England, Yorkshire, Allertonshire, Marriage Bonds and Allegations - FamilySearch Historical Records

This collection consists of marriage bonds and allegations from Allertonshire Peculiar for the years 1667-1819.

What is in the Collection?
This collection contains images of various records relating to the marriage licensing process. The original records are held in the University of Durham Library.

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 * Allertonshire Peculiar:A peculiar is an area that is exempted from the jurisdiction of the bishopric in which it lies and is administered by another diocese. In this case, Allertonshire is a region of Yorkshire which is administered by the Diocese of Durham rather than by the Diocese of York. The collection includes the following parishes:

What Can This Collection Tell Me?
Following is a list of the information normally found in these records. Keep in mind that some records may contain more or less information than this, as record-keeping practices varied by time and place.

Marriage Bond or Allegation Records may include:
 * Names of the marriage partners
 * Ages of the marriage partners
 * Occupations of the marriage partners
 * Marital statuses (whether single or widowed)
 * Parish of residence
 * Sometimes where the marriage was to take place
 * Sometimes a parent’s name or signature
 * If either of the marriage partners was a minor, the name of the parent or guardian who was consenting to the marriage

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching, it is best to know the following information: As you search, compare your results with this information to find a match.
 * Name of the person
 * Year of the marriage

View the Images

 * 1) Go to the 
 * 2) Click on the correct Year link
 * 3) Click on the Durham University Reference Number link to go to the image viewer
 * 4) Use the onscreen controls to move between images as you look for a match

I Found the Person I Was Looking for, What Now?

 * Copy down all the information you see in the image.
 * Cite the record. See below for help citing records in this collection.
 * Be careful using the listed age to estimate a birth year. Rather than listing actual ages, clerks often wrote in 21 as the age of both the bride and groom to show that they each were of legal age.
 * Use what you have found to find the person in parish registers.

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking for, What Now?

 * When looking for a person with a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which individual is correct. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to determine which candidate is the correct person. If listed, a personal title may be a clue to property ownership or occupation, either of which might be noted in other records.
 * Check for variants of given names and surnames. For much of the period of this collection, spelling was not standardized; pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation. Individuals might also have been listed under a middle name, nickname, or abbreviation of their given name.
 * Vary the search terms. For example, search by either the given name or surname to return broader list of possible candidates which can then be examined for matches. Alternatively, try expanding the date range.
 * Search the records of nearby parishes. While most people in this period never lived more than 20 miles from their place of birth, moves within this distance were common. For this collection, bordering locations could include other parishes in Yorkshire outside Allertonshire or certain parishes in County Durham to the north.

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Collection Citation

Image Citation

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