Some Commonwealth marriages

During the English Civil War and Commonwealth period between 1653 – 1660, births, marriages and deaths were poorly kept and those recorded by civil officers, confusingly called Parish Registers, in place of the dispossessed clergy, seldom survive. An exception is at Marshfield where a Justice of the Peace John Gostlett presided over the district. Many couples came to be married from the surrounding villages, near and far. His first marriage was on 4.1.1653/4 and thereafter he married all the couples, except on one occasion when the officiating officer (15.1.1656/7) was from an important local family, Samuel Codrington of Dodington, also a JP. John Gostlett’s last marriage was on 7.9.1657 when he was succeeded by a curate, Mr John Hopwood. Alas, Rev Hopwood reverted to the norm, not stating where the couples came from.

Guy Pope & Margery Saunders, both of Almondsbury, 4.1.1653

Benjamin Gay of Siston & Ann Wadman of Bitton, banns, 6.4.1654

John Palmer & Sibell Tyler, both of Bitton, 7.7.1654

John Jones & Sarah Willis, both of Bitton, 7.7.1654

Gabriel Rudman & Rebecca Creede, both of Bitton, 3.8.1654

Joseph Jefferies of Siston & Ann Lewen of same, 11.9.1654

Edward Lashley, Bitton &  Ann Parker, Siston Pucklechurch (sic) 14.9.1654

Isaac Brittan & Elizabeth Batman, both of Bitton, 2.10.1654

Samuel Davies & Joan Trippatt, both of Bitton, 1.2.1654

Stephen Browne & Joane Simmons, of Westerleigh, 12.2.1654

Robert Fry & Elinor Burton both of Dyrham 26.2.1654/5

Edmond Crewe & Katherine Dolman, both of Bitton, 16.4.1655

Richard Attwood of Mangotsfield & Sarah Hathway, Siston, 26.4.1655

Bartholomew Rhymer & Martha Seede, both of Bitton, 1.5.1655

Samuel Harvey & Rebecca Crowe of Bitton 4.6.1655

William Kyte & Frances Bright, both of Bitton, 6.6.1655

Christopher Smart & Sarah Reeves, both of Pucklechurch 25.6.1655

Thomas Batman & Elizabeth Davis, both of Bitton, 7.8.1655

Tobias Reede & Ann Bayley, both of Bitton, 5.9.1655

John Bye of Kingsweston, Henbury & Ann Salmon of Colerne, 2.10.1655

John Greenway of Bitton & Mary England, 4.10.1655

Richard Witherlie & Grace Sampson both of Henbury, 3.11.1655

Hugh Lennutt & Elizabeth Cox, both of Winterbourne, Glos, 5.11.1655

John Robinson of Whitchurch, Somerset & Elizabeth Baldwyn of Doynton, 5.11.1655

John Blanch of Vecatt (?) in Almondsbury & Ruth Russell of Pucklechurch, 9.5.1656

John Smith of Westbury on Trym & Jane Chiles, of Henbury, 9.5.1656

Michael Whale & Margaret Russell both of Pucklechurch, 25.3.1657