top of page

Banns of Marriage

An exploration of what was involved with the banns of marriage

Were you or anyone you know subject to the reading of the banns before marriage?


During the Georgian era, the calling of banns was the most acceptable way to prepare for marriage.


Unless someone needed to rush a wedding (ie late term pregnancy) or hide the intent to marry until after the ceremony (ie there are ample impediments to the marriage), obtaining a license was unlikely. There were plenty of legitimate reasons why someone might obtain a license, such as wanting to marry outside of one’s parish, perhaps in the location they met or in the church of a relative who could not travel for a wedding, or just because one could afford to do so and wanted to flaunt that fact. Generally speaking, marriage by license was extraordinarily rare.


The banns were the way to go! But the banns weren’t as simple as you might think, nor were they called for the reasons you might think.


The process included a few steps:

  • The couple to be married would need to apply to their parish church’s cleric at least seven days before wanting the first of the three banns read. The more in advance, the better, especially since the clergyman might have a lot on his agenda and need more time (or if he said no).

  • The couple must obtain their parish clergyman’s agreement to officiate the wedding, or if the couple is from separate parishes, they must obtain one of the clergyman’s agreements to officiate but both clergyman’s agreements to read the banns in the separate churches.

    • Every clergyman is different, of course, so some may need to be convinced by the couple that marriage is the best option for them, while others may agree without question.

  • Banns would only be read at the church parish of residency, which had to be proven before the clergy would agree to read the banns.

    • "Residency" meant residing for at least four weeks in that parish. If the couple resided in separate parishes, the banns would be read in both parish churches.


So, what were the banns, and why were they read?


The purpose of reading banns was to provide ample opportunity for parishioners to oppose the marriage if just impediments existed. These were not announcements, intentions, celebrations or anything of the sort. Banns provide three weeks for parishioners to oppose the marriage.


Banns would be read three Sundays in a row to ascertain if there were any impediments to the marriage. Those wishing to file an impediment charge had those three weeks in which to act, after which time, their ability to file a charge expired.


Following the successful completion of the reading, the couple could marry within the church that the banns were read (and only in that location, nontransferable) within three months of the banns being read and between the hours of 8am to 12pm.


If the location of the wedding changed or if the wedding did not take place within the next three months, the banns would need to be read all over again for another consecutive three weeks, which, yes, meant seeking the clergyman’s permission all over again.


The banns read thusly:


"I publish the banns of marriage between [bride or groom name] of the Parish of [name] and [bride or groom name] of this Parish. This is the [first, second, or third] time of asking. If any of you know cause or just impediment why these two persons should not be joined together in Holy Matrimony, ye are to declare it."


For more detail: https://www.paullettgolden.com/post/special-license


bottom of page