Principally registers, 1667-c1777 (with some indexes, 1698-1754) and note books, 1682-1774, giving particulars of clandestine marriages and baptisms performed in the Fleet Prison, at the May Fair Chapel, at King's Bench Prison or within the Mint, as well as entries in the Fleet registers of other ceremonies performed at these places.
This series records the marriages of a significant proportion of the population of London and surrounding areas up to 1754. The 'Report of the Commission into Marriage Law' of 1868 estimated that countrywide in the first half of the eighteenth century, a third of all marriages were actually clandestine. Of these, the Fleet registers in this series are the most significant source, containing an estimated 400,000 entries representing over 200,000 weddings.
Most of the registers include the full names of the couples, their marital status, their residences (generally parishes), usually the groom's occupation, and the minister's name or initials. Some registers, however, only give Christian names. For sailors, the name of the ship is sometimes given. Some of the registers include other non-marriage related matters, whilst some may be found to contain directions to the local marriage house.
The notebooks often contain information and comments which are additional to that included in the registers, and in some cases the registers may not have survived at all. Some of the notebooks were general purpose books, and include other non-marriage related details.
Electronic images of these records can be searched online through our partner website.