st be given, so that they can be published on
three Sundays, before the ceremony, in the parish or parishes where
the intending bride and bridegroom live at the time. If the wedding is
to take place elsewhere the clergyman who has published the banns
signs a certificate to that effect, which must be given to the one in
whose church the service is performed. If wrong names are wilfully
given in, with intent to deceive, the {82} publication of banns is
invalid, and the marriage will be null and void. If only one party be
guilty of fraud in this respect the proceedings are legal. Unless the
couple are married within three months of the publication of their banns
they must be republished or a licence procured. One object of these
restrictions is to check runaway matches, and to ascertain whether the
parties are of legal age, or are marrying with proper consent from
parents or guardians. A marriage may be performed in a church without
banns on production of a registrar's certificate. I know of a runaway
couple who were married in church as soon as their parents found out
that they had been before the registrar.

Licences.

These are of two kinds, the common and the special. A common licence
is given by the archbishop or bishop, and can be obtained in London at
the Faculty Office, 23 Knightrider's Street, Doctors' Commons, E.C.,
or at the Vicar-General's Office, 3 Creed Lane, Ludgate Hill, E.C.,
between the hours of 10 A.M. and 4 P.M., on all week days, except
Saturday, when they close at 2 P.M. Licences from these two places are
available for use in any part of England or Wales. They cost thirty
shillings, with an extra twelve and sixpence for stamps. In order to
prevent fraud, no licence can be given till one of the parties has
made a declaration on oath that there is no legal impediment to the
marriage, and that one of them has lived for fifteen days in the
parish or district where the wedding is to take place. This last
restriction is often evaded by the bridegroom's taking a bedroom in
which he possibly sleeps one night, and where he is represented by a
bag containing--stones, or a collar, if he likes.

Those licences obtained from the bishop's diocesan registry can only
be used in the diocese where they are issued. They cost from L1, 15s.
to L2, 12s. 6d., according to the diocese. The vicar or rector of any
parish will give full particulars as to how they are to be obtained in
country places.

The Special Licen