Wales Marriage Bonds

Wales Marriage Bonds

The National Library of Wales holds over 90,000 Welsh marriage bonds, covering the years 1616 to 1837.

Step 1. Identify which diocese the bride and groom lived in.

 * Bangor: 1757-1931
 * Brecon / Aberhonddu: 1661-1867
 * Llandaf: 1665-1941
 * St Asaph / Llanelwy: 1690-1938
 * St David's / Tyddewi : 1661-1867

Step 2. Search the free online index

 * Go to the National Library of Wales website
 * Search from the main page for either the bride's or groom's given name and surname
 * Watch the left side of the page and scroll down to the "Collection" section and look for "Marriage Bonds" and click on that link to filter the search result list
 * You may also try a search for name of the bride or groom and the name of the parish where they lived and look for "Marriage Bonds" in the search results

Step 3. Make note of any possible index matches

 * Be sure to copy all the index details for the bride and groom carefully. This information can be used to obtain a copy of the original document.

Step 4. Obtain a copy of the record using the index references.
You can order a copy of the document from The National Library of Wales

Free images are available on FamilySearch in the browse collection Wales Court and Miscellaneous Records, 1542-1911 for:
 * Bangor
 * St Asaph
 * St Davids

Step 5. Add new details to your notes
Add the new details learned from the marriage licensing documents to your note keeping system and share it with others. Be sure to document where the new information came from.

Additional Details
Most marriages in Wales could only take place after:


 * either banns were read out in the parish church, where the wedding was due to take place, on three consecutive weeks. This announced the couples' intention to marry
 * or a licence was granted to the couple by the appropriate ecclesiastical authority. In order to obtain a licence the couple had to make an allegation, a document in which the couple, or sometimes just the groom, declared that there were no impediments to the marriage. Additionally, a marriage bond was signed which set a financial penalty on the groom and his bondsman (usually a relative or close friend). If the the allegation should prove to be false, this sum was forfeited. The sums involved were usually set deliberately high and so licences tended to be only used by relatively wealthy families. Church law stipulated that the marriage bond should state where the marriage would take place and, on some occasion, a choice of more than one parish is given.