"The Archbishop of Canterbury, through his Vicar-General, issued common licences for couples to marry in any parish church or chapelry in the province of Canterbury. Common licences merely dispensed with the calling of banns on three successive Sundays.

If the couple lived in different ecclesiastical provinces (one in the Province of Canterbury and one in York Province) an application had to be made to the Master of Faculties of the Archbishop of Canterbury. These licences were known as Faculty Office licences.

As the original licences were generally handed to the parties concerned, the records which survived in the custody of the Vicar-General's Office consisted of the marriage allegations (sworn statements in application for a licence) and, until 1823 when this requirement lapsed, marriage bonds. The Vicar-General's Office also kept a calendar of licences issued. The allegations show the full names of the bride and groom, whether over 21, their respective parish, and the church for which the marriage was licensed.

The original records of the Vicar-General are kept at Lambeth Palace Library, London. Full allegations corresponding to this index are available on microfiche."
Society of Genealogists, London (1996)

Vicar-General Marriage Licences 1660-1694

1680 Apr 24 Benjamin Sterry of St Saviour's, Southwark, Surrey, Citizen & Haberdasher of London, Bachr abt 25 & Mrs Anne Wall, of Hackney, Middx, Spr, above 21, with consent of the Lord Mayor & Court of Alderman & Sir John Bancks, Bart, her guardian, her parents being dead; alleged by Edwd Ower, of Christ Church, Surrey, Gent; at St Michael, Wood Street, London

Vicar-General Marriage Licences Surname Index 1694-1850

This is an index to the surnames of couples entered in the manuscript calendars of the archepiscopal marriage licences issued by the Vicar-General's Office for the period 1 January 1694 to 31 December 1850.

From this site, it is also possible to do a free limited search of the Index to determine if any of the surnames in which you are interested are actually in the Index. To obtain the detail, the Society of Genealogists will undertake a search (by both phone and email) for a small fee.

(Note: The husband is shown first.)

BECKINGTON and STERRY 24 Feb 1696/97
#STERRY and DE LILLERS 6 May 1699
CATLED and STERREY 4 Aug 1700
GRIFFIN and STERRY 20 Jan 1702/03
STAREY and STOCKER 4 Jun 1706
AUSTEN and STERRY 18 Jan 1707/08
STERRY and COLLIER 19 Oct 1714
REYNOLDS and STERRY 9 Sep 1715
BULKELEY and STERRY 13 Feb 1715/16
STAREY and WALL 4 Dec 1717
LOVELAND and STARY 20 Mar 1721/22
STERRY and HEATH 21 May 1725
SCOTT and STERRY 8 Oct 1728
##STERRY and PIKE 16 Jul 1729
SILVESTER and STERRY 16 Nov 1739
^^STERRY and HOLLAND 18 Sep 1746
PATEY and STERRY 29 Nov 1750
WILSON and STERRY 22 Jun 1767

1751-1775

No Sterrys

1776-1800

STAREY and COLEMAN 3 Aug 1784
STAREY and GOOD 5 Aug 1785
GREEN and STAREY 26 Dec 1787
STAREY and HUGHES 26 Jan 1790
##NEWMAN and STERRY 22 Dec 1796 
STERRY and RATHBONE 4 Dec 1794

1801-1825

STAREY and HARRISON 2 Sep 1802
STAREY and MATTHEWS 29 Jul 1803
COLEMAN and STAREY 21 Dec 1816

1826-1850

COOK and STAREY 1 Jul 1829
BAWCOMB and STERREY 25 Oct 1833
DORAN and STERRY 20 Feb 1838
STARIE and THRESHER 29 Oct 1839
STERRY and LOWDEN 17 Nov 1845
##STERRY and TOURLE 1 Feb 1831
STERRY and WRIGHT 20 Aug 1827

Faculty Office of Archbishop of Canterbury at London
Marriage Licences 1543-1869

1675/6 Jan 24
Samuel Sterry of St Saviour's Southwark, co Surrey, Linen Draper, Bachr, 29 & Sarah Webb, Spr, 21, dau of William Webb, of St Mary Woolnoth, London, Gent, who consents; at St Saviour's or St George's, Southwark, or Newington, Co. Surrey

Faculty Office Marriage Licence Allegations 1701- 1850 Index

## = Southwark Sterry Line
# = Ruardean Sterry Line
^^ = Wandsworth Sterry Line