Marrying at Gloucester Cathedral rather than in the FOD (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Monday, February 19, 2024, 19:39 (68 days ago) @ Bradley Tingle

Hi Donna,
I readily admit to not knowing too much about marriage licences, hopefully others in the forum can help out here. I do find it curious they had a licence to marry at Newland (which altho' sometimes described as "the cathedral of the Forest", this is only because of it's size and beauty, in official terms I believe it was only ever a parish Church), and also Gloucester Cathedral no less !!, which I believe was a major honour, but why ?? - especially as your findings suggest they were of fairly typical Forest background. All very curious, this is what intrigues me most about their story.

As for them making the journey to Gloster, don't forget that in those days the waterways and rivers were the main transport highways of the world, long before canals and then railways. it would have been a very easy journey to Gloster up the Severn from say Newnham or Broadoak, busy river ports since Norman times with plenty of river traffic to cadge a ride on - especially if they were (perhaps) living in the groom's Littledean/Flaxley area. In those times Gloster was a thriving port, with a customs house since the late 1500s, taking international traffic from Bristol (a major UK sea port at the time) and also local goods further upstream into the Midlands and way beyond.

Yes, I agree, on the face of it their marriage in Gloucester suggests an elopement, or at the very least a desire to keep the precise date a secret - perhaps they'd been living together in Newland area prior to the wedding, and were seen as already being "respectfully married".

Thanks, J.