Among the laws agreed upon in England by the Proprietary for the government of the Province of Pennsylvania, was one providing for a registry of marriages, births and deaths. By virtue of this law licenses were issued by the authorities. Although the Assembly frequently declared it "the opinion of this House that the Proprietary or his Deputy Granting the Lycenses to marry is not Incident to any authority Granted them by the Royal Charter, nor warranted thereby, nor by any power that we understand they have; but the Granting of such Lycenses is Contrary to Law & of an Evil Tendency;" the practice did not fall into total desuetude until some years after the formation of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of 1790. Four volumes of these records are in existence, covering a period of not quite forty years. What has become of the earlier registers and those also kept during the Revolution, it has been impossible to ascertain.

     The license was issued from the Provincial Secretary’s office, and the date prefixed to each name is that of the issuing the same, not that of the marriage. Ministers and others performing the ceremony sent forward the penal bond properly signed, whereupon the license was issued. Accounts were kept with these persons, and from the records we glean the following names. The reader may look, perchance, for some of the celebrated clergymen of the old-time; but many of these procured their licenses through the civil magistrate, and hence do not appear in the books referred to:

1760 Alricks, Hermanus, Esq., Cumberland county


1767 Andrews, Rev. John, Lewistown, Sussex county


1762 Alsentz, George, Germantown


1742 Backhouse, Reverend


1763 Barton, Rev. Thomas, Lancaster


1742 Beckert, Rev. William


1759 Borell, Rev. Andrew, Rector at Wilmington


1760 Bordenlied, Rev. Mr.


1767 Bucher, Rev. Conrad, Carlisle


1742 Chew, Samuel, Esq.


1742 Cookson, Thomas, Esq.


1762 Craig, Rev. George, Chester


1744 Currie, Rev. William, at the Great Valley, Chester County


1742 Franberg, Rev. Peter


1768 Gircelius, Rev. Lawrence, Wilmington


1762 Gordon, Lewis, Esq., Northampton county


1766 Graham, Henry Hale, Esq., Chester


1762 Griffith, Rev. Abel, "Baptist Minister in West Bradford Township, Chester County"


1744 Griffith, Timothy, "in Penn Cador Hund’d, New Castle County


1762 Growden, Lawrence, Esq., Bucks county


1763 Hall, David, Esq., Sussex county


1743 Holt, Ryves, Esq., Lowes Town, Sussex county


1764 Huston, Rev. Alexander, "Mushmellion Hund’d, Kent county"


1762 Inglis, Rev. Charles, Dover


1764 Johnston, Samuel, Esq., York county


1743 Legat, John


1768 Long, Rev. James, "of Connecocheague in Cumberland county"


1767 McGaw(Magaw), Rev. Mr., Dover


1762 McKannon, Rev. William, "of White Clay Creek, New Castle county"


1762 McWilliams, Richard, Esq., New Castle county


1743 Mackay, John, New Castle


1760 Miller, Rev. John, "near Dover"


1763 Murray, Rev. Alexander, Reading, Berks county


1763 Neal, Rev. Mr., "of Oxford, Germantown"


1742 Noxon, Thomas, Esq.


1762 Parker, Joseph, Esq., Chester


1765 Peters, Rev. Richard, "of the city of Philadelphia"


1743 Pugh, Rev. John


1762 Read, James, Esq., Berks county


1762 Reading, Rev. Philip, "Appoquinimink Hundred, New Castle county"


1760 Reeger, Rev. Mr., Lancaster


1744 Ridgley, Nicholas, Esq.


1762 Rodgers, Rev. John, "at St. George’s, New Castle county"


1743 Ross, Rev. Aeneas, Oxford


1762 Schlatter, Rev. Michael, near Germantown


1762 Shippen, Edward, Esq., Lancaster county


1766 Spencer, Rev. Elihu, "at St. George’s, New Castle county"


1762 Steel, Rev. John, "Carlisle in Cumberland county"


1762 Stevenson, George, Esq., York county


1762 Stover, Rev. Casper, Lebanon Township, Lancaster county


1760 Sturgeon, Rev. Mr.


1762 Thompson, Rev. William, "Commissionary at York county"


1759 Unander, Rev. Mr.


1768 Van Buskirk, Rev. Jacob, Germantown


1762 Vining, John, Esq., Kent county

     Severe laws were passed in the early days of the Province against clandestine marriages, and an act of the Assembly of 1683 proposed a law for "young Men’s Marrieing at such an age". The issuing of a license was not obligatory, but was intended for those cases where the banns were not published or the marrying in church dispensed with, and as a protection to ministers and others performing the ceremonies. The forms of license issued and bond given (during the Revolutionary era) were as follows:

THE SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

Seal "to any Minister"

     "Whereas, Application hath been made to Us by _________ to be joined together in Matrimony, and there appearing no lawful Let or Impediment by Reason of Precontract, Consanguinity, Affinity, or any just Cause whatsoever, to hinder the said Marriage, THESE are therefore to license and authorize you to join the said _______ in the Bands of Matrimony, and them to pronounce Man and Wife.

"Given under the lesser Seal of the said Commonwealth, at Philadelphia, the ___ Day of ___, in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and ______.

"ATTEST:"

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