Find your ancestors in Liverpool marriages

What can these records tell me?

There are over 57,000 transcripts within this record set. While the amount of information available varies, most transcripts will include the following:

  • First name(s)
  • Last name
  • Marriage date
  • Church
  • Place
  • Groom’s first and last name
  • Groom’s marital status
  • Groom’s occupation
  • Groom’s parish
  • Bride’s first and last name
  • Bride’s marital status
  • Bride’s parish
  • Banns or licence

Discover more about these records

These records were provided by Liverpool and South West Lancashire Family History Society, which was established in 1976. The two churches of record for these marriages are St Anne, Richmond, which opened for services in 1772, and St Peter, Church St.

Since censuses and official birth, marriage, and death records only go back to 1837 when civil registration was instated, parish records are vital to researching your family history. The requirement for parish priests to maintain a weekly register of baptisms, marriages, and deaths began in 1538 following King Henry VIII's split from the Roman Catholic Church. A fine was put in place for failure to comply, and from 1733 onwards, entries had to be written in English instead of Latin.

Banns or licence

When available, these records detail whether a couple was married by banns or licence.

Banns were announcements made in church on three consecutive Sundays prior to the wedding date. The announcements were made to give the congregation an opportunity to voice any objection to the marriage.

However, a marriage licence could be obtained for a fee if a couple wished to waive the customary reading of the banns. There are several reasons why a couple might want to do so, such as the need to expedite the wedding date. Along with a marriage licence fee, the couples were required to sign a declaration stating that there were no lawful impediments to their marriage.