I am recording Marriage Banns for UK, England, Middlesex—Parish Registers, 1539–1988

SusanCarbineJohnson

I have come across a Banns record that has the names of the Groom and Bride but there are not three consecutive week dates. The first week is recorded but the second and third week dates are blank. On Banns you are supposed to record the third week date as the date of the marriage. Since there is only one date and it is the first week, should I record it or mark blank?

Melissa S Himes

You should index the most recent date on the bann, even if it is the first. The General Indexing Guidelines for this project include:

• If a document includes the dates of marriage banns proclaimed and of the actual marriage or date the marriage was solemnized, type only the marriage date. If a document has only the dates of marriage banns, type the latest (usually the third) date of banns in the marriage date fields.

The latest date (most recent date) may only be the first date.

Even if the couple changed their minds, it is still part of their journey. This is why we also index dates on marriage licenses when no marriage date is recorded.

Dellory Matthews

Personally, I'd index that date.

SusanCarbineJohnson

Thank you for your response. After pondering the problem for a while, I decided to leave it blank because maybe the couple changed their minds or decided to postpone it. Someone with more experience than I will relook at the data so they may make a different decision.

Dellory Matthews

It's up to the researcher (rather than the indexer) to take the information on a record and interpret it. If we want researchers to see this record, a date would be quite helpful.

SusanCarbineJohnson

Thank you all so much.

sheila13

Banns do not always mean that the marriage took place. You should only add the actual

marriage date. Sometimes even three dates of banns do not mean that the marriage took place.

Melissa S Himes

Whether the marriage takes place or not, you usually index a date! The field helps will have a priority list to help you determine what date to use. The field helps most often tell us that if there is no marriage date to use the most recent bann date or the date on the license. Field Helps are accessed by clicking on the purple question marks that appear when we click on an entry field.

It is up to the researcher to determine if and when the marriage took place.