THE FLE E T R E G I S E T R S. COMP RI SING THE emor of lm m y fi M arriages, AN D SOME ACCOU N T OF PARSONS - THE AND MARRIAGE HOUSE KEEPERS, WITH EXTRACTS FROM THE REGISTERS T O WHICH ARE ADDED NOTICES OF THE MAY FAIR MIN , T , AND SAVOY CHAPE LS, AN D a n a ppeal “: RELATING TO PAROCHIAL REGISTRATION . Muc ma be and m uch has been sai oth for and a ainst this Innovation u on h y , , d, b g p ” — on the Marria e Act. our ancient Laws and Constitution . Blackstone g BY JOHN SOUT HE RDE N BURN , AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF PARISH REGISTE RS . L OND O N PUBLI HED BY RIVIN TONS S PA L’ HUR H YARD G T . U C C S , S ; H E RY BUTTERWORTH 7 FLEET TREET AND N , , S ; ED WARD UTER 1 9 CHEAP ID E S , , S . D X M CCCX XIII . J K TO JOH N WILK S, E SQ. M. P. C H AI R MAN O F T H E P AR L I AME NTAR Y C O MM ITT E E ON THE S A OF PAROCH IAL R GISTRA ION T TE E T , TO WHOSE EXERTIONS TH E COUNTRY IS INDEBTED FOR THAT IMPORTANT INQUIRY , T H E SE P AG E S AR E D E D I C AT E D AS A MARK OF RE SPECT T BY HE AUTHOR. P R E FA C E . I N oll tin m at rials for a istor of arish ist r s the c ec g e H y P Reg e , Author first had o ccasio n to refer to the Registers of the Marriages solem nized at the Fleet ; since that tim e he has m ad a r m inut xamination o f th m and the follo in e ve y e e e , w g pages contain so m e o f the m ost curio us particulars con rnin the i st rs and the arti s o nn c t d ith th m ce g Reg e p e c e e w e . It is untro dden gro und indeed hitherto few perso n s were a ar o f the xist n e o f su h ords and f r still w e e e c c Rec , ewe kno w x nt and im o their e te p rtance . itho u t dis ussin th ir alidit a s a u li ecord an W c g e v y P b c R , d witho ut attem pting to place them upon the sam e footing in r s t to id n as a ari sh ist r it m ust be e pec ev e ce P Reg e , allo wed to them that they have been occasionally adm itted as E v i dence in the Co urts of Ni si Prius ; and al tho ugh within th e last thirty years they have been gen erally (tho ugh not unifo rm l re ected et th un u stiona l y) j , y ey q e b y contain the r o rd of m an tho usands of m arria s of hi h n ec y ge , w c o other evidence i s to be fo und . T he Author has had som e di fficulty in com pressing within a sm all Volum e the inform ation relative to the Fleet Regis t r s itho ut nt rin full u on the La w o f arria e , w e e g y p M ge, a nd giving an account of the Marriages at the different Episco pal and Dissenting Chapels which were in existence r 1 4 h s olum ino us r t prio to 75 . He a v transc ip s fro m regi ster s o f marriages solemnized at such chapels supplied by inform a P R E FAC E . tion obtained fro m an exam inatio n o f th e a ffida vits m a d e u o a li ation of the arti s for li n s to m arr an d p n pp c p e ce ce y , ( which are preserved in th e Re gi stry o f the Bishop o f ondon and from notifi ations o f m arria es in the u li c L ,) c g p b o urnal s o f the riod from hi h he ill be at all ti m e s j pe , w c w F happy to affo rd inform atio n . rom the circum sta nce th a t o ut of the i ht or nin t ha ls in and a out ondo n e g y e y c pe b L , o nly fo urteen of the Registers rem ain (som e o f which a re h s r of n r in ri at hands t s oll c tion a e o sid a l al u e . p v e ), e e c e c e b e v H i than s re s eciall due to ohn Sh h d E s th e s a ar . k e p y J ep , q Deputy Registrar o f the Co nsistory Co urt of th e Bish o p o f ondon for fr and on tinu d a ess to the l L , ee c e cc F eet t e i h . an l s n oo s t d . o o s . an S. fo r B k ; Rev D e Ly , F R A , m any curio u s extrac ts from old newspapers and to Charles G o r Y o un E s . Y o r rald i strar o f the Coll e e ge g q k He , Reg eg of rm s fo r his ind assistan in r in th A , k ce p epar g ese pages for publication . 25 Tokenfwuse Ya rd Lot/zbw , , y , 3rd October , 1833. C O N T E N T S. CHAPTER I . ’ ’ - Of Cland stin arria s. St. am s s uk s la and e e M ge J e , D e P ce, ’ rinit inori s. The Fl t rison . i h o s i i i n T y, M e ee P B s p V s tat o — — th r . x om m uni ation . rri Of h H n nr e e E c c Ma age t e o . He y Fox . — — ’ Th e arria Ac t osition to it. l c ston s Com m n r M ge . Opp B a k e e ta y upon it 1 CHAPTER II. Th e Fl et rison ard ns and Cha lains e P , W e , p CHAPTER III. Clergym en who perform ed Marriages at th e Fleet ; and the nam s Of som of the rsons wh o t arria -hous s and t d e e pe kep M ge e , ac e as Clerks 25 CHAPTER IV. — The Fleet Books Their transm ission to the custody of th e — ish o o f ondon. xtra ts &c . &c . 40 B p L E c , CHAPTER V. Th e Fleet Registers as Evidence CHAPTER VI. ’ arria s at the in s n h rison int a o and Ma M ge K g Be c P , M , S v y, y Fair 92 appenhtx ON PAROCHIAL REGISTRATION a 21. Sin the 2nd Cha t r ass d throu h the r ss the P ge ce p e p e g p e , nam e of another Warden Of the Fleet has been discov ered in th e notice of the following petition to Parliam ent . l In th e 14 H en VI. the Duke of G oucester presented a peti tion to th e arliam nt from lard Fun itiz in d l f P e A k, C e an tail our o ” " ondon statin that one illiam Venour Warde n f h L , g, W y o t e rison of the Fl t had in his in a rison r all d i rs P e e, keep g p e c e P e a n nri son D uchem n and had rou ht him for th M y He ck , a , b g be e e han llor in the ourt of han r at stm inst r in th rm C ce to C C ce y We e , e te ” ’ i h in the xii th ar of H is a st r i n of Se nt Jo an. j ye M je y s e g ; but the said ri on r for d fants Of ke in e and thur h ne cli n p s e e p g , g ge c e f his r v oid d and nte out of th e Chaunce r int o kepe , e we ye o th e ” — ' Se ntuar e of We stm n stre &c . &c. Mw el P eti i y y y , km eow t o ns in r e w r o P a lia ment in th To e f London .