Read more -> https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Marriage_Allegations,_Bonds_and_Licences_in_England_an...

This gave me their ages, John's occupation, place of residence etc.- Bachelor/Spinster- which I found helpful as well as interesting - as the marriage record - 9 April 1777 - at Lydney - doesn't give their ages or occupation of John - and also he signed the Marriage Licence (which showed me he could write)

Where I've put in Italic print - this is where the handwritten entry has been put - the rest has been printed.....

Eighth Day of March 1777

On which Day appeared perfonally John WICKENDEN of the Parish of Awre in the County of Glocefter, Yeoman and, being sworn on the Holy Evangelifts, Alledged and made Oath, that he is of the Age of Twenty Two Years and upwards, and a Batchelor and that he intends to Marry with Ann STEPHENS of the Parish of Lidney in the County and Diocefe of Glocefter, Spinster and Twenty one Years and upwards' and that he knoweth of no lawful Lett, or Impediment, by reason of any Pre-contract, Confanguinity, Affinity, or any other caufe whatsoever, to hinder the said intended Marriage; and that he prayed a Licence to solemnize the said Marriage in the Parish Church of Lidney the said John WICKENDEN further made Oath that this said Ann Stephens hath had been usual Abode for the Space of Four Weeks laft paft.

Jn WICKENDEN

Let Licence pafs as prayed

This is exactly the same wording for his Son's Banns in 1811

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Marriage Allegations, Bonds & Licences in England & Wales

'BOND: Until 1823 an applicant for a licence also had to sign a bond, by which he would incur a monetary penalty if it was found that there was a legal impediment to the marriage. The bonds were also usually kept by the licence-issuing authority.'

I do have a copy of these Marriage Bonds of my family (from Wiltshire with connections to Gloucestershire) in 1811 - with quite a few signatures at the end of the document. In this case my x Grandmother was a Widow - who married in a previous County.

On 30 June 1837, two Acts of Parliament became law: the Marriage Act 1836, and the Registration Act 1836 (6&7 Will. 4 c86). By these two Acts, covering Births, Deaths and Marriages, the Guardians were directed to provide a register office and to appoint Registrars of Births and Deaths. The Marriage Act provided the opportunity, for the very first time, of marrying with a civil ceremony

From 1st July 1837, births and deaths were meant to be registered in the area or district in which they took place, in addition to being recorded at the church if a baptism or burial was performed there. Sometimes the event was registered in a neighbouring district.