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London, Clandestine Marriages in the Chapel and Rules of the Fleet Prison 1680-1754 Volumes 1-3

Transcripts of the registers of clandestine marriages which took place in and around the Fleet Prison in London between 1678 and 1754.
Mark Herber describes the fascinating history of these marriages and presents transcripts of eight of the registers and four of the notebooks, which include marriages (and some baptisms) from 1678-1679, 1707-1709, 1716-1719, 1726-1730, 1734 and 1736-1754.
He also describes the evidence for Fleet marriages contained in settlement examinations of the poor.
Most people using the Fleet wanted a short legal ceremony without the cost and delay of banns or marriage licences. But some others wanted secrecy - a true clandestine marriage - like Robert Williams, who married in the Fleet in 1717. The Reverend Henry Gower performed the ceremony and noted in the register that the marriage should 'not be discovered' until Robert had completed his apprenticeship.
The registers are published with the author's explanatory notes, page references for the original documents held at the National Archives, and an index of places and of surnames.