Gent, and
Elizabeth Jones, Breconshire, B and S.

1734 Feb. 17. Richard Gyles, Gent. St. Martin's Fields, and Ann
Howitt, St. Margaret's West. B and S.

1744 Feb. 29. Ab m Hagneaus, Gent, of Leyden, Holland, and
AnnaChrist a . Frederica Van Renesse, B & S.

1742 Jan. 2. Nehemiah Hammond, Gent. Wilsdon,and Phillis
Hyde, W and W.

1742 Aug. 9. John Hampton, Gent, and Mary Tipping.

1746 Feb. 9. John Harmston, Gent. St. Clement Danes, and

Mary Lisle, ditto, B and S.

1742 Jan. 6. James Hart, of Winglesham, Surry, and Ann
Pusey, B and S.

1751 Sept. 18. Jacob Hartman, Bart : and Elizabeth Hollis, S.

1727 Jan. 2. William Hastings, Gent St. Margaret's West:
and Elizabeth Stevenson, ditto, B and S.

1742 March 30. William Hay ward, Gent. Marylebone, and Pene-
lope Hughes, B and S.

1747 Oct. 10. John Hedges, Gent, from Wilts, and Dorothy

Butler, B and S.

(') This marriage was for many years sought for in vain ; the author's examina-
tion of these Registers accidentally discovered it. Mr. Grimaldi was the grand-
father of Stacey Grimaldi, Esq. F.S.A. author of the " Origines Genealogies." He
was an artist, and died in 1800, aged 8(i. See Pedigree in the College of Anns.
Register 12 D. 14.

1745 Nov. 22. Aaron Henshaw, St. Margaret Westminster, and

Eliz. Arnold, B and S.
1724 May 5. Jn Hele, Esq. Middle Temple, and Phillippa

Jordan, Charlwood, B and S.
1744 March 10. James Hering, Gent. St. Margaret's Westminster,

and Mary Wilson, ditto, S.

1748 Sept. 27. Robert Hills, Gent. Shoreham, Kent, and Hannah

Sunnix, B and S.

1746 Jan. 5. Wm. Hollistar, Gent. St. George's Bloomsbury,

and Love Golledge, B and S.

1741 Jan. 5. Wheeler Holt, Gent, of Cambrose, Pembrokesh.
and Frances Ward, St. James's, B and S.

1738 June 3. Francis Hopkins, of Stevenson, Berks. Gent, and
Sarah Leakey, of Woolwich, B and W.

1754 March 25. Philip Home, Gent. St. Margaret's Westminster,
and Ann Turner, B and S.

1732 Dec. 28. Collin Hossack, M.D. St. James's West, and Abi-
gail Abbett, of St. Clement Danes, Band S.

1751 May 3. John Howard, Gent. St. James's Westminster,
and Eliz. Frevil, ditto, Widow.

1749 April 28. Benjamin Howes, Gent. ofChalbury, Oxon, and

Eliz. Gardiner, B and W.

1741 Nov. 27. John Hewlett, Gent. St. James's, and Hannah

Walton, B and S.
1737 Feb. 9. Wm. Hume, St. Andrew's Holborn, Gent, and

Sarah Davis, ditto, W and W.
1753 Dec. 24. John Humphrys, Gent, of St. Clement Danes,

and Eliz. Monson, B and S.

1742 Nov. 9. Sumner Hutton, Gent. Deptford, and Ann Mead,

B and S.
1736 April 14. James Inns, Gent. Andover, and Eliz. Kemm,

B and S.
1729 Sept. 17. John Ivye, Gent. Mitcheldever, Hants, and Mary

Hitterley, St. Giles Cripplegate, B and W.
1719 June 6. " Joseph Jackson, Clergyman, &c." Esther Curtis,

B and W.
1734 May 12. Jas. Lewis James, St. Kanthavy Crairs, Cardigan,

and Susannah Lloyd, Istrad, Ditto, B and S.
1744 Dec. 15. Noah James, Esq. St. George's Hanover Square,

and Elizabeth Bearcroft, ditto, W and S.

1715 Nov. 20. William Johnston, Lord Marquess of Annandale,

and Charlotta Vanlore Vanden Bempden,

W and S.
1717 Sep. 4. Charles Jones, Hatfield, Esq. Anna Maria Gower,

St. James's, B and S.
1737 Sept. 18. John Jones, Gent, and Eliz. Fothergill, both of

Barking, Essex, B and S.
1728 Oct. 1. Walter Jordan, Gent. St. James's West: and Ann

Pitchford, of St. Martin's Fields, B and S.
1735 Nov. 5. John Kelley, Esq. Inner Temple, and Mary

Boucher, W and W.

1746 Abel Johnson Ketelbey, Esq. St. Dunstan's West-

minster, and Margretta Farquharson, of St.
Martin's, B and S.

1709 Oct. 19. WmKinaston, Inner Temple, Barrister, and Doro-
thy Taylour, St. Andrew's, Holborn, B and S.

1747 March 17. William King, Gent. Bishopgate, and Catherine

Meads, B and S.

1727 June 24. Wm. Kingsley, Esq. Maidstone, and Jane Little-
ton, of North Uckington, Essex, B and S.

1735 Nov. 8. John Kyrwood, Esq. of Hanover Square, and Con-

stant Walpole, B and W T .

1750 Dec. 27. John Ladyman, Gent, of St. James's, and Mar-
garet Atkinson, B and S.

1745 Aug. 12. Thomas Langlt-y, Esq. Upton, Bucks, and Mary

Wright, W and S.

1748 July 17. Samuel Featherstone Leigh, Gent, of Packwood,

Warwickshire, and Jane Vivian, of St. Luke's,
B and W.

1736 Aug. 14. Thomas Leigh, Gent. St. Clement Danes, and

Ann Kennedy, B and S.

1744 Dec. 4. Charlton Leighton, Gent. Overbury, Salop, (Co-
lonell's Regiment,) and Anna Maria Mytton,
Conover, B and S.

1737 Sept. 18. William Lemmon, of St. James's West. Gent, and

Anna Maria Garetta Brett, ditto, B and S.

1731 Dec. 28. Paul Lethellier, Haberdasher, Aldgate, and Sarah
Wright, Ditto, S.

1746 Jan. 5. Thomas Lever, Gent, of Bolton, Lancashire, and

Margaret Lathon, W and W.

1738 July 9. Thos. Littleton, of St. Margaret's West. Gent, and

Francisca Maria Aangier, of ditto, B. and S.
1740 Oct. 24. "Gwin Lloyd, of Hendor, Merinothshire, Esq.

and Eliz a Taylor, of St. James's, West 1 "

B and S."
1740 Nov. 16. George Long, Gent. Westham, Essex, and Mary

Stay maker, of ditto, B and W.
1744 Jan. 12. Nicholas Low, Gent. St. Mary-le-Strand, and

Grace Cramar, Hanover Square, B. and S.
1754 Feb. 2. Samuel Luke, Gent. Lincoln's Inn, and Mary

Jones, ditto, B and S.
1736 Aug. 27. Stephen Lushington, Gent. Sittingborn, Kent, and

Mary Marsh, B and S.
1751 Nov. 11. Benj. Lynn, Gent. Richmond, Yorksh. and Marg.

Felguerolles of Ashly, Suffolk, B and W.
1744 Jan. 10. Wm Berkeley Lyon, Gent. St. George's Hanover

Sq. and Cath. Bridges, ditto, B and S
1742 Aug. 7. William Macbean, of Marylebone, Gent, and

Margaret Robinson, B and S.

1742 July 31. Daniel Macbean, of the Guards, Gent and Mary

Lyon, B and W.

1736 July 19. Jn Manninge, of Oundle, Gent, and Sarah Franks

B and S.
1740 Hon. Captain Francis Martin, and Mary Bruce.

1743 Feb. 5. Jn Martin, Apothecary, Maidstone, and Mar-

garet Daylins, Ditto, B and W.

1742 Aug. 11. Edmund Martin, Gent, of Covent Garden, and

Elizabeth Fitzgerald, B and S.

1743 March 3. Robert Martin, Oxford, Gent, and Ann Bertey,

of St. James Westminster, B and S.

1742 Aug. 22. Gaston Martineau, Gent. St. George's Middle-
sex, and Mary lies, B and W.

1749 Aug. 20. Samuel May, Gent. Shoreham, Kent, and Sarah
Russell, B and S.

1742 Aug. 16. Joseph Mazelier, Gent. St. James's, and Anna
Duportail, B and S.

1722 June 12. William Meredith, Clergyman, and Maria Pickup,
of St. James's, W. and S.

1737 March 27. Wm. Merrick, Gent. St. Martin's, and Catherine

Capper, Ditto, S.

1732 Oct. 12. Jn Mills, Attorney, and Margaret Lawley, both
of St. Dunstan's West. B and W.

1 7;J5 April 3. Robert Montagu, of Grosvenor Square, and

" Miss Parriett Dunch," B and S.

42 Sept. 11. Slaney Moreton, Gent, of Birmingham, and
Elizabeth Branwood, B and S.

1737 Oct. 4. John Buridge Morton, St. Catherine's, Gent, and

Sarah Johnson, ditto, B and S.

1738 June 13. Anthony Morgan, Gent. St. Clements, andLettice

Evans, Ditto, B and S.

1742 Nov. 4. George Morison Esq., Inner Temple, and Chris-
tian Stewart, S.
1709 Aug. 20. Charles Murrey, a captain in Col. Hamilton's

Regiment, and Ann Maria Norah Calvert,

St. Dunstan's West, B and W.
1729 Feb. 2. Jn Murrey, Gent. St. George's Hanover Square,

and Eliz. Burges, of Elverton, Hants, S.
1749 Dec. 7. Wm. Myers, Gent, of Stapleford Abbott, and

Ann Goodin, B and W.
1746 Aug. 30. David Nash, Gent. Horse Guards, and Sarah

Willett, St. James, B and S.
1718 May 5. ^Egidius Nosemans, Esq. of Bishopgate, and

Maria Van Duijve, B and S.
1737 Sept. 14. Neal O'Neal, of St. Giles's Fields, Gent, and Mary

Marshal, B and W.
1737 Dec. 13. Charles Parsons, Gent, of South Harting, Sussex,

and Mary Edes, B and S.
1716 Dec. 1. Daniel Paul, St. James's, Captain Horse Guards,

and Eliz. Murray, B and S.

1739 Feb. 17. William Peache, Gent. Shipton, Gloucestershire,

and Mary Baldwin, ditto, B and S.

1720 March 3. William Peirs, Esq. M. P. for Wells, and Mary
Ives, St. Martin's Fields, W and S.

1741 Dec. 26. Peter Pelle, Gent. St. George's Hanover Square,
and Jemima Zimmerman, B and S.

1737 Jan. 19. Thomas Pett, Gent. Wye, Kent, and Mary Fin-
more, of North Hincksey, Berkshire, B and S.

1739 Jan. ^6. Craven Peyton, Nutfield, Surry, Gent, and Eliz.
Farncombe, ditto, S.

1718 Sept. 25. William Phipps, St. Andrew's Holborn, Esq. and
Lady Catherine Annisley, of Stoke Pogis,
Buckinghamshire, B and S.

1 730 Jan. 20. John Pigott, St. Martin Orgars, and Constantia

Maria Burgoyne, St. Martin's Fields, S.
1746 Jan. 5. John Porter, Gent. Hackney, and Mary Tubb,

Ditto, B and S.
1748 July 14. Richard Potinger, of Chertsey, Esq. and Ann

Weaver of Odiam.
1734 Aug. 21. Francis Poultney, Gent. St. Paul's Covent Gar.

and Jane Griffiths, St. Martin's Fields, B & S.

1750 Nov. 5. Russ Caleb Powell, Gent, of St. Andrew's Hol-

born, and Sarah Mortimer, B and S.

1738 Sept. 30. Thomas Prendergast, Baronet, and Ann Wil-
liams, St. Andrew's Holborn, B and S.

1724 Oct. 26. George Purdon, Esq. St. Clement Danes, and
Mary Purdon, Sp of St. Giles-in-the-Fields.

1748 April 20. Rowland Sherman Quarrington, Gent. Emsted,
Gloucest. and Julian Parker, St. James's,
B and S.

1731 Oct. 14. Jn Rands, St. Margaret's Westminster, Gent.

and Mary Green, Ditto, B and S.
1752 March 31. Thomas Ravenscroft, Gent. Devenham, Cheshire,

.and Margaret Broady, of Rosthrew, W and S.
1748 Sept. 11. Edward Read, Clerk, of Alfrick, Worcestershire,

and Mary Parsons, W and W.

1751 June 7. Thomas Redshaw, Gent. Knaresborough, York-

shire, and Martha Gould, St. Margaret's
Westminster, W and S.

1743 April 18. George Roberts, Gent. Nottinghamshire, and

Mary Worth, B and W.

1717 Sept. 11. Christopher Rodd, Esq. Sutton, Herts, and Ca-
therine Powell, of Cripplegate, B and W.

1731 May 8. Thomas Rolte, Gent. St. Giles Fields, and Ann
Calvert, St. Andrew's Holborn, B and S.

1744 Aug. 6. John Rose, Esq. Kingston, Surry, and Sarah

Curtis, of Maltsey, B and S.

1736 Nov. 27. Wm. Russel, Gent, of St. Martin's, and Eliz.
Dormore, W and W.

1747 June 6. Samuel Ryder, Gent. St. Margaret Westminster,

and Ann Edwards, B and S.
1737 Sept. 18. William Sacheverell, Esq. and Ann Robinson,

both of St. John's Westminster, B and S.
1725 May 25. Thomas Salt of Stafford Town, Burgess, and

Elizabeth Parry, B and S.
1 742Sept. 5. Willam Sandys, Gent. St. Andrew's Holborn, and

Ann Long, W and S.
1723 June 28. James Scott, Gent. St. Margaret's West, and

Eliz. Waldegrave, of St. Julian's Norwich.
1720 March 12. Wm Shaw, Esq. Cheshunt, and Eliz. Blandy, of

Inglewood, parish of Kinsbury, Berks. B

and S.

1745 Nov. 20. Richard Shillitoe, Gent. St. Andrew's Holborn,

and Frances Benson, of St. James's, B and S.

1736 Aug. 19. Henry Sidney, of St. Margaret's, West. Gent,
and Ann Bellingham, ditto, B and W.

1736 Oct. 2. Richard Silvester, Greenhithe, Swanscombe, Kent,
Gent, and Anna Maria Pawlett, St. Martin's
in the Fields, B and W.

1744 Jan. 17. Ralph Simpson, Gent. St. James's, and Sarah
Roberts, B and W.

1753 Sept. 22. Redmond Simpson, Gent, of St. Ann's Westmin-
ster, and Eliz. Dubourg, Ditto, B and S.

1746 July 26. Robert Sloane, Gent, of the "Horse ofLegonier's

Regiment," and Hannah Mason, B and S.
1727 Nov. 13. William Sloper, Esq. St. James's, and Katherine

Hunter, Downing Street, B and S.

1731 Jan. 11. Robert Smith, Gent. Egham, Surrey, and Eliza-
beth Clemson, Ditto, B and S.
1740 Oct. 31. William Smith, Gent, of Mary-le-Bow, and Jane

Smith, of Knowle, Warwickshire, B and S
1744 March 7. Leonard Smelt, Gent Kirby, Yorkshire, and Jane

Campbell, B and S.
1738 July 25. Abell Stibbs, of Inner Temple, Gent, and Sarah

Waller, St. George Queen Square, W and S.
1718 Nov. 28. James St. John, of St. James's, Esq. and Anna

Magdalena Rockwell, ditto, W and S.
1718 Dec. 21. Andrew St. John, Worcester, Esq. and Elizabeth

Maxsdon, ditto, W and W.

1717 July 13. William St. John, Wiltshire, Gent and Mary
Atkinson, of Gloucester, B and S.

1717 Nov. 15. Christopher St. John, Esq. Gloucestershire, and

Anne Stephens of St. James's, B and S.

1729 Feb. 14. Ab m St. Clear, Gent St Gregory's, and Sarah

Sunderland, ditto, W and S.

1742 May 19. James Stonehouse, Gent. Coventry, and Ann

Neale, B and S.

1739 Dec. 2. George Stoole, Gent of the Life Guards, and

Mary Gill, of St. James's, S.

1738 Nov. 30. Benjamin Storey, Gent. Horse Guards, and Fran-
ces Verycuk, of Marylebone, B and W.

1740 Jan. 12. R d Styles, Esq. Hampstead, and Mary Tury,

ditto, B and W.

1747 March 30. Jn Sutton, Gent. St. James's, and Jane Clarke,
B and S.

1724 June 11. Thomas Talmash, St Martin's, Gent, and Cathe-
rine Neiurn of same.

1736 Aug. 6. Thomas Tayler, of St. James's Gent, and Mary
Furrier, ditto, B and S.

1731 Sept 23. Jn Taylor, St. Andrew's Undershaft, and Mary
Green, Ditto, B and S.

1730 May 28. William Tew, Gent. St Botolph's Bishopsgate,

and Katherine Skeere, ditto, B and S.

1718 June 9. Dr. Benjamin Thornhill, and Eliz. Collyer of St.

Pulchre's.

1716 April 5. George Toriano, of Westminster, Gent and Do-
rothy Tatnall, B and S.

1746 Sept. 1. Henry Tounge, Gent, of the Horse, and Dorothy
Oaks, B and S.

1751 July 24. George Townsend, Rochester, Gent and B and
Sarah Bright, ditto, S.

1743 Jan. 12. Thomas Treffry, Gent of Fowey, Cornwall, and

Anna Marshall, W and W.
1733 Jan. 23. Charles Trewit, Gent, and Christian Moody, both

of St. Giles in the Fields, B and W.
1733 Dec. 30. John Twisleton, of St James's, and Ann Gardner,

B and S.
1751 Aug. 6. Lyonel Vane, Gent St. George's Hanover Square,

and Jane Ashbury, W and S.

1737 Nov. 28. Jn Jacob Vanzuker, Gent, and Margaret Leve

Grotriaus, B and W.

1744 April 11. Anto 9 Pizolato de Venetys, Gent, of New York,
and Susannah Micklesfield, St. Botolph's Aid-
gate, B and S.

1739 Dec. 16. Jn Vernon, Gent. St. Clement Danes, and Mary
Hodgson, St. Dunstan's West. B and S.

1718 May 8. John Vernon, Esq. St. James's, and Anne Lys-
. son, of Hodsdon, B and S.

1736 July 26. John Violet, Gent, of Enfield, and Jane Wright,

ditto, B and S.

1738 June 30. William Vivian, Camberwell, Gent, and Jane

Ward, ditto, B and W.

1748 Oct. 25. John Wall, Gent. Epping, and Mary West, W

and W.

1753 June 13. Thomas Walmsley, Gent. St. Helen's Bishopgate,
and Rachel Lane, of St. John Baptist, Dow-
gate Hill, W and W.

1749 Jan. 3. Edward Warner, Gent, of Crundal, Hants, and

Mary Mitchell, B and W. (10. 10*. Od.)

1718 Nov. 18. Jonathan Watson, St. James's, Esq. and Susanna
Holland, St. Martin's Fields, W. and S.

1737 June 6. Temple West, of St. Martin's Fields, and Frances

Balchen, St. Luke's, S.

1744 Jan. 26. Thomas Wharton, Gent. St. Andrew's, and Chris-
tian Harvey, W and S.

1741 Jan. 20. Jno Wheeler, Surgeon, Bridport, and Leonora
Bingham, Sergeant's Inn, Fleet St. B and S.

1743 Nov. 14. Jn Whitby, Counsellor, and Ann Northey, St.
Ann's Soho.

1735 March 31. Anthony Whiteing, Farmer, Adington, Kent, and
Eliz. Luck, Banstead, Kent, B and S.

1748 Dec. 22. Richard Whitingham, Gent, of St. George's Gros-
venor Square, and Mary Bludrick, W
and W.

1741 Dec. 30. Sherley Wild, Gent, of St. Matthew's, and Eliza-
beth Sheley, B and S.

1746 June 10. Ed. Willett, of Whittingham, Sussex, Gent, and
Mary Camfield, of Speldhurst, Kent, B and S.

1751 Aug. 5. Jonathan Wilde, Islington, Gent and Sarah
Young, ditto, B and S.

1717 July 13. Marmaduke Williams, London, Esq. and Pene-
lope Mansfield, of Putney, B and S.

1730 June 30. William Williams, Esq. and Mary Sedgwick, St.
Dunstan's West, B and S.

1 739 April 1 7. Jn Woolfe, St. Bride's, Gent, and Mary Campbell,
St. Martin's Fields, B and W.

1736 Dec. 25. John Woolastone, Gent. Greenwich, and Eliz.

Jones, B and S.
1751 Sept. 28. Edward Wollstoncraft, of St. Botolph's, Esq. and

W. and Mary Bird, ditto, S.
1735 Dec. 23. Robert Wright, Esq. Doctors' Commons, and

Alice Roberts, B and W.

1737 June 11. Thomas Wright, Doctors' Commons, Gent, and

Alice Wright, Ditto, B and W.

1751 Sept. 15. Wm.Wyatt, of Pool, Esq. and Anne Maria Day,S.

1746 Oct. 27. Wm. Wynne, of St. George's Hanover Sq. Gent,
and Isabelle Walpood of same, B and S.

1739 July 8. Florence Young, St. Giles's, and Charity Jack-
son, B and S.

CHAPTER V.

THE FLEET REGISTERS AS EVIDENCE.

DURING the period in which marriages were solemnized in
the Fleet, there occurred frequent Indictments for Bigamy,
the temptations of expedition, and the arts employed to en-
trap the unwary, being great inducements to this crime.

In nearly the whole of these indictments, the proof of
marriage was not only by production of the Fleet books, but
by collateral evidence. If in the absence of a register
credible evidence was adduced of a marriage at the Fleet,
such evidence was accepted, and the circumstance of its
being a Fleet marriage was no objection. The objections,
as will presently be seen, were to the disreputable witnesses
who were continually offered to prove the marriage, and from
the notorious practice which existed of making false entries
in the Registers. At a later period, however, exception was
taken to the Registers themselves, as not being (even if cor-
rectly and honestly kept) any more than private memoranda
by a person without authority. This seems to be a warrant-
able exception, since these Registers were kept at a time
when a mere acknowledgment and declaration, before wit-
nesses, were sufficient to constitute a marriage, without the
intervention of a religious ceremony ; and these books were
clearly not to be taken on the same footing as a parish regis-
ter, containing an entry of marriage made in facie Ecclesia:,
and recorded by an authorized clergyman, as an act of reli-
gious ceremony and not of civil contract.

In one or two instances the books were altogether refused,
even as collateral evidence. In the case of Mary Lutwich,
indicted in 1740 for bigamy, the following deposition is
reported to have taken place.

" Mr. Crosier. I keep the Hoop and Bunch of Grapes, Holborn
Bridge ; we have had many a score of marriages at our house in a

year. (Produces the book.) Here is the Book, the Minister put
it down." (The Court would not allow the book to be read, it
being a Fleet Register.)

In 1732 a cause was decided in Doctors 1 Commons, where
the Court decreed a party to have died a bachelor, although
the parson who married the party swore to the fact, and the
book containing the entry was produced. (*)

It is recorded that on the trial at York, in 1780, of the
cause of Twistleton v. Cockshutt, Mr. Justice Willes received
a Fleet Register as evidence.

The cause of Lawrence v. Dixon was tried on the 7th
July 1792. Amongst other evidence, the plaintiffs produced
(by a witness, who said he had purchased them,) the Fleet
Books, where the marriage of Daniel Hall and Elizabeth
Lawrence was entered to have been celebrated on the 7th
May 1737. Lord Kenyon said he received this evidence
with great doubt : there was a tradition in Westminster
Hall, that when the books were produced before Lord Hard-
wicke, he would not receive them in evidence, but cut them
to pieces in Court. After so great an authority had de-
clared against them, his Lordship said he could not receive
them without some hesitation, but that he was inclined to

(') This cause was between Mrs. Mary Storer, wife of Mr. Jude Storer, and sister
of Mr. James Luff, a brewer at Westminster, deceased, and Mrs. Hannah Green,
calling herself Luff, pretending to be the wife of the deceased, and that they were
married in the Fleet. Their marriage appeared upon the Register, pretended
to be kept in that place ; the clergyman by whom it was pretended they had been
married, swore that he had actually married them, and a woman swore that she
was present at the marriage ; but the Register books appearing to be very irregu-
larly kept, and the witnesses disagreeing in some circumstances of their evidence,
the Court did not think proper to give any credit to the proofs of the marriage, and
therefore pronounced the deceased to have died a bachelor, and decreed Letters of
Administration to the deceased's sister, he having died intestate. Which decree, it
i's to be hoped, will put a stop to that scandalous custom of people's going to the Fleet
to be married. It is indeed seldom practised by persons of any character, unless it
be when one of the parties has a settled purpose of betraying the other into a vil-
lainous snare, and therefore such marriages ought never to be supported by law
but upon the most clear and convincing proofs." Political State of Great Britain
for 1732.

think that in a PEDIGREE CASE they were admissible, though
by no means such evidence as ought to be favourably re-
ceived. Peake's N. P. Cases, 185.

In 1794 the cause of Roe on dem. of Passingham v. Lloyd
and others, was tried at Shrewsbury, before Mr. Justice
Heath. On which occasion Benjamin Panton, the proprietor
of the Fleet books, proved his having been in the habit of
attending Courts of Justice with these books, and that he
never knew them refused. Mr. Justice Heath received the
Fleet Registers in evidence of the marriage of Gwyn Lloyd
and Elizabeth Taylor, but he was in some measure led to do
so by the circumstance of the Pancras Register containing
the baptism of Elizabeth Taylor's daughter as " the daugh-
ter of Gwyn and Elizabeth Lloyd," and also containing the
burial of the mother by the name of Elizabeth Lloyd ; it
has been since proved that those two entries were forged.
Upon the two subsequent trials of this question in 1826 and
1827, this forgery of the Pancras Register was clearly
proved, ( J ) and the Fleet Register thereby lost its chief sup-
port, but had it been otherwise, the Fleet Register would
not have been received.

A very few days after the admission of the Fleet books by
Mr. Justice Heath at Shrewsbury, in 1794, the cause of Doe
ex dem. Orrell v. Madox was tried at Maidstone, before Lord
Chief Justice Kenyon. In this case a Register of Fleet
marriages was admitted in evidence, but under the following
protest. Lord Kenyon said he had admitted it, because
other Judges had done so, but he desired that his having
done so, should not be understood as thereby sanctioning
their admission, nor should his authority be cited for the
purpose in future, as he was of opinion that they were liable
to many objections, that their authority was very doubtful,
and therefore as a species of evidence of a suspicious and

(') It is said that a man named Hendry forged this book. He was pursued in
1806, but escaped to America. Revett the officer found he had embarked from
Bristol a fortnight before his arrival. Hendry's wife told the plaintiff's attorney
that the book was burnt.

G 2

exceptionable nature, he thought they ought not to be
allowed. (*)

In December in the same year the cause of Reed v. Passer
and others was tried in the Court of King's Bench, when Lord
Kenyon said, " that in a case on the Home Circuit last summer,
he had admitted such Registers as evidence ; that though he
had not then made up his mind concerning their admissibility,
he then thought them a species of evidence of a very
doubtful and dangerous nature ; and had, in summing up,
observed to that effect to the Jury. That in a late case at
the last Shrewsbury assizes, they had been admitted by Mr.
Justice Heath ; but notwithstanding his respect for that learn-
ed Judged opinion, he thought himself bound to dissent,
and to give it as his settled opinion that they were a species of
evidence which ought never to be admitted. In a case be-
fore Lord Hardwicke, where a book such as the present was
offered in evidence, he tore the book, and said such evidence
should never be admitted in a Court of Justice. That Lord
Chief Justice De Grey had been of the same opinion. With
respect to the entries in the books themselves, (continued
Lord Kenyon,) they could be taken in no other point of
view than as private memoranda, which were not evidence ;
that these entries were of less authority even than the private
memoranda of third persons, inasmuch as they were made
not only by third persons, but by persons who knew while
they were doing them that they were illegal, and for which
they were liable to punishment by the canons of the church."
His Lordship therefore totally rejected them, as a species of evi-
dence completely inadmissible. ( P cake's Nisi Prius Cases,
231.) The Times of Dec. 3rd, 1794, contains the following
additional observations of his Lordship on this Case. " It has
been observed this evidence has been received in the House
of Lords ;( 2 ) I bow with great respect to the evidence
received by that House when they sit as a court of dernier

(') Tuesday, 12 Aug. 1794. (Ksp. Nisi Prius Cases.)

( 2 ) In the printed Case of the Barony of Say and Sele, in 1781, it is stated that
John Twisleton, the claimant's father, was married to Ann Gardner, the claimant's
mother, in 1733, at the Fleet prison, where marriages were at that time frequently
celebrated. In this case a certificate of the marriage, in the hand-writing and sign-

resort. But now and then, upon other occasions, that great
and august assembly may receive rather suspicious evidence.
I wish the Fleet Registers were all ordered to be committed

to the flames.^) Questions of this sort are of the last

importance. By the 26th Geo. II. the evidence of the fact of
marriage is more easily obtained than it was before, when peo-
ple wandered up and down the country marrying wherever
they pleased. From that circumstance the evidence of marriage
often became very obscure, and if evidence arising from coha-
bitation and reputation had not been received, hard would
have been the condition of many respectable people. By the
Marriage Act, it is not essential to the legality of a mar-
riage that it should be registered, though the act makes it

ed by the then officiating Minister of the Fleet, was offered in evidence ; but it does
not appear whether it was admitted or not. The marriage was however allowed to
be good. (Cruise on Dignities, 273.) From an examination of the Minutes of
the Committee of Privileges, it appears that the certificate of this marriage by
Walter Wyatt, minister of the Fleet, was tendered ; but there is not any statement
to show that it was admitted ; and it is clear that the Committee went into the exami-
nation of witnesses to prove the declaration of the parties, their cohabitation and
reception in society as man and wife, the education of the children of the mar-
riage, and their reputed legitimacy. It would therefore seem that the marriage was
established by evidence of reputation, public declaration, the avowal of the par-
ties themselves, and the strong recognition and declaration of the marriage by Mr.
Twisleton in his will. The Author, moreover, has been favoured with the sight of
a printed copy of the case of Col. Twisleton, on his claim in 1781, amongst some
collections of the late Sir Isaac Heard, Garter, who was professionally engaged
in the case, and present at the hearing before the Committee, on the back of which
case he has made short notes of the evidence produced, where amongst others
the following occurs :

" Wyatt Min r of Fleet, certificate of marriage cannot be admitted in any Court
of Justice."

This strongly tends to show that the certificate was rejected, the proof of mar-
riage resting upon the other circumstances. The register itself, though stated in the
case to be ready for production, does not appear to have been offered.

In the case of Twisleton v. Cockshutt, p. 82, where this register was said to have
been received by Mr. Justice Willes, it appears by the recitals in Col. Twisleton's
case respecting that trial at Yoik, that evidence by many other witnesses, as to
repute and acknowledgment, was also given and received.

(') It would have been a very unjustifiable and lamentable act to have destroyed
the evidence (such as it is) of one or two hundred thousand marriages, together
with a great number of baptisms, which are dispersed throughout the Fleet Regis-
ters ; and the lawyer and antiquary cannot but commend the government which
at length purchased and deposited them in safe custody.

penal in any clergyman to neglect it, and I hope it is very
seldom omitted, as it adds to the solemnity of that important
contract ; cohabitation and reputation, however, are still evi-
dence of marriage."

The cause of Cooke and another v. Lloyd was tried at the
Salop Summer assizes in 1803, before Mr. Justice Le Blanc.
The Fleet books were offered to prove the marriage of John
Phillips and Mary Guess, on the 28th May 1747, and on
Justice Le Blanc saying they were no evidence whatever, the
defendant called a witness, who said that there being a ques-
tion in the year 1761 as to this marriage, he examined these
books, then in the possession of a man who said he was
clerk to Mr. Dare, and that the entry then stood in the
books, in the same state as it was now. Justice Le Blanc,
" This evidence carries the case no further ; the witness had
no knowledge of the fact but such as he derived from the
books, which were no more evidence then than they are now.
The entry is nothing more than a private memorandum,
made by somebody who had no authority to make it, and
who might put down anything he pleased whether true or
false."" Peake's Evidence., Appendix 80.

In the cause of Lloyd and Passingham, in 1809, (16 Ves.
59.) Lord Chancellor Eldon said, " I give no opinion that
the Fleet Register is evidence, as a Register. But I am not
prepared to say it may not be received as evidence of a fact,
and I can suppose a case in which such evidence might be
received. Upon a question of pedigree, would not that en-
try be admitted, not as a Register, but as a declaration,
under the hand of a party ; or upon an indictment for biga-
my, the first marriage alleged to have been in the Fleet,
and evidence produced that uniformly an entry of marriage
was made, would not the production or non-existence of such
entry be evidence to the other fact ?"

In 1826 the cause of Lloyd and Passingham was tried at
Shrewsbury, before Mr. Justice Burrough and a special
Jury. Mr. Taunton, in opening this case to the Jury, said,
" There are curious anecdotes in all professions, and it is a
curious circumstance that upon the occasion of the verdict in
1794, many weeks had not elapsed before a directly contrary

decision from that which Mr. Justice Heath had made in
this cause at Shrewsbury, took place. I believe it was al-
most in the same week, the one cause was tried upon the
Monday, and the other, I am told, was tried upon the
Thursday in the same week, and the same Counsel were pre-
sent ; but- it so happened that my Lord Kenyon, on the
Home circuit, on the very Thursday afterwards, in a cause
in which the then Mr. Erskine and the then Mr. Garrow
were Counsel again on opposite sides before his Lordship,
and on which occasion the same evidence of one of these
supposed Fleet Registers was offered, my Lord Kenyon in-
stantly rejected it." The Attorney General, (after noticing
the admission of the books by Mr. Justice Heath,) observed
" that they were received by another high and enlightened
individual, rarely equalled in point of legal knowledge,
never at any period surpassed. I mean by the celebrated
Lord Hardwicke, ( T ) Lord Chief Justice, and afterwards
Chancellor of this country. They were about the same
period over and over again received upon the different cir-
cuits in this country." Mr. Justice Burrough told the Jury,
that although it appeared the Fleet books were received
in evidence on the former trial, he was of opinion, that
they must not consider those books as evidence for their con-
sideration now, for that in his judgment they were not ad-
missible in evidence.

The cause of Lloyd v. Evans was tried at Shrewsbury in
1827, before Mr. Baron Vaughan. Mr. Serjeant Russell,
" I believe at this moment there is no decision of the Court
in Bane upon the subject ; but there are Nisi Prius deci-
sions, in which learned Judges have refused to receive them,
though I am still at a loss to understand the ground why
they are to be refused altogether. I can understand why
they should be refused to be received as a Register, with all
the authenticity of a Parish Register. I am and ought to be
entitled to give it in evidence as corroborative writing, to

(') This is very improbable, for it was Lord Hardwicke who brought in the Mar-
riage Act, and it was for some time called by his name ; and it was Lord Hardwicke
who even tore to pieces a Fleet Register, which was offered in evidence.

support the fact I am about to establish by other evidence. 11
Mr. Baron Vaughan, " It is now clearly established, I
take it, that these Registers are not evidence to authenticate
any such marriage ; it is known they have been the vehicles
of fraud and abuse ; they were never made with the same
degree of care that the other documents were, but they were
made by persons who assumed authority to second these
transactions, and being made a very ill use of, and getting
into very bad odour, the Judges of the land seem to have
come unanimously of late to the conclusion that they are not
even receivable in evidence, to say nothing of the question
whether they should be submitted to a Jury for their consi-
deration to determine upon their validity or not. It was
said the Marriage Act(*) was introduced by Lord Hardwicke

(') Since the Letters of Horace Walpole at pages 16, 17, and 18 have been at
press, the author perceives that in his " Memoires of the last Ten years of the Reign
of George II," (4to. Murray 1822, p. 293,) he has given a connected account of
the introduction and passing of the Marriage Act ; but as some of the remarks it
contains are comprised in his Letters already quoted, such portions only as afford
further information or explanation are here extracted from the Memoirs.

" The session of parliament was languishing towards a conclusion, when a Bill
sent down from the Lords to the Commons, and which had passed almost without
notice through the former House, having been carried by an hundred Lords
against the Duke of Bedford and eleven others, raised, or gave occasion to raise,
extraordinary heats. This was the famous Marriage Bill. The Bill had been ori-
ginally moved by my Lord Bath, who attending a Scotch cause was struck with the
hardship of a matrimonial case, in which a man after a marriage of thirty years
was claimed by another woman on a precontract. The judges were ordered to
frame a bill which should remedy so cruel a retrospect. They did, but drew it so ill,
and it was three times printed so inaccurately, that the Chancellor was obliged to give
it ample correction. Whether from mere partiality to an ordinance thus become his
own, or whether in shaping a law new views of power opened to a mind, fond of
power, fond of dictating; so it was that the Chancellor gave all his attention to a
statute into which he had breathed the very spirit of aristocracy and insolent
nobility.

" It was amazing in a country where liberty gives choice, where trade and money
confer equality, and where facility of marriage had always been supposed to pro-
duce populousness, it was amazing to see a law promulged, that cramped inclina-
tion, that discountenanced matrimony, and that seemed to annex as sacred pri-
vileges to birth, as could be devised in the proudest, poorest little Italian Principa-
lity ; and as if the artificer had been a Teutonic Margrave, not a little lawyer, who
had raised himself by his industry, from the very lees of the people ; and who had
matched his own blood with the great house of Kenl ! The abuse of precontracts
had occasioned the demand of a remedy the physician immediately prescribes.

and the aristocracy of the time, to prevent young men upon
a short acquaintance getting suddenly married ; and I recol-
lect one of Mr. Fox's great efforts on the Marriage Act was

medicines for every ailment to which the ceremony of marriage was or could be
supposed liable ! Publication of Banns was already an established ordinance, but
totally in disuse except amongst the inferior people, who did not blush to obey the
law. Persons of quality who proclaimed every other step of their conjugation by
the most public parade, were ashamed to have the intention of it notified, and were
constantly married by special licence. Unsuitable matches in a country where the
passions are not impetuous, and where it is neither easy nor customary to tyrannize
the inclinations of children, were by no means frequent : the most disproportioned
alliances, those contracted by age, by dowagers, were without the scope of this Bill.
Yet the new Act set out with a falsehood, declaiming against clandestine marriages
as if they had been a frequent evil. The greatest abuse were the temporary wed-
dings clapped up in the Fleet, and by one Keith, who had constructed a very bishop-
rick for revenue in May Fair, by performing that charitable function for a trifling
sum, which the poor successors of the Apostles are seldom humble enough to perform
out of duty. The new Bill enjoined indispensable publication of Banns, yet took
away their validity, if parents, nay, if even guardians, signified their dissent where
the parties should be under age a very novel power ; but guardians are a limb of
Chancery ! The Archbishop's licence was indeed reserved to him. A more arbi-
trary spirit was still behind ; persons solemnizing marriages without these previous
steps were sentenced to transportation, and the marriage was to be effectually
null, so close did congenial law clip the wings of the prostrate priesthood. And as
if such rigour did not sufficiently describe its fountain and its destination, it was
expressly specified, that where a mother or a guardian should be non compos, resort
might be had to the Chancellor himself for licence. Contracts and praecontracts,
other flowers of ecclesiastical prerogative, were to be totally invalid, and their obli-
gations abolished : and the gentle institution was wound up with the penalty of
death for all forgeries in breach of this statute of modern Draco. Quakers, Jews,
and the royal family had the only toleration.

" The next day the Committee finished without a division. Sir Richard Loyd, a
lawyer who had spoken against the Bill, voted for it afterwards without assigning
any reasons for his change of opinion. Captain Saunders, who had said that he
would go and vote against the Bill, for the sake of the sailors, having once given
forty of his crew leave to go on shore for an hour and all returned married, was
compelled by Lord Anson, the Chancellor's son-in-law and his patron, to vote for
it. Henley and the Solicitor- General declaring of the same words, the one, that
they could not be made clearer, the other that they were as clear as the sun at noon
day, though each gave a totally different interpretation of them, were well ridiculed
by Fox ; as a serious speech of Lord Egremont was with much humour, and not a
little indecence by Nugent.

" June 4th. The Marriage Bill was read for the last time. Charles Townshend
again opposed it with as much argument as before with wit. Mr. Fox with still
more wit ridiculed it for an hour and half. Notwithstanding the Chancellor's ob-
stinacy in maintaining it, and the care he had bestowed upon it, it was still so in-

in the part he took upon the debate, opposing the restrictions
which by that Bill were imposed ; he said,

taedae quoque jure coissent ;

Sed vetuere patres, quod non potuere vetare :
Ex aequo captis ardebant mentibus ambo :

lines likely to be quoted upon that occasion ; it was a matter
of great controversy, but the Bill passed."

correct and so rigorous that its very bodyguards had been forced to make or to sub-
mit to many amendments : these were inserted in Mr. Fox's copy in red ink : the
Solicitor General who sat near him as he was speaking, said ' How bloody it
looks.' Fox took this up with spirit, and said, ' Yes, but you cannot say I did it :
look what a rent the learned Casca made, (this alluded to the Attorney ;) through
thu the well-beloved Brutus stalled;' (Mr. Pelham.) However, he finished with
earnest declarations of not having designed to abuse the Chancellor, and affirming
that it was scandalous to pass the Bill ; but it was passed by 125 votes to 56.

" 6th. The bill being returned to the Lords, the amendments were read. The
Duke of Bedford, who began to attack the whole bill, was obstructed by the Chan-
cellor, who would have confined him to the mere amendments : but the Duke
appealing to the House whether he might not argue against the face of the whole
bill as it now stood, the Chancellor seemed to acquiesce : but the Duke not find-
ing any disposition to support him, soon dropped the cause, objecting chiefly to the
last clause on not extending the Act to foreign countries. The Chancellor
replied, that he was sorry the clause was there, but the bill was too good to be
lost, and might have much good engrafted on it hereafter. *

" At last rose the Chancellor ; not, as he has been represented(t) in the figure of
public Wisdom speaking, but with all the acrimony of wounded pride, of detected
ambition, and insolent authority. He read his speech ; not that he had written it to
guard himself from indecency, or that he had feared to forget his thread of argument
in the heat of personality ; he did not deign an argument, he did not attempt
to defend a Bill so criticized. He seemed only to have methodized his malice, and
noted down the passages where he was to resent, where to threaten. He intro-
duced himself with just allowing conscience and candour to the Duke of Bedford ;
but what he had to complain of had passed without those walls, and in another
place. That, as to the young man, (Charles Townshend,) youth and parts re-
quire beauty and riches, flesh and blood inspire such thoughts, and therefore he
excused him ; but men of riper years and graver, had opposed ; that the first,
(the Speaker,) was a good, well-meaning man, but had been abused by words ;
that another, (Fox,) dark, gloomy, and insidious genius, who was an engine of
personality and faction, had been making connexions, and trying to form a party,
but his designs had been seen through and defeated. That in this country you

(*) Yet no amendment was ever made in it, and all its clauses and faults sup-
ported by the utmost rigour of the power of Chancery,
(t) An expression of Lord Lyttelton on Lord HardwicLc.

From the current of opinions here expressed by Lord Chief
Justice De Grey, by Lord Chief Justice Kenyon, Mr. Justice
Le Blanc, Mr. Justice Burrough, and Mr. Baron Vaughan, it
seems now to be clearly established that the books usually de-
nominated the Fleet Registers are not receivable in evidence as
registers, and that when tendered they will be rejected. The
Cases wherein these Registers were admitted by Mr. Justice
Willes in 1780, and by Mr. Justice Heath in 1794, cannot,
in the face of subsequent and uniformly adverse decisions, be
urged in their support. Their rejection seems founded upon
sound principles of law and reason, since it is manifest that
the Legislature had no control over the Fleet parsons, who
made the entries when and as they pleased : sometimes insert-
ing marriages which were solemnized under false dates, and
sometimes recording entries of marriages which they never
solemnized at all.

Still, however, the Fleet Registers do not appear deprived
of evert/ degree of authority, since Lord Kenyon was inclin-
ed to think that in a Pedigree Case (*) they were admissible ;
and Lord Eldon was of opinion that in a Pedigree Case, or
in an indictment for bigamy, they might be received, not as
Registers, but as Declarations. If to this be added their
utility, to the genealogist, in a point of view not strictly
legal, they will yet remain a record, (extending over a pe-
riod of nearly a century,) of considerable use and importance.

must govern by force or law ; it was easy to know that person's principles,
which were to govern by arbitrary force. That the King speaks through the Seals,
and is represented by the Chancellor and the Judges in the Courts, where the
Majesty of the King resides ; that such attacks on the Chancellor and the law was
flying in the face of the King ; that this behaviour was not liked ; that it had been
taken up with dignity, and that the incendiary had been properly reproved ; that
this was not the way to popularity or favour, and that he could take upon him to
say, that person knows so by this time ; a beam of light had broken in upon him ;
but, (concluded he,) ' I despise his scurrility, as much as his adulation and retrac-
tation.' This Philippic over, the Bill passed."

(') This inclination of opinion in favour of a Pedigree Case appears rather at
variance with the prior decisions. The use to be made of these Registers is for
proof of the fact of Marriage, a proof which might be requisite either in the case of
a party claiming property of the father as his legitimate son or in the case of a
party claiming it, in a remote degree through a long pedigree, and it is difficult to
conceive how these Registers could be used, except for the proof of marriage.

CHAPTER VI.

MARRIAGES AT THE KING'S BENCH PRISON MINT SAVOY,
AND MAY FAIR.

THE same causes which induced people to marry clan-
destinely at the Fleet prison, no doubt operated with those
who married at the KING^ BENCH prison, although from
the latter prison being situated in the suburbs of London,
but comparatively few marriages were performed there. In
the neighbourhood of the King's Bench was a part of the
Borough called " THE MIMT," a place of refuge for thieves
and malefactors of the worst description ; which, with White
Friars,^) (Sir Walter Scott's Alsatia,) the Savoy, and other
places about London, claimed certain privileges, and held
out the advantages of a Sanctuary to all debtors, thieves, and
malefactor s.( 2 ) At this place marriages were performed, and

( l ) By the 8 and 9th William III. Cap. 26, the pretended privileges of White
Friars, the Savoy, Salisbury Court, Ram Alley, Mitre Court, Fuller's Rents,
Baldwin's Gardens, Montague Close, the Minories, Mint, Clink, or Deadman's
Place, were taken away.

( a ) " On Tuesday seven-night last, one Isaac Briand, an Irishman, was fined
2000 by the Court of Lord Mayor and Aldermen, for marrying Elizabeth Watson
Aston, an orphan, of about 13 years of age, without the leave of the Court, and
was committed to the Gaol of Newgate, there to remain until he shall have paid
the said fine. It appeared the said orphan was decoyed from Westminster, where
she lodged, to a house near the Fighting Cocks, in the Mint, in Southwark, and
there married to the said Briand by one Parson Smith ; and the Court of Aldermen
have thereupon ordered Warrants to be obtained for apprehending the said parson
and others concerned, in order to their being prosecuted for the same. The Certi-
ficate of this marriage given by Parson Smith being very singular, an exact copy of
it follows for the entertainment of the public, viz.

Feb. 26, 1715.

These are, therefore, whom it may concern, that Isaac Briand and Watson Anne
Astone were joined together in the Holy State of Matrimony, (Nemine Conlra-
dicente,) the day and year above written, according to the Rites and Ceremonies
of the Church of Great Britain. Witness my hand. Jos. SMITH, Cler."

amongst the Fleet Registers are three Registers of King's
Bench and Mint marriages.

The first is a small quarto, (containing also some Fleet
marriages,) and at page 48 these marriages commence, headed
" Mint Marriages, Anno 1718." It ends at page 242, with
the llth Jan. 1726.

The second Register is a short folio commencing 20 May
1725, and ending 9 Oct. 1726. It contains the entries of
marriages by John Floyd, " at the King's Bench and
Liberties." They are worded at some length, and signed by
the clergyman and one, two, or three witnesses ; thus,

" Oct. 14th, 1725, John Radcliff, of the Parish of Thames Dit-
ton, and Jane Puflet, of the Parish of Yowill, both of, and in the,
County of Surrey, were married at the King's Bench, London.
Witnesses JNO FLOYD, Cler.

JOHN DARBY, Over against the Goat and

JAMES ROOTSEY. Crown, five doors within

Mint Gate, near St. George's
Church."

"March 24th, 1725, Thomas Panks, of the Parish of Hodsden,
and Mary Munk of the Parish of Tirring, in Sussex, married.
This was a Certificate granted without a marriage."

" On the 2 day of August 1726, on the oath of Catherine Cane
Senor, I gave a Certificate of her daughter's, Alee Cane, mar-
riage. One of Thomas Bennett's Certificate. Certificate dated

on the 22 day of June 1723.

" Sign'd J. E. MINS."

There are about 360 marriages in this book, and at
the end are some old Law entries of the reign of Queen
Elizabeth.

The third King's Bench Register is a short thick folio,
containing marriages at the Fleet also. At page 3 it is in-
titutled " Marriages in Southwark," commencing with 20th
Nov. 1736. At page 6 begin " Fleet Marriages."

There is another Register which is considered to be a
King's Bench or Mint Register, as the parties married are
chiefly from Kent and Surrey. It is intituled,

" A Register of Christenings and Marriages, commencing
March 13, 1732-3, by the Rev. Mich. Barrett."

It ends Aug. 14th, 1751, and has about 500 marriages.
The following are a few of the marriages at the Mint.

1725 Sept. 27. Wm. Bayley, Hawkhurst, and Ann Compion,

Croydon.

1724 March 12. Christ r Burningham, of Rely, and Mary Ander-
son, of Salsbury.

1724 May 4. Ab m Clegg, Rochester, and Mary Taylor, Ditto.

1718 Oct. 6. Edward Cook, Coodham, and Ann Phillips, S.

Ditto.

1726 Jan. 11. Jn Douglas, Sutton, Surrey, and Fra s Moore.

1722 July 14. Martin Joseph Manvell Kelly and Joannah Bing.

1719 Jan. 7. Joseph Lancaster, Sundridge, and Eliz. Stinham,

Ditto.

1718 Nov. 9. Robt. Long, Gent. St. Bride's, and Anna Maria
Rugly, Ditto.

1720 Aug. 17. John Mandavill and Mary Martin.

1724 March 22. R d Pierce, Tunbridge, and Sarah Cooper, Ditto.

1720 Jan. 17. Wm. Reynolds and Hannah Burleigh.

1720 April 13. Thos. Samirell and Mary Twisden.

1723 March 27. Tho s Wolfe and Isabella Lamb.

THE SAVOY.

Although the Savoy was one of those places with pretend-
ed privileges, there does not appear to have been any clan-
destine marriages there until after the passing of the Mar-
riage Act ; the number of marriages for a few years before
and after that period being as follows :
1752 . . 15

-^3 . . 19

4 . . 342

-5 . . 1190),

6 . . 63 j u

7 . . 13

8 . . 17

On the passing of the Marriage Act, the Rev. John Wil-

(') On the trial of Mr. Wilkinson, his Clerk deposed that of these 900 came out
of the country enceinte.

kinson (*) began to exercise his supposed rights as Minister
of the Savoy, considering himself authorised to grant licences
as a privilege annexed to the Savoy, as being extra parochial,
and because Dr. Killegrew and other of his predecessors had
granted them. The Savoy, therefore, soon became known
as a place for easy matrimony, and his marriages brought
him " a profusion of cash, and instead of thinking of a rainy
day, all was rat tat tat at the street door, and a variety of
company. Easter-day was crowded from 8 till 12. So
many pairs were for the indissoluble knot being tied, that he
might have made a fortune had he been blessed with pati-
ence and prudence, and been contented with publishing the
banns of marriage only. Many persons came out of curiosity
to hear such a long list of Spinsters announced."( 2 )

Mr. Wilkinson had hints from Government of the conse-
quence of these practices, and at length proceedings were
taken against him, and he was accustomed to make his
escape over the leads at the Savoy, through the kitchen of
the prison, (which was then there,) to a private door into
the chapel, to evade those who were set to watch him.

One Sunday morning an alarm was given, that the officers
were in the church, a general panic ensued in his family ; he
sent word that he was taken suddenly ill, and could not read
prayers, and made his way down the garden to a gate that
opened on the Thames, reached Somerset Stairs, where he
took a boat and got into Kent. Having arrived there, he
engaged Mr. Grierson to perform the marriages as his
curate ; but the licences he granted himself, thinking that
Mr. Grierson could not suffer for what he, in his authority
as Minister of the Savoy, was to be responsible for.

( l ) The Register describes him as " His Majesty's Chaplain of the Savoy,
Chaplain to his late Royal Highness Frederick Prince of Wales, Rector of East-
well, Kent, and Curate of Wye ;" in 1732 he is described as Rector of Coyley, in
the County of Glamorgan, and Stipendiary Curate of Wye. He was educated at
St. Bees, in Cornwall, and finished his studies at Oxford. He came to the Savoy
in 1725, and was married there on the 26th April, 1731, to Grace, daughter of
Alderman Tate, of Carlisle.

(*) Wilkinson's Memoirs.

Very shortly after this, Mr. Vernon, of Drury Lane
Theatre, was married by Mr. Grierson, to Miss Portier.
Garrick insisted on seeing the certificate, which Mr. Vernon
obtained from Mr. Grierson, and gave to Garrick, who
handed it over to Mr. Carrington, the King^s Messenger.
Mr. Grierson was thereupon taken up and tried for having
married the parties ; was convicted, and transported for
fourteen years. ( 1 ) In his defence he said he was not aware
of the illegality of the marrying at the Savoy, as he had
married his own son there.

After the committal of Mr. Grierson, Mr. Wilkinson en-
gaged the Rev. Mr. Brooks as his curate, and continued to
derive great profits from his marriages. Considering him-
self certain of an acquittal, he determined to surrender him-
self and take his trial, which he accordingly did on the llth
July 1756 : he was tried on the 16th ; convicted, and sen-
tenced to fourteen years' transportation. The vessel which
was to take him to America sailed early in March 1757 ; but
by stress of weather was driven to Plymouth, where Mr.
Wilkinson died from an attack of the gout. His widow
died in 1763. He left an only child, Tate Wilkinson, the
Comedian.

MAY FAIR.

May Fair stands next to the Fleet in notoriety, and per-
haps pre-eminently, so far as regards the number of fashion-
able clandestine marriages.

(') " It is said he had married 1400 couple in the same manner and place,
whose marriages by this verdict are null and void, and the issue of them illegiti-
mate." ( ' GenCs Mag.) He had a large family, which accompanied him on his
transportation ; but it is believed he died on his passage. l,n the announcement of
his conviction he is called " a nonjuring Clergyman," and in the Daily Advertiser
of Dec. 24, 1755, is an advertisement of his, dated from Newgate, where he defends
his conduct and principles, and concludes with an appeal to the public for their
beneficence towards the support of his wife, children, and grand-child. He had
been tried in 1748, " for marrying Jonathan Brooks to Miss Mary Redding, Spin-
ster, in an empty house, against her will."

One or two Acts have been passed for legalizing marriages solemnized in
churches and chapels where banns had not been ' ' theretofore usually published ."
See Burn's History of Parish Registers, 1829, 8vo. p. 33. Suter, Cheapside.

The chapel was built about 1730, in consequence of the
increase of new Squares and Streets in that neighbourhood,
and the person chosen to officiate there was the Renowned
and Rev. Alexander Keith, who began to marry ad libitum,
and to advertize in the papers the advantages of a wedding
at May Fair, where Lord Orford describes him to have con-
structed a very bishopric of revenue. These practices gave
offence to Dr. Trebeck, then Rector of St. George's, Hanover
Square, who commenced a suit at Doctors 1 Commons against
Mr. Keith, to which he appeared personally, and defended
himself at considerable length ;(*) not, however, with suc-
cess, for on the 27th Oct. 1742, he was decreed excommu-
nicated,^) and on the 24th of January following a signifi-
cavit was decreed for his apprehension.

In April 1743 he was committed to the Fleet ;( 3 ) but the
weddings nevertheless continued (*) at May Fair,( 5 ) where
he fitted up a house as a chapel, as will appear by the follow-
ing advertisement.

" To prevent mistakes, the little new chapel in May Fair, near
Hyde Park corner, is in the corner house opposite to the City side

(') In his allegations he stated that he had been ordained priest by the Bishop
of Norwich, by Letters Dimissary from the Bishop of London, about the 13th of
June 1731. That he was appointed one of the preachers by an Instrument under
the hands and seals of the major part of the proprietors of the chapel. That at the
time of his nomination he was Reader at the Rolls' Chapel.

(*) Keith hereupon retaliated, and had the impudence to excommunicate at his
chapel Bishop Gibson, Dr. Andrews, Judge of the Court, and Dr. Trebeck.

( 3 ) The Daily Post says, " to Newgate, for contempt of the Holy and Mother
Church."

(*) Horace Walpole in a letter to Mr. afterwards Sir Horace Mann, dated Ar-
lington Street, Feb. 27, 1752, says, "The event which has made most noise since
my last is the extensive wedding of the youngest of the two Gunnings," and then
describes an assembly at Lord Chesterfield's, where the Duke of Hamilton made
love to Miss Gunning, and then proceeds, " However, two nights afterwards being
left alone with her whilst her mother and sister were at Bedford House, he found
himself so impatient that he sent for a parson. The Doctor refused to perform the
ceremony without licence and ring. The Duke swore he would send for the Arch-
bishop ; at last they were married with a ring of the bed-curtain, at half an
hour past twelve at night, at May Fair chapel." Vol. iii. p. 51.

( 5 ) " We hear that a Bill will be presented to Parliament for the suppression of
the chapels in May Fair." General Advertiser, Jan. 1750.

of the great chapel, and within ten yards of it, and the Minister
and Clerk live in the same corner house, where the little chapel
is, and the License on a Crown Stamp, Minister and Clerk's fees,
together with the Certificate, amount to one guinea as heretofore,
at any hour till four in the afternoon. And that it may be the
better known, there is a porch at the door like a country church
porch." Daily Post, July 20, 1744.

Various reports were circulated after his imprisonment; one
was, that he had a Little Chapel in the Fleet, where in one
year he married thousands, while the Rector of St. Anns, a
large and populous parish, married but fifty within the same
period ;(*) and in the case of Morris v. Miller, (Easter Term
1767,) it was stated that Keith who had married the parties
was transported, and the clerk dead. No marriages of
Keith's have been met with in the Fleet, nor has it been
found that he was ever transported, but he died in the Fleet
Prison on the 13th December 1758. ( 2 )

He appears to have employed as his curates at his Little
Chapel in May Fair, the Rev. Peter Symson, and Francis
Denevau, who were also Fleet Clergymen, and of whom

1 Gentleman's Magazine.

2 Four of his sons were buried at Norwood in Middlesex. His wife died in
1749, while he was in the Fleet, upon which he had her corpse embalmed and

kept it unburied many mouths, which seems to have been done to excite public
curiosity and inquiry, for one of his advertisements in the Daily Advertiser of
23d January 1750, is as follows :

" We are informed that Mrs. Keith's corpse was removed from her Husband's
House in May Fair the middle of October last to an Apothecary's in South Audley
St. where she lies in a room hung with mourning, and is to continue there till Mr.
Keith can attend the Funeral. The way to Mr. Keith's Chapel is through Picca-
dilly by the end of St. James's Street and down Clarges Street, and turn on the left
hand. The marriages (together with a licence on a five shilling stamp and certifi-
cate) are carried on for a guinea as usual, any time till four in the afternoon, by
another regular clergyman at Mr. Keith's little Chapel in May Fair near Hyde
Park Corner, opposite the great Chapel and within ten yards of it ; there is a
porch at the door like a country churcli porch."

In 1748, another of his sons dying, he had the corpse carried on a bier by two
men from the Fleet to Covent Garden church yard. In their progress they made
several halts and crowds of people assembled to read the inscription which re-
ferred to the father's persecution. Craftsman, August Qth 1748.

particulars have been already given, also the Rev. John
Grierson, and Mr. Walker O).

Keith appears to have been in prison fifteen years. In
1753 he published a pamphlet intituled " Observations on
the Act for preventing Clandestine Marriages," pp. 32 ; to
which is prefixed an engraving of him as " The Rev. Mr.
Keith, D.D." A few of his remarks, as connected with the
subject of these pages, are as follows. " Happy is the wooing
that is not long a-doing ; is an old proverb and a very true
one, but we shall have no occasion for it after the 25th day
of March next, when we are commanded to read it back-
wards and from that period (fatal indeed to Old England !)
we must date the declension of the numbers of the inhabit-
ants of England." " As I have married many thousands,
and consequently have on those occasions seen the humour
of the lower class of people, I have often asked the married
pair how long they had been acquainted ; they would reply,
some more, some less, but the generality did not exceed the
acquaintance of a week, some only of a day, half a day, &c."
" Another inconveniency which will arise from this Act will
be, that the expence of being married will be so great, that
few of the lower class of people can afford ; for I have often
heard a Flete-parson say, that many have come to be mar-
ried when they have had but half-a-crown in their pockets,
and sixpence to buy a pot of beer, and for which they have
pawned some of their cloaths." " I remember once on a
time, I was at a public house at Radcliff, which then was
full of sailors and their girls, there there was fiddling,
piping, jigging, and eating ; at length, one of the tars starts
up, and says ' D m ye, Jack, I'll be married just now ; I
will have my partner, and " the joke took, and in

1 In 1746, Thomas Brown being indicted for Bigamy, the first marriage was
proved to have taken place at May Fair, and the second at the Anchor and Crown
Fleet Ditch, and the following evidence was given.

Drummund. " Mr. Keith has a person to officiate for him, one Mr. Walker
marries, and I carry the licences to Mr. Keith and he registers them."

John Prichard. " I acted as clerk, I am a carver by trade and keep n public
house."

100

less than two hours ten couple set out for the Flete. I staid
their return. They returned in coaches ; five women in each
coach ; the tars, some running before, others riding on the
coach-box, and others behind. The cavalcade being over,
the couples went up into an upper room, where they con-
cluded the evening with great jollity. The next time I went
that way, I called on my landlord and asked him concerning
this marriage-adventure, he at first stared at me, but recol-
lecting, he said those things were so frequent, that he hardly
took any notice of them ; for added he, it is a common thing
when a fleet comes in, to have two or three hundred mar-
riages in a week's time, among the sailors." He humorously
concludes " If the present Act in the form it now stands
should (which I am sure is impossible) be of service to my
country, I shall then have the satisfaction of having been
the occasion of it, because the compilers thereof have done
it with a pure design of suppressing my Chapel, which
makes me the most celebrated man in this kingdom, though
not the greatest."

The passing of the Marriage Act put a stop to the mar-
riages at May Fair ; but the day before the Act came into
operation, (Lady Day 1754,) 1 sixty-one couple were married
there. 2

' In a letter to George Montagu, Esq. dated July 17, 1753, Horace Walpole
says :

" Lady Anne Paulett's daughter is eloped with a country clergyman. The
Duchess of Argyle harangues against the Marriage Bill not taking place imme-
diately, and is persuaded that all the girls will go off before next Lady-day."

2 In a letter to George Montagu, Esq. from Horace Walpole, is the following
notice of Keith.

Strawberry Hill, llth June, 1753.

" I shall only tell you a Ion mot of Keith's the marriage-broker, and conclude :

" G d d n the Bishops! " said he, (I beg Miss Montagu's pardon) so they will
hinder my marrying. Well, let 'em, but I'll be revenged : I'll buy two or three
acres of ground, and by G d I'll under-bury them all." Vol. i. p. 292.

And in No. 38 of the Connoisseur (October 1754) are some satirical remarks on
the effect of the Marriage Act on Mr. Keith's Chapel ; the writer says, " I received
a scheme from my good friend Mr. Keith, whose Chapel, the late Marriage Act has
rendered useless on its original principles. The reverend gentleman seeing that
all husbands and wives are henceforward to be put up on sale, proposes shortly to

101

THE MAY FAIR REGISTERS.

These Registers are divided, some being at the Church of
St. George's Hanover Square, and the others at the Regis-
try of the Bishop of London, but several of the latter appear
to be duplicates, and contain the same entries as the Registers
at St. George's.

Those at St. George's are three in number, marked re-
spectively A. B. and C. In two of these is an affidavit sworn
in 1780, by James Frith senior, stating, that being employed
to look over the effects of Mr. Keith, he had found these
three books and brought them from the Fleet ; and that up

open his chapel on a more new and fashionable plan. As the ingenious Messrs.
Henson and Bever have lately opened in different quarters of the town reposi-
tories for all horses to be sold by auction, Mr. Keith intends setting up a Repo-
sitory for all young males and females to be disposed of in marriage. From these
studs (as the Doctor himself expresses it) a lady of beauty may be coupled to a
man of fortune, and an old gentleman who has a colt's tooth remaining, may
match himself with a tight young filly. The Doctor makes no doubt but his chapel
will turn out even more to his advantage on this new plan, than on its first insti-
tution, provided he can secure his scheme to himself and reap the benefits of it
without interlopers from the Fleet. To prevent his design being pirated he in-
tends petitioning the Parliament, that as he has been so great a sufferer by the
Marriage Act, the sole right of opening a Repository of this sort may be vested in
him, and that his place of residence in May Fair may still continue the grand
mart for marriages."

" Catalogue of Males and Females to be disposed of in Marriage to the best
bidder, at Mr. Keith's Repository, in May Fair.

A young lady of 100,000 fortune to be bid for by none under the degree of
peers, or a commoner of at least treble the income.

A homely thing who can read, write, cast accounts, and make an excellent pud-
ding. This lot to be bid for by none but country parsons.

A very pretty young woman, but a good deal in debt would be glad to marry a
member of parliament, or a Jew.

A blood of the first-rate, very wild, and has run loose all his life, but is now
broke, and will prove very tractable.

Five Templars all Irish. No one to bid for these lots of less than .10,000
fortune.

Wanted four dozen of young fellows, and one dozen of young women, willing to
marry to advantage to go to Nova Scotia."

102

to 1743 or 4 the marriages were performed in May Fair
chapel, but afterwards in a house near the chapel.

Book A commences 21 February 1735 and ends 27 July
1744. It is intituled " An Account or Register of Mar-
riages at St. George's Chapel Hyde Park Corner in the
Liberty of Westminster." The entries are numbered and
amount to 1020, and are nearly all signed by Mr. Keith.
At the other end of the book are baptisms from 26 March
1740 to 7 April 1753.

Book B commences 28 July 1744 and ends 30 Sept. 1749,
the numbering begins with 1021 and continues to 3529,
when the entries cease to be numbered. There are about
5000 entries in this book.

Book C commences 30 Sept. 1749 and ends 25 March
1754, from Oct. 1753 to 25 March 1754 are 1136 entries.
On the 2d January 1751 is the following entry,

W" Thomas and Sarah Snow of St. Maries Overy South wark"
" Memo" she being surprised by meeting two gentlemen of her
acquaintance as she was going into the chapel, gave her mother's
name (Snow) instead of her father's sirname, Yates."

The books at the Bishop's Registry are seven in number.
No. 1. A short folio commencing 19 March 1729 and
ending 31 May 1731, intituled " Dr. Keith's Regestar Book
of Marriages, No. 3, May Fair."" It contains about 1300
entries, and has an index.

No. 2. A thin short folio, commenencing 29 Sept. 1747
ending 28 Sept. 1749, intituled, " The Register Book of
Marriages performed by John Grierson, Minister, at May
Fair Chapel," and indorsed " No. 2. Register of Marriages,
1747, 1748, 1749, May Fair." It contains 2403 entries, and
at the other end are Baptisms from 1747 to 1752, several of
which are of the Peterborough family.

No. 3. A short thick folio, commencing 29 Sept. 1749
ending 31 Oct. 1753, indorsed " No. 3. Register for Mar-
riages May Fair." It contains 6258 entries.

No. 4. A short folio of Fleet marriages, at one end of
which are " Marriages performed by Mr. Symson at May

103

Fair in 1748." It commences 12 April 1748 and contains 86
entries, after which is added " No. 86, all married by Mr.
Symson at May Fair."

No. 5. A folio, intituled " The Register Book of Mar-
riages begun April 9, 1748, at the New Chapel May Fair."
The marriages are all by Mr. Symson, but many of them
appear to be Fleet marriages. It has an index.

No. 6. A small quarto, commencing 9 Dec. 1750 ending
25 March 1754, intituled, " The Register Book of Mar-
riages performed by the Reverend Mr. Peter Symson, Mr.
Fran 8 Denevau, for Keith May Fair."

No. 7. A thin folio, ending 25 March 1754, indorsed
" No. 1. Dr. Keith's Book. The Register for Marriages,
1 November 1753, 1754, May Fair." It has an index.

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE MARRIAGES AT MAY FAIR.

1753 June 29. Lord George Bentinck and Mary Davies, Han-
well.

1730 March 15. John Campfield, Esq. St. George's Hanover Sq.
and Harriet Doyne, ditto.

1748 March 23. Honble. George Carpenter and Frances Clifton.
1747 Oct. 24. Capt. Charles Cockburn, St. James's, and Mar-
garet Holford, Hanwell.

1729 Sept. 8. Simon Darby, Gent. St. Martin's Fields, and
Mary Pindergrass, ditto, B and S.

1752 Feb. 14. James Duke of Hamilton and Eliz. Gunning.

1753 April 17. Stanhope Herries and Millicent Constable, St.

George's, South wark.

1729 April 15. Charles Jeftryson, Gent. Covent Garden, and
Sarah Thomson, ditto, B and S.

1749 Sept. 14. William Earl of Kensington and Rachel Hill,

Hempstead.

1747 Oct. 6. Alexander Lennox and Barbara Ramsey, St. Ann's
Westminster.

1754 Feb. 26. Rev. Edmund Lodge and Mary Garrard, Car-

shalton.
1749 Aug. 31. William Montague and Gertrude Turner, St.

James's.
1753 Aug. 31. George Montague Martin and Eliz. Berkeley

St. George's Hanover Square.

104

1751 July 21. Edward Wortley Montague and Eliz. Ashe, St.

Martin's fields.

1730 March 15. Hyde Parker, Gent, and Elizabeth Beaver, B
andS.

1752 May 7. Harry Powlett and Mary Nunn, Eltham.

1753 July 26. Edmund Powlett, Gent, and Sarah Jones, Chelsea.

1752 June 30. Bysshe Shelley & Mary Cath. Michell, Horsham.

1751 May 25. Honourable Sewallis Shirley and Margaret

Countess of Orford.

1753 March 7. Wm. Shirley, Esq. and Madalane Julie le Blanc,

St. Margaret's.
1753 March 15. James Stewart Stewart and Catherine Holloway,

of St. Matthew's, Friday Street.
1749 March 7. Cecil Trafford and Elizabeth Short, St. Martin's

Fields.

1752 June 15. Henry Trelawney, Esq. and Mary Dormer, St.

Margaret's.

1729 Nov. 14. William Yeats, Gent. 3 rd Guards, and Catherine
Jordan, Westr. W and W.

ON PAROCHIAL REGISTRATION.

DRAFT OF A BILL

FOR
AMENDING THE ACT OF 52 GEO. 111. CAP. 146.

107

PAROCHIAL REGISTRATION.

THE defective state of the existing laws in regard to Parochial
Registration has long been admitted, and generally a subject of
complaint. Considering the importance of Registers in reference
to the transfer and descent of property, as well as the inheritance
of dignities, and adverting to the fact, that the subject of registra-
tion has been at various periods, during the last three centuries,
submitted to the consideration of the Legislature, it is singular
that so many imperfections in the system should still exist, and
that even the legislative enactments of the act of the 52nd of
Geo. III. should be suffered in so many instances to be totally
disregarded.

In England it is constantly urged as a complaint against our
system of registration, that it is entirely an ecclesiastical cere-
mony ; the fact of the ceremony of baptism being only recognized
by law, to the exclusion of evidence as to birth.

In the late Session of Parliament, in consequence of the petitions
of certain classes of Dissenters, a Committee was moved for by Mr.
Wilks, the member for Boston, to consider of the state of Parochial
Registration, and was appointed accordingly. This Committee, after
an investigation of the subject, made its Report to the House,
which is ordered to be printed ; and wherein a Civil Registration
of births, marriages, and deaths, is recommended, without in-
terfering with the present system of Parochial Registration. As
it is not improbable that a bill may be introduced in the next
session, in pursuance of the recommendation of the Committee of
the House of Commons, when the whole subject will be brought
under consideration and discussed, the author of this volume,
having in a former publication entered at large into the History
of Parish Registers, thinks the present publication affords him
an opportunity of adverting to a paper printed and circulated in

108

1831 by him, in conjunction with two or three gentlemen, who
had given the subject some attention, entitled " Defects in the Act
of 52nd Geo. III. and Proposed Amendments."

The suggestions contained in this paper having been generally
approved by persons to whom it was submitted, and who, from their
practical experience, were most competent to judge, a Bill was
drawn in conformity thereto, for amending the Act in question,
and intended to have been introduced into the House of Commons,
which was in the next year dissolved. The important questions
which occupied the new Parliament, engaged amongst other urgent
affairs in the reformation of the Constitution of Parliament, pre-
vented the further prosecution of the measure.

The renewal, however, of the discussion upon the subject of Pa-
rochial Registration having now taken place, the Bill drawn under
the circumstances stated, is appended to this volume, with a view
of submitting the proposed enactments to the consideration of the
public, and thereby afford opportunity for the comment and obser-
vations of those persons who may feel interested in a subject in-
volving such important consequences to all classes.

Few persons can entertain a doubt as to the expediency of pro-
viding, and speedily too, a remedy for the existing defects in the
law ; and the author, deeply impressed with the importance of the
subject, and convinced of that expediency from professional expe-
rience, will derive considerable gratification, if it shall be found
that the suggestions he has ventured to embody in the draft of a
Bill shall be found worthy of attention.

109

(DRAFT)

A BILL

For repealing an Act passed in the 52nd year of King
George the Third, intituled " An Act for the better regu-
lating and preserving Parish and other Registers of
Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials in England ;"
and for the future regulation, improvement, and preser-
vation of such Registers.

WHEREAS the powers and provisions of an Act passed in the
52nd year of King George the Third, intituled " An Act for the
better regulating and preserving Parish and other Registers of
Births, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials in England," have been
found insufficient for the purpose for which the said Act was
passed, and it is expedient to repeal the same, and to make better
provision for the regulation of such Registers : Be it therefore
enacted, by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the
advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal and Com-
mons in this present Parliament assembled ; and by the authority
of the same, that the said Act be hereby repealed.

II. And be it enacted, That from and after the day

of 183 Registers of public and private Baptisms,

Marriages and Burials, solemnized according to the rites of the
United Church of England and Ireland, within all parishes or
chapelries in England, whether subject to the ordinary or peculiar
or other jurisdiction, shall be made and kept by the Rector, Vicar,
Curate or officiating Minister of every parish (or of any chapelry
where the ceremonies of Baptism, Marriage or Burial have been
usually, and may, according to law be performed) for the time
being, in books of good and durable paper, to be provided as occa-
sion may require at the expence of the respective parishes or
chapelries, whereon shall be printed upon each side of every leaf
the heads of information herein required to be entered in the
Registers of Baptisms, Marriages and Burials respectively; and
every such entry shall be numbered progressively from the begin-

110

ning to the end of each book, the first entry to be distinguished
by No. 1. and every such entry shall be divided from the entry
next following by a printed line, according to the forms contained
in the schedules A, B, C, hereto annexed; and every page of
every such book shall be numbered with progressive numbers, the
first page being marked with the No. 1. in the middle of the
upper part of such page, and every subsequent page being marked
in like manner with progressive numbers, from No. 1 to the end
of the book ; and such Rector, Vicar, Curate, or officiating minister
shall also make and keep an alphabetical Index of all such Bap-
tisms, Marriages, and Burials respectively ; and when an entry is
made in the Register-book, shall enter a reference thereto in such
Index, and such Indexes shall refer to the Surname of the respective
persons mentioned in such Register-books, with the number of the
page of such Register-book wherein such persons are named,
according to the form in schedule (D) hereto annexed.

III. And for better ensuring the regularity and uniformity of
such Register-books, and the sizes, spaces, forms, and other parti-
culars thereof, be it further enacted that a printed copy of this Act,
together with a book so prepared as aforesaid, and adapted to the
form of the Registers of Baptisms prescribed in the schedule (A) to
this Act annexed ; and also one other book so prepared as aforesaid,
and adapted to the form prescribed for the Registry of Marriages in
the schedule (B) to this Act annexed ; and also one other book so
prepared as aforesaid, and adapted to the form prescribed for the
Registers of Burials in the schedule (C) to this Act annexed ; and
also one other book so prepared as aforesaid, and adapted to the form
prescribed for the index in the schedule (D) to this Act annexed,
shall as soon as conveniently may be after the passing of this Act, be
provided and transmitted by his Majesty's Printer to the officiating
Ministers of the several parishes and chapelries in England respec-
tively, who are hereby required to use and apply the same in and to
the purposes of this Act : and such books respectively shall be pro-
portioned to the population of the several parishes and chapelries,
according to the last returns of such population made under the
authority of Parliament ; and other books of like form and quality
shall for the like purposes be furnished from time to time by the
Churchwardens or Chapelwardens of every parish or chapelry
whenever they shall be required by the Rector, Vicar, Curate, or
officiating minister, to provide the same.

IV. And be it further enacted, that such registers shall be kept

Ill

in such separate books aforesaid, and that every such Rector, Vicar,
Curate, or officiating Minister, shall, immediately after the solemni-
zation of every baptism (whether private or public,) or burial respec-
tively, record and enter in a fair and legible handwriting, in the pro-
per Register-book, to be provided and kept as aforesaid, the several
particulars described in the schedules herein before-mentioned,
and sign the same; and that no such Rector, Vicar, Curate, or offi-
ciating Minister, or other person or persons whomsoever, shall ask,
demand, receive, or take any fee or fees, for the recording or en-
tering of such baptism as aforesaid.

V. And be it further enacted, that whenever the ceremony of
baptism or burial shall be performed in any other place than the
parish church or churchyard of any parish (or the chapel or cha-
pelyard of any chapelry, providing its own distinct registers,) and
such ceremony shall be performed by any Minister not being the
Rector, Vicar, Minister, or Curate, of such parish or chapelry, the
Minister who shall perform such ceremony of baptism or burial,
shall on the same, or on the next day, transmit to the Rector,
Vicar, or other Minister, of such parish or chapelry, or his Curate, a
certificate of such baptism or burial, in the form contained in the
schedule (E) to this Act annexed, and the Rector, Vicar, Minister,
or Curate, of such parish or chapelry, shall thereupon enter such
baptism or burial, according to such certificate, in the book kept
pursuant to this Act for such purpose, and shall add to such entry
the following words, " According to the certificate of the Rev.
transmitted to me on the day of ." And all such
certificates shall be carefully preserved and kept with the Register-
books of the parish or chapelry.

VI. And for the obtaining of returns and registers of bap-
tisms and burials in extra-parochial places in England, where
there is no church or chapel ; be it further enacted, That in all
cases of the baptism of any child, or the burial of any person in
any extra-parochial or other place, or any hospital, barrack, house
of industry, or other establishment in England, according to the
rites of the established Church, where there is no church or chapel,
the officiating minister, shall, within fifteen days after such bap-
tism or burial, deliver to the Rector, Vicar, or Curate of such parish
immediately adjoining to the place in which such baptism or
burial shall take place, as the ordinary shall direct, a memorandum
of such baptism or burial signed by the parent of the child bap-
tized, or by some person witnessing the baptism, or a memo-

randum of such burial signed by the Undertaker and two of the
persons attending the same, according as the nature of the case
may respectively require ; and every such memorandum shall con-
tain all such particulars as are herein-before required for Baptisms
and Burials respectively; and every such memorandum delivered to
the Rector, Vicar, or Curate of any such adjoining parish or chapelry
shall be entered by him in the register of his parish and form a part
thereof.

VII. And be it enacted, that the Rector, Vicar, Curate or offi-
ciating minister of every parish, shall after the solemnization of
every marriage make two entries thereof, in a fair and legible
handwriting, viz. one in the Register-book, and the other upon
paper to be provided at the expense of the parish or chapelry, in
the form herein-before directed for the entry of the marriages, both
of which entries shall be signed by the parties married, and also
by the witnesses thereto, and the Minister solemnizing the same :
and also shall immediately after the solemnization of every baptism
and burial, and the entry thereof in the Register-book as herein-
before directed, make a copy thereof upon paper in the form
herein-before directed for the entry of baptisms and burials
respectively, and shall sign the same with his name, or, in case the
ceremony shall have been performed by another minister, the
name of the minister who shall have performed the same.

VIII. And be it enacted, that the celebration of every mar-
riage shall be in the presence of two witnesses at the least, (be-
sides any clerk, sexton, or other officer of the church,) which
witnesses shall sign their names and residences to the entry of such
marriage in the register and duplicate thereof.

IX. And be it enacted, that the Registers of every parish
shall be open to the inspection of all persons desirous of search-
ing the same, or procuring extracts therefrom, or for any of the
purposes of this Act, at all seasonable times and on payment of
legal and reasonable fees.

X. And be it further enacted, that the several books wherein
such entries shall respectively be made, and all Register-books
heretofore in use shall be deemed to belong to every such parish
or chapelry respectively, and shall be kept by and remain in the
power and custody of the Rector, Vicar, Curate, or other officiating
minister, of each respective parish or chapelry as aforesaid, and
shall be by him safely and securely kept free from damp, as well

118

as from erasure, obliteration, or destruction, in a dry, well-painted
iron chest, to be provided and repaired as occasion may require,
at the expense of the parish or chapelry ; which said chest, con-
taining the said books, shall be constantly kept locked in some
dry, safe, and secure place, within the usual place of residence of
such Rector, Vicar, Curate, or other officiating Minister, (if resident
within the parish or chapelry,) or in some dry, safe, and secure place,
within the parish church or chapel. And the said books shall
not, nor shall any of them be taken, or removed from or out of the
said chest at any time, or for any cause whatever, except for the
purpose of making such entries therein as aforesaid, or for the in-
spection of persons desirous to make search therein, or to obtain
copies from or out of the same, or to be produced as evidence in
some Court of Law or Equity, or before his Majesty's Attorney
or Solicitor General, in cases referred to them by the Crown, and
requiring the examination of such registers, or to be inspected as
to the state and condition thereof, or for some of the purposes of
this Act. And that immediately after making such respective en-
tries, or producing the said books respectively, for the purposes
aforesaid, the said books shall forthwith again be returned to and
safely and securely deposited in the said chest.

XI. And be it further enacted, that at the expiration of two
months after the 31st day of December 183 , and at the expira-
tion of two months after every subsequent year, the Churchwar-
dens or Chapelwardens of every parish or chapelry, shall cause
the duplicate copy of the said marriage-register, together with
copies of all the entries in the Register-books of every such parish
or chapelry respectively, of the several Baptisms, and Burials,
which shall have been solemnized, or shall have taken place in
every such parish or chapelry, within the year preceding ; and
also a copy of the said Index or Indices to the same ; which
said copies of entries and Index or Indices shall be made on
strong, good, and durable paper, in a fair, stout, and legible hand-
writing, at the costs and charges of such parish or chapelry, in
the same form as prescribed in the schedules annexed, and the
contents of such duplicate of the marriage-register, and such copies
of the registers of Baptisms and Burials and of the said Indices,
shall be verified and signed in the form following by the Rector,
Vicar, Curate, or officiating Minister, of the parish or chapelry to
which such Register-books shall respectively belong.

114

I, A. B. Rector, (or, as the case maybe,) of the parish of C, (or
of the chapelry of D,) in the county of E, do hereby solemnly
declare that I have carefully examined the several writings here-
to annexed, purporting to be copies or duplicates of the several
entries contained in the several Register-books of Baptisms, Mar-
riages, and Burials, of the parish (or chapelry) aforesaid, from the
day of to the day of the said baptisms being num-
bered from to both inclusive, the said marriages from
to both inclusive, and the said burials from to both
inclusive, and that they are true copies of all the several entries
in the said several Register-books respectively, from the said
day of to the said day of and that no other entry
during such period is contained in any of such books respectively.

(Signed) A. B.

Witness C. D.
E. F.

Which declaration shall be fairly written without any stamp on
the said copy immediately after the last entry therein, and the
signature to such declaration shall be attested by the Churchwar-
dens or Chapelwardens, or one of them, of the parish or chapelry
to which such Register-books shall belong.

XII. And be it further enacted, that the said duplicate and copies
of the said Register-books and Indices, whether such parish or cha-
pelry shall be subject to the ordinary, peculiar, or other jurisdiction,
shall be transmitted by such Churchwardens or Chapelwardens by
the post, to the Registrar of the diocese within which the churches
or chapels shall be respectively situated, on or before the 1st day of
June 183 , and on or before the 1st day of June in every subsequent
year, and the superscription upon all letters and packets, containing
such copies, shall be indorsed and signed by the Churchwardens or
Chapelwardens of the parish or chapelry from which such copies
shall be so transmitted in the form or to the effect in schedule (F),
and that all such letters and packets shall be carried and conveyed
by means of his Majesty's post-office, and be delivered at the offices
of the said Registrars without postage or other charge being paid
or payable for the same.

XIII.. And be it enacted, that the Churchwardens or Chapelwar-
dens of every parish or chapelry shall at the time of the transmis-
sion of such copies to the Registrar of the diocese, pay or trans-
mit to the said Registrar the sum often shillings, and also the sum

115

of one penny for every entry which shall be contained therein.
All which said fees, and all and every penalty recovered under
the provision of this Act, shall be applied by the Bishop, or
person or persons to be appointed by him, in carrying the provi-
sions of this Act into effect.

XIV. And be it further enacted, that when and so often as the
copies and duplicates of the said Register-books and Indices of
Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, as aforesaid, shall be transmitted
to the office of the said Registrars respectively, as aforesaid, pur-
suant to the directions herein-before contained for that purpose ;
the said Registrars respectively shall cause all the said copies and
duplicates to be safely and securely deposited, kept and preserved
from damage and destruction by fire, damp, or otherwise, in the
Bishop's registry, and to be carefully and methodically arranged
for the purpose of being resorted to as occasion may require.

XV. And be it enacted, that the Secretary of State for the
Home Department for the time being, shall appoint, by writing
under his hand, some fit and proper person for the purpose of
superintending and enforcing the due execution of the provisions
of this <Act, to be called the Inspector-General of Parish Registers.

XVI. And be it enacted, that the Bishop of each diocese, or
the person so to be appointed Inspector-General, as aforesaid, shall
have power to summon the Rector, Vicar, Curate, officiating Minis-
ter, or Churchwardens, or Chapelwardens of every parish or chapel,
within the diocese of such Bishop, or any other person, by whom
any thing is by this Act required to be done, to appear before such
Bishop, or the person or persons so to be appointed as aforesaid, and
to bring with him or them the parish register, and index, and tran-
script, of such register and index, or either of them, or to do any
other act or thing which may be thought expedient or necessary for
carrying the provisions of this Act into effect. And in case of
disobedience of the order of such Bishop, or the person or persons
to be appointed as aforesaid, then such Bishop, or person or persons
as aforesaid, shall have power to proceed against such party or par-
ties offending, by monition from the Ecclesiastical Court of such
Bishop as is usual with respect to persons guilty of disobedience ;
or by monition in the said court, for the purpose of recovering
any penalty or penalties imposed by this Act.

XVII. And whereas in many dioceses the places in which the
copies of the Registers of Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, are

i '2

116

kept, are insufficient for their being preserved with due care ; for
which a remedy should be applied in those dioceses where it shall
be found necessary, be it further enacted, that in order to a due
examination thereof, the Bishop, or person or persons to be ap-
pointed by him as aforesaid, shall before the day of cause
a careful survey to be made of the several places in which copies
of the Parochial Registers are kept, and shall make a report to

of the state of the same, on or before the day of then
next following, setting forth in each case whether the buildings are
in all respects fit and proper for the preservation of the transcripts
of registers, as well with respect to space as security from fire,
protection from damp, and facility of public access ; and if not, at
what probable expense they can be made so. And where the instru-
ments and papers before-mentioned are kept in dwelling-houses or
other places, which cannot be made fit and secure for the due pre-
servation thereof, then, and in such case, the persons before-
named shall inquire and report, in like manner, at what expense
proper buildings may be provided, and in what places, so as to
have one place within each diocese for the due preservation of all
such registers. And such buildings, where necessary, shall forth-
with be repaired or built by the Bishop of the diocese for the time
being, or the person or persons to be appointed by him as afore-
said, and the fees hereinbefore directed to be paid by the Church-
wardens and Chapelwardens on the transmission of such copies as
aforesaid, shall be applied by such Bishop, or the person or persons
to be appointed as aforesaid, in or towards defraying the expense
thereof, in such manner and proportion as the said Bishop, or the
person or persons aforesaid, may think expedient.

XVIII. And whereas in many dioceses the copies of Registers
have for many years been omitted to be sent to the Registrar,
pursuant to the several canons and statutes for that purpose, and
it is desirable that there should be in each diocese in England a
complete copy of the Registers of the several Parishes and places
within its jurisdiction: be it enacted, that the Churchwardens or
Chapelwardens of every parish and chapelry in England, shall,
within years from the passing of this Act (upon receiving

from the Registrar of the diocese within which such parish or
chapelry shall be situate, a notice or notices of the several parts of
the Registers required to complete a perfect transcript of the whole
thereof,) send to the said Registrar, within one, two, three or

117

four years, from the date of such notice, as the said Registrar shall
think proper to direct, having regard to the time requisite to
make the said copies, a copy verified and attested as aforesaid, of
all such parts of the said Registers as shall be specified in such
notice or notices ; and in default thereof, such Churchwarden or
Chapel warden shall be liable to the same pains and penalties as
are herein-before provided for the non-transmission of the annual
copies aforesaid, which copy shall be preserved with the annual
copies hereinbefore directed to be sent in, and shall be arranged
and indexed in the same manner as such annual copies are herein-
before directed to be preserved, arranged, and indexed.

XIX. And be it further enacted, That if any person shall know-
ingly and wilfully insert or cause to be inserted, in any Register-
book of Baptisms, Marriages, or Burials, as aforesaid, or in any such
copy of any such register so directed to be transmitted to the
Registrars as aforesaid, any false entry of any matter or thing
relating to any baptism, marriage or burial, or shall falsely make,
alter, forge or counterfeit, or cause or procure, or wilfully permit
to be falsely made, entered, forged or counterfeited, any part of
any such register or copy, or shall wilfully destroy, deface, or
injure, or cause or procure, or permit to be destroyed, defaced,
or injured, any such Register-book or copy, or any part thereof, or
shall knowingly and wilfully sign or certify any copy of any such
register hereby required to be transmitted, which shall be false in
any part thereof, knowing the same to be false, every person so
offending, and being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be deemed
and adjudged to be guilty of felony, and shall be transported for
the term of fourteen years : Provided always, and be it enacted,
That no Rector, Vicar, Curate, or officiating Minister of any
parish or chapel, who shall discover any error to have been
committed in the form or substance of the entry in the Register-
book of any such baptism, burial, or marriage, respectively by him
solemnized, shall be liable to any of the penalties herein-mentioned,
if he shall within one calendar month after the discovery of such
error, in the presence of the parent or parents of the child whose
baptism may have been entered in such register, or of the parties
married, or in the presence of two persons who shall have attended
at any burial, or in case of the death or absence of the respective
parties aforesaid, then in the presence of the Churchwardens or
Chapchvardens (who shall respectively attest the same,) alter and

118

correct the entry which shall have been found erroneous, accord-
ing to the truth of the case by entry in the margin of the book
wherein such erroneous entry shall have been made, without any
alteration or obliteration of the original entry, and shall sign such
entry in the margin, and add to such signature the day of the
month and year when such correction shall be made : Provided
also, that in the fair copy of the registers respectively, which shall
be transmitted to the Registrars of the diocese the said Rector,
Vicar, Curate, or officiating Minister, shall certify the alterations
so to be made by him as aforesaid.

XX. Provided also, and be it enacted, that no duplicate or
copy of any register of baptism, marriage or burial, made under
the directions and for the purposes of this Act, or for any other
purpose, nor any certificate or extract of baptism, marriage or
burial, shall be chargeable with any stamp duty thereon, any Act
now in force to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding.

XXI. And be it enacted, that when and so often as any inscription
shall be put on any monument, tombstone, gravestone, or tablet,
now or hereafter to be affixed in any church, or churchyard, or
burial-ground, a copy thereof shall be entered in a fair and legi-
ble hand, and signed by the Rector, Vicar, Curate, or officiating
Minister, in a suitable and durable book to be called <fc The Register
of Inscriptions" to be provided at the expense of the Church-
warden or Chapelwarden of the parish or chapelry, and to be kept
with the Registers of the Parish ; and if at any subsequent
periods any additional notices be made to such inscriptions, such
additional matter shall be registered in the said book, and refer
to the page containing the inscription to which such additions
refer, and if such monument, tombstone, gravestone, or tablet,
shall be affixed in the church, a fee of five shillings shall be paid
by the person inscribing the same to the minister making such
entry ; but if such inscription shall be in the churchyard or open
burial-ground, then a fee of two shillings and sixpence only.

XXII. And be it further enacted, that all and every the provi-
sions in this Act shall extend, as far as circumstances will permit,
to cathedral and collegiate churches, and chapels of colleges or
hospitals, and the bury ing-grounds belonging thereto, and to the
ministers who shall officiate in such cathedral, or collegiate
churches, and chapels of colleges or hospitals, and burial-grounds
respectively, and shall baptize, marry, or bury any person or per-

119

sons, although such cathedral, or collegiate churches, or chapels
of colleges, or hospitals, or the burying-grounds belonging thereto,
may not be parochial, or the ministers officiating therein may not
be, as such, parochial ministers, and there shall be no Churchwar-
dens or Churchwarden thereof, and in all such cases the books
hereinbefore directed to be provided, shall be provided at the ex-
pense of the body having right to appoint the officiating minister
in every such cathedral, or collegiate church, or chapel of a col-
lege or hospital, and copies thereof shall be transmitted to the
Registrar of the Diocese within which such cathedral, or collegiate
church, or chapel of a college, or hospital shall be situate, by and at
the expense of the body so having right to appoint as aforesaid, in
like manner as herein is directed with respect to copies of Parochial
Registers, and shall be attested by two of the officers of such church,
college, or hospital, as the copies of Parochial Registers are herein
directed to be attested.

THE SCHEDULES TO WHICH THIS ACT REFERS.
SCHEDULE A.

Marriages solemnized in the parish of A, in the county of B,
in the year one thousand eight hundred and

the 1 Parish Gentleman, [Son of

this] Charles Baker and Caroline his wife for-
merly Caroline Hayes, Spinster,]

the 1 Parish Spinster, [daugh-

this j ter of William Scott and Ann his wife, for-
merly Ann Walker, Spinster.] Were

. church ) by Banns 1 [parents |

married in this , , > T f Wlt " consent of \ ml __j; Qt , c j

chapel 5 Licence] I guardians J

this day of in the year, 183 .

By me, J. J. Rector.
Vicar.
Curate.
This marriage was solemni/.ed by us,

Jno. Baker.

Jane Scott.
In the presence of

A. B. C. D. E. F.

120

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121

SCHEDULE D.

Adams, William . . .34

Anson, George ... 73

Acland, Mary . . .85

Baker, John ... 32

Brown, Ann . . .84

SCHEDULE E.

I do hereby certify, that I did on the day

of haptize according to the rites of the United Church

of England and Ireland son (or daughter) of

and his wife by the name of ,

To the Rector (or as the case may be) of

I do hereby certify, that on the day of

A.B. of . [Son or daughter of

or as the case may be] aged was buried

in [stating the place of burial,] and that the ceremony of burial was

performed according to the rites of the United Church of England

and Ireland, by me,

To the Rector [or as the case may be,] of

SCHEDULE F.

To the Registrar of the Diocese of
at

JOHN SMITH, I . _* \

> Churchwardens of (or as the case may be.)
WILLIAM Cox, )

INDEX.

Acts of Parliament, 6. 11. 15.
Alley, Jerome, 9. 31.
Ashwell, Edward, 26.

Bagnio, marriage at a, 45.
Banns, first directed, 3.
Bassett, Bartholomew, 10. 37.
B y House, marriage at, 47.
Biscuit, broken, a ceremony, 58.

Castell, Robert, 1. 22.
Ceremony see Biscuit Broken.
Certificate, antedated, 45, 46. 51, 52.
Christian names, only registered,

46. 48. 50. 58. 62.
Churches, lawless described, 3.
Colton, James, 10. 34.
Contracts, per verba de praesenti, 1 .
Cooke, v. Lloyd, 86.
Crawford, Thomas, 32.
Cuthbert, Robert, 31.

D
Dare, William, 30.

Elborrow, Robert, 10 31.
Espousals, entry of, in Register, 2.

customs relating to, ib.

Excommunication for clandestine mar-
riage, 13.

Fielding, Handsome, and Duchess of

Cleveland, 37.

Fleet, origin of marriages at, 5.
Parson, convicted of forty-two

oaths, 7.

selling liquors, 59.

marrying in a night-gown,

ib.

drunk, 60.

a beggar, 36.

Parsons, list of, 25.

Fleet, an heiress married at, against
her will, 7.

wedding, engraving of, 8.

Bishop's Visitation at, 9.

Practices in the Reign of Queen

Ann, 10.

in 1723, 12.

in 1735, 13.

Marriage, legacy for, 15.

Prison, 21.

Wardens of, 22.

Chaplains, 24.

Marriages noticed by M. 1'Abbe

le Blanc, 52.

Registers, account of, 40.

purchased by Govern-

ment, 43.

extracts from, 45.
as evidence, 81.

names of persons married there,

64. 80.

Floud, John, 30.
Fox, Hon. Henry, his marriage at the

Fleet, 15.
his opposition to

Marriage Act, 16, 17, 18, 88. 100.

Gaynam, Dr., 25.

Grierson, Rev. John, transported, 96.

Guernsey, the land of matrimony, 19.

H
Hamilton, Duke of, married at May

Fair, 97, 103.
Husband, hired, 53, 54, 61. 63.

Jurisdiction, see Privileged Places.

King's Bench Prison, Registers, 93.

marriages at, 92.

Keith Alex., the famous, 97, 98.

his excommunication, 97.

his retaliation, it:.

imprisonment, it:

INDEX.

Keith, Alex, his pamphlet on the Mar-
riage Act, 99.

family, 98.

death, 98.

his catalogue of sale, 101.

Lando, James, 32. 41.

Lawraace v. Dixon, 82.

Legitimate, a child half so, 61.

Lilly, Joshua, 37.

, John, ib.

Lloyd v. Passingham, 83. 86.

v. Evans, 87.

Marriage Clandestine,

Act, Horace Walpole's ac-
count of the introduction and pass-
ing, 16, 17, 18. 88. 100.

Blackstone'sCommentaryon,

19.

. attempts to repeal, 20.

Marriage of two women, 49, 50. 61.

ceremonies at the Fleet, 58, 59.

in bed, 64.

houses, keepers of, 37.

in terrorem, 48, 63.

as far as the ring, 59.

in part, 48, 46.

^ antedated, 45, 51.

at a cook-shop. 45.

bagnio, 45.

b y house, 47.

. shoemakers, 64.

at Newgate, 45.

of woman in a shift, 48.

May Fair marriages, 96.

^ Duke of Hamilton married

there with a curtain ring, 97.
some of the persons married

there, 103.

Registers, 101.

Mint, marriages at, 92.

Registers, 93.

names of some persons married

there, 94.
Mottrara, John, his conviction, 11. 30.

Olive, Mrs. 42.
Orrell v. Madox, 83.
Owen, Thomas, 39. 42.

Panton, Benjamin, 43.

Parochial Registration, Appendix.

Parson, blind, 35. 39.

Parsons, Fleet, List of, 25.

Pasingham v. Lloyd, 83.

Personate, Men and Women hired to,

39. 49, 50.
Pocket Books of the Fleet Parsons, 46.

61.
Privileged Places, 92.

Quaker married at the Fleet, 55.

Reed v. Passer, 84.
Rogers, Nehemiah, 10. 35.

Sacrament after a Fleet Wedding, 58.
St. James's, Duke's Place, pretended

exemption, 3.
Rector sus-

pended, 3.

Savoy, Marriages at, 19. 94.

Minister and Curate transported,

96.

practices at, 95.

Say and Sele, Case of, 84.
Shadwell, Ralph, a blind Parson, 35.
Sham Certificates, 45.
Shellburn, Anthony, 35. 42.
Shift, Marriage in a, 48.
Skimmington described, 9.
Starkey, James, 31.
Symson, Peter, 29.

Trinity Minories, pretended exemption,
3.

Twisleton, v. Cockshutt, 82. 85.

Weddings, Parish, 55. 63.

Private, 47, 48. 61. 63, 64.

Wigmore, Daniel, 30.

Wilkinson, Rev. John, of the Savoy, 9.

Wyatt, Walter, 27.

. his curious memoranda,

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

REGISTRUM ECCLESLE PAROCHIALIS.

The History of Parish Registers in England ; also of the Registers
of Scotland, Ireland, the East and West Indies, &c. with Obser-
vations on Bishop's Transcripts, 8vo. 10s. 6d. (Suter, 19,
Cheapside.)

" The contents are not only highly curious, but in many instances amusing. We
may commend the book, not only as containing much that is useful in itself, but
because it suggests the necessity of a better system of registering, &c." The Times.

" The volume abounds with curious matter connected with the subject of Births,
Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials generally, and we can recommend it to the pe-
rusal of our readers as an interesting and complete History of Parisli Registers."
Gents. Mag,

LIVRE DES ANGLOIS A GENEVE,

With a few Biographical Notes, 8vo. 2*. Qd. (A verbatim copy of
the Register of Arrivals, Births, Marriages, and Burials, kept by
the Exiles in 1555, containing notices of Whittingham, Bodleigh,
John Knox, Goodman, Lever, Scory, Lawrence, Humphrey, Cover-
dale, &c.&c.) (Suter, 19, Cheapside.)

LONDON: FUINTEK BY SAMUEL BENILEY, DORSET STUEET, FLF.LT STREET.

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