Wednesday 28 March 2012

Ancestry: Victoria Cross and London marriage records

Two big releases from Ancestry - the London and Surrey, England, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1597-1921 and UK, Victoria Cross Medals, 1857-2007. Here's some blurb from the site:

About London and Surrey, England, Marriage Bonds and Allegations, 1597-1921 
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=2056
This database contains marriage allegations and bonds created by individuals applying for marriage licenses in parishes in the Diocese of Winchester (Surrey) and the Diocese of London, England.

Historical Background
Before civil registration began in 1837, most people in England during the timespan of these records married by banns or by license, as required by law. The process of requesting a license included providing a written allegation stating a couple’s intent to marry and asserting that there were no legal obstacles to the marriage. From 1604 until 1823, the allegation was made sure by bond. Two witnesses, one of them typically the groom, swore to the bond, which would be forfeit if the claims of the allegation proved false and a legal impediment to the marriage, such as consanguinity, arose.

Marriage allegations and bonds often exist where licenses don’t because, while the license was given to a member of the wedding party to present to the officiant at the ceremony, the allegation stayed with the authority who issued it. What Is in the Records

This database contains marriage allegations and bonds from parishes in the Diocese of Winchester (Surrey) and the Diocese of London. Marriage allegations typically listed the following details:
  • groom (name, age, marital status, occupation, parish)
  • bride (name, age, marital status, parish)
  • parish where the marriage was to take place
  • Minors might list father, mother, or guardian. Ages sometimes indicated only that the party was 21 or older.

About UK, Victoria Cross Medals, 1857-2007
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/db.aspx?dbid=2483
This database lists names, gravesites, and other details for recipients of the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest award for valour “in the face of the enemy.” Since the Victoria Cross was first awarded to honor acts of valour during the Crimean War, the medal has had more than 1,350 recipients. This database provides details on all medals awarded up to the year 2007, including the results of extensive research on the final resting places of the recipients. Records typically include
  • name
  • last known rank and unit
  • location and description of deed
  • birth date
  • death date
  • place of burial (as applicable)
  • description of memorial (as applicable)

Pages include photographs for most of the medal recipients as well. When photos of the individual were not available, other related photos have been included, such as pictures of the gravesite or medal. Records are organized by the date on which the award was given rather than the date on which the meritorious action took place.

(Thanks to @ancestryUK)

Chris

British GENES on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES and Twitter @chrismpaton

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