The Marriage of Joseph and Nancy Swarbrick: Marriage Bond

Know all Men by these Presents, that We
Joseph Swarbrick of Nateby in the Parish of Garstang in the County of Lancaster and Edward Bibby of Kirkland of the Parish of Garstang in the County of Lancaster, pattern drawer are held and firmly bound unto the Right Reverend Father in God Henry William by divine permission Lord Bishop of Chester, in two hundred Pounds of good and lawful Money of Great Britain, to be paid to the said Right Reverend Father, or his certain Attorney, his Executors, Administrators or Assigns: To which Payment, well and truly to be made, We oblige ourselves, and each of us, by himself, for the whole, our, and each of our Heirs, Executors and Administrators firmly by these Presents, Sealed with our seals. Dated the Eighth Day of May in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Six.

The condition of this Obligation is such, that if there shall not hereafter appear any lawful Let or Impediment, by reason of any Pre-contract, Consanguinity, Affinity, or any other just Cause whatsoever, but that the above bounden Joseph Swarbrick of Nateby aged Twenty eight years, and Nancy Swarbrick of Kirkland in the Parish of Garstang in the County of Lancaster aged Twenty years years (sic), may lawfully marry together; and that there is not any Suit depending before any Judge Ecclesiastical or Civil, for or concerning any such Precontract; and that the Consent of the Parents, or others the Governors of the said Parties, be thereunto first had and obtained, and that they cause their said Marriage to be openly Solemnized in the Face of the Parish Church Garstang of Parish Garstang in the County of Lancaster within the Archdeaconry of Richmond, in the Diocese of Chester, between the Hours of Eight and Twelve in the Forenoon, and do and shall save harmless and keep indemnified the above-named Lord Bishop, his Commissary, his Surrogates, and all other his Officers, for and concerning the Premises, then this Obligation to be void or else in Force.

On the Eighth day of May in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and six
Joseph Swarbrick aged Twenty Eight years and upwards, appeared personally and alledged that he intended to marry with Nancy Swarbrick within named, aged Twenty years, years (sic); and that he knoweth of no lawful let or impediment, by reason of any Pre-contract, Consanguinity, Affinity, or any other lawful cause whatsoever, to hinder the said intended Marriage of the truth of which he made oath and he also made oath that the usual place of his abode hath been for four weeks last past at Nateby in the Parish of Garstang in the County of Lancaster with the Archdeaconry of Richmond in the Diocese of Chester.

NOTES:
1:	In the above transcript, the sections in italics represent the portions written by hand. The remainder of the document was pre-printed.
2:	The above information is taken from the Marriage Bond held at the Lancashire Archives in Preston.