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PRINTED FOR THE RECORDS SECTION OF THE BRISTOL AND GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY I I ii This volume is issued under the terms of the legacy of the late Alfred Bruce Robinson for the printing of Bristol and Gloucestershire records. i ■J PRINTED BY JOHN BELLOWS LTD., GLOUCESTER ■ 5 FOREWORD This volume is the first of a series of Bristol and Gloucestershire records to be issued in accordance with the terms of a reversionary legacy of £5,000 to the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society by the late Mr Alfred Bruce Robinson. In leaving this sum to the society for the promotion of its objects, Mr Robinson requested that it should be devoted to the printing of the ” Marriage Allegations and Surrogate Marriage Bonds ” in the Diocesan Registries of Bristol and Gloucester, the continuation of the series of Gloucestershire Marriages ” printed by the late Mr W. P. W. Phillimore and the printing of such other parish records and registers as the Society should think fit. He also asked that full consideration and attention should be given to any suggestions made by Mr C. Roy Hudleston, F.S.A., and a copy of every publication presented to Colston’s School, Stapleton, to which Mr Robinson left his library. Mr Robinson had been a member of the Society since 1938. In collaboration with Mr C. Roy Hudleston he contributed a paper on “ Two vanished Fishponds Houses ” to volume 60 of the Society’s transactions. He was the fifth son of Alfred Robinson, of Beech wood, Fishponds, Bristol, and Emma Ellin, a daughter of Thomas Ariel Taylor. He was born at Beechwood on the 24th May, 1870, and educated at Mill Hill School. As a young man he entered the family business, but later joined the Ministry of Health and most of his life thereafter was spent away from Bristol. After his retirement, he lived at CheltenhaM and Tewkesbury, towns to which he was much attached, and did considerable research work in the Gloucester Probate Registry and Consistory Court. He married twice, but his only child, a daughter by his first wife, died young. His friend, Mr C. Roy Hudleston (to whom with Mr Cyril Clarke, I am indebted for these biographical notes) writes of him as “ kind, with a keen sense of humour and a great devotion to Gloucestershire, and an attractive personality which endeared him to his friends.” He died on the 1st March, 1943, and was buried at Stoke Orchard. Research workers and others interested in the publication of the records of Bristol and Gloucestershire are under a debt of gratitude to Mr Robinson, for it is impossible to exaggerate the value of his intentions. Without this generous legacy it would not have been possible for the Society to have contemplated such a comprehensive extension of its printing activities. The legacy was payable by instalments, the first having been received in 1948, following the death of his widow, and the last in 1951. In order to carry out the terms of the legacy, the Society has appointed a Records Section under its own executive committee. The present volume was transcribed by the late Mr Denzil Hollis. His sudden death in December, 1950, before the manuscript had been sent to the printer, was a sad and unexpected blow, and the Society is very much indebted to Miss Elizabeth Ralph, F.S.A., for seeing the volume through the press. Preparations for printing the next volume of the series—Gloucester Marriage Bonds, 1620-1700, transcribed by Mr Brian Frith, are well advanced, and it is hoped that this volume will be ready for issue next year. Wilfrid Leighton. General Editor. 1 J1 BRISTOL AND GLOUCESTERSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY RECORDS SECTION Committee, 1951-1952 Mrs Margaret Sharp, M.A., Ph.D. (Chairman) Miss Joan Evans, D.Litt., F.S.A. T. Hannam-Clark, D.L. Mrs Dina Dobson-Hinton, M.A., Litt. D., F.S.A. A. R. Wagner, M.A., F.S.A. F. S. Wallis, D.Sc., F.G.S. Hon. W. R. S. Bathurst, Honorary Treasurer Wilfrid Leighton, F.S.A., Hon. General Editor Honorary Secretary : Miss Elizabeth Ralph, F.S.A., Council House, Bristol 1. INTRODUCTION The Bonds were in the custody of the Bristol Diocesan Registry until 1951 when they were transferred to the City Archives Department, Bristol. The earliest bond extant is dated 8th March, 1637. One other bond for this year exists, two for the year 1638, one for 1641 and one for 1642. There is then a gap until 1660, for which year 29 bonds have survived. The average number of bonds for each subsequent year until the end of the 17th century is 130, but the bundles for some years during the period are missing. The bonds continue until the nineteenth century, when in 1837 affidavits, giving approximately the same information, take their place. The allegations do not begin until 1729 and for some years are attached to the bonds, but from 1746 onwards they form separate bundles. Abstracts of the bonds to the end of 1686 have been printed by the late Mr A. E. Fry as a supplement to Gloucestershire Notes and Queries, 1904-1914. These abstracts give only the names of the parties and their parishes and do not include the occupation of the bridegrooM or the names of the bondsmen. In the preface to the printed abstracts, Mr Fry states that he sorted the bonds into years and numbered them. Unfortunately the change of calendar of 1752 was not remembered and so the bonds covering the period January to March of every year are not in strict chronological order. In this volume, however, the bonds have been printed in chronological order, the number of the bond added at the end of each entry. The condition of the bonds varies greatly. Some are in good condition but others have suffered from damp and are very fragile. When a licence for marrying without the proclamation of banns was granted by the Bishop or those duly appointed by him for that purpose, a form, known as a Marriage Licence Bond, was filled up by the contracting parties and their surety or bondsman, and deposited with the registrar. It must not be assumed that these marriage bonds are evidence that the marriage took place, they merely prove that a licence was in each case granted. Marriage bonds have an interest peculiar to theM selves in that they show the social status of the contracting parties and of the bondsmen, and also give the place where the marriage is to be held. To economise space, some abbreviations have been used ; the words parish of have been omitted and also the word of. The conditions bachelor and spinster have been omitted and may be assumed unless otherwise noted. When not otherwise specified, the parishes given are all in Bristol. Elizabeth Ralph ujmumv ABBREVIATIONS Bdm. = bondsman. co. = county of gent. = gentleman. W = widow or widower. X = indicates the person marks. I BRISTOL MARRIAGE LICENCE BONDS 1637 [ ? ] 20. WilliaM Browne, [ ? ] and [ ? ] Wilshire, St. John : at Stapleton, St. Werburgh or St. John. (2) 1637/8 Mar. 8. WilliaM x Hollister, St. Philip, carpenter, and Alice Wilkes, Bedminster : Bdm. Josiah Dolling, St. Philip, yeoman, and Thomas Wilkes, Bedminster, mariner : at St. Philip. (i) 1638/9 Mar. 16. Thomas Munday, Christchurch, [ ? ], and Elizabeth Hewes, Temple : Bdm. Nicholas Minett, Temple, clothier : at Temple. (1) Mar. 20. WilliaM Wright, St. Stephen, plumber (plommer), and Joanc Browne, St. Stephen : Bdm. Edmond Ellis, St. James, whitawer : at St. Stephen. (2) 1641 Nov. 8. George x Briant, St. Stephen, pilot (pylat), and Joan Eyton, Clifton, W. : Bdm. William Addams, St. Augustine, rope maker : at St.*Mary [ ? ], Bristol. 1642/3 Jan. 26. John Rice, St. Augustine, farmer, and Ellen Shutt, St. Michael, W. : Bdm. Thomas Townsend, Cathedral Precincts, broad weaver : at St. Augustine. 1660 Oct. 20. Theophilus Hodges, Shepton Mallett, Som., [ ? yeoman], and Joan Naile, Bristol, W. : Bdm. WilliaM x Haynes, Bristol, yeoman : at Cathedral. (19) Oct. 24. Philip Hewson, Southampton, Hants, shipwright, and Urslie Barber, St. Mark alias Le Gaunts : Bdm. Richard Fettigate, Bristol, clothworker : at St. Augustine or St. Mark. (20) Oct. 25. Edward Nelson, Bristol, baker (pinsor), and Ann Erbery, Bristol : Bdm. Thomas x Bradford, Bristol, shoemaker : at Temple. (10) 5 1660 BRISTOL MARRIAGE LICENCE BONDS Oct. 27. WilliaM x Bower, Slimbridge, Glos., broad weaver, and Joan Crosse, Slimbridge, W. : Bdm. Giles Hall, Slimbridge, yeoman : at St. John. (28) Oct. 31. George Moore, Thombury, baker, and Ursula Whitfield, Thornbury: Bdm. John Lucar, Thornbury, farmer : at Christchurch. (12) Nov. 1. John Veale, Chew Magna, Som., farmer and Mary Vcale, Chew Magna : Bdm. Thomas Veale, Bristol, watchmaker : at St. Thomas or Temple. (2) Nov. 28. Thomas Linton, St. Stephen, vintner (vinarius) and Ann Clare, St. Nicholas : Bdm. Benjamin Snacknell, St. Nicholas, cooper : at St. Leonard, St. Nicholas, St. Stephen or St. John (13) Dec. I. WilliaM Walter, Horfield, gent., and Martha Barrow, Bream, par. of Newland : Bdm. Toby Goodacre, Bristol : at any church within the diocese of Bristol.