Marriage Act 1823 (officially an amendment to Hardwicke’s Marriage Act 1753) was a UK law that tightened procedures, making marriages more formal by requiring Banns/licenses, setting specific times (8-12 am) for ceremonies, shortening residency for licenses, and crucial for social history, it prevented marriages from being easily voided due to minor errors, securing legitimacy for children and finality for couples, while also easing some parental consent rules for minors by only voiding if parents actively forbade banns, not just lacked consent, as noted in the Staffordshire Figure Association’s article on the “New Marriage Act” group.
Provenance: Ex John Howard, Woodstock and Jonathan Horne of London’s inventory
Height: 6 ¾”
Condition: Man on the left’s right arm restored