Lincolnshire Banns

Narrative

Each record will provide you with a transcript and an image of the original register. The parish registers are held at the Lincolnshire Archives. The transcripts can vary, but most will include

Name
Sex
Residence
Year
Banns date – This is one of the three banns dates
Spouse’s name
Spouse’s residence
Banns place – the place where the banns were announced
Church
County and country
Archive
Discover more about these records
Banns are the announcement of a couple’s intention to marry. They are read out in the parish church on three Sundays, three months before the intended marriage date. The announcement of banns is not a confirmation that a wedding took place. They are announced in the couple’s home parish as well as in the church where the wedding is to take place. The purpose of the banns is to allow anyone who knew of any impediment to the marriage to come forward. If there is not enough notice given to have the banns read, then the couple can be married by licence rather than by banns. Today, most Church of England parishes still require banns to be read out in church before a wedding. We have provided a full list of the Lincolnshire parish registers places to assist you with your search.

In 1538, a mandate for every parish to keep a register of life events was issued. In 1754, Hardwicke’s Marriage Act further required that the registration of marriages be kept in a separate, bound book. The register was to record the couples’ names, residences, ages, and the names of witnesses. The act also enforced the announcement of banns.

Lincolnshire is located in the east of England. The county town in Lincoln. A person from Lincolnshire is known as a Yellowbelly. There are various interpretations about the origin of this nickname, such as a species of frog found around the Lincolnshire Fens with yellow undersides. Another comes from the practice of female traders at the local market: the women would wear an apron with two pockets, one pocket for copper and silver and the other pocket for gold. If they had a good day at the market they were said to have a yellow belly. A third possible explanation is that the officers of the Royal North Lincolnshire Militia wore bright yellow waistcoats.