This entry, from the St John Lee parish marriage register, refers to George Robson and Isabel Stephenson who were married on 5th June 1798 after Licence.
When two people are married an entry is recorded in the marriage register. Hardwick's Marriage Act of 1754 standardised the recording of information in marriage registers. The same Act ordered that a couple could only marry after banns were read or a licence had been obtained. Banns were read to the church congregation for three consecutive Sundays prior to the marriage. The reading of the banns gave any person who felt the couple should not marry an opportunity to say so. Those couples who did not want banns to be read could purchase a licence from the Bishop. After their marriage the bride and groom, and two witnesses, signed the marriage register or placed their mark [X] if they could not write. Marriage registers of St John Lee parish are deposited with Northumberland Archives Service.
