1698 end of the line oddity

[Mitch in Notts]

John COOPER and Anne GREATOREX married November ye 1st. Then what does it say?






Thoughts?

Thanks, Mitch

[fullscott]

My stab in the dark:

"his Majesties due 2 - -"

Could it mean that £2 was owing?

Jane

[Pam Downes]

It looks a if there's a £ sign above the 2.
Did they have special licences back in those days (you don't give a date), and if so, did one cost £2.00? And the cost went to the Crown rather than the Church?

ADDED: Is there a similar note against any other marriage for at least two years either side of this marriage?

Pam

[Mitch in Notts]

Thanks Jane - I thought it said Majesties but was unsure whether it was 'This majesty die', the obvious 'due' hadn't crossed my mind!

Pam - sorry I put the date - 1698 - in the title. The couple did though marry by Licence, but there is nothing similar against other Licence entries, nor against any other entry and I have currently gone through 1687-1756 page by page.

Could it say '2d' and that was the cost of having the entry recorded in the register? So 'His Majesties due 2d..... ye 6th'

Thanks

Mitch

[Pam Downes]

Thanks Jane - I thought it said Majesties but was unsure whether it was 'This majesty die', the obvious 'due' hadn't crossed my mind!

Pam - sorry I put the date - 1698 - in the title. The couple did though marry by Licence, but there is nothing similar against other Licence entries, nor against any other entry and I have currently gone through 1687-1756 page by page.

Could it say '2d' and that was the cost of having the entry recorded in the register? So 'His Majesties due 2d..... ye 6th'

Thanks

Mitch

Yes, you did indeed, Mitch. You can blame me not seeing it either because I don't wear my specs on when I'm on the computer, or not having my brain cell properly engaged when reading your query.

Pam

[fullscott]

Thanks Jane - I thought it said Majesties but was unsure whether it was 'This majesty die', the obvious 'due' hadn't crossed my mind!

Pam - sorry I put the date - 1698 - in the title. The couple did though marry by Licence, but there is nothing similar against other Licence entries, nor against any other entry and I have currently gone through 1687-1756 page by page.

Could it say '2d' and that was the cost of having the entry recorded in the register? So 'His Majesties due 2d..... ye 6th'

Thanks

Mitch

2d or £2??
Because of the two dashes after the number (I grew up with £sd), I'm more inclined to £2 ... but it does seem a lot of money for 1698!

Jane

[arthurk]

I read it as 2s 6d. I don't think it could be a fee for the licence itself, because I doubt they'd have been able to get hold of the licence unless they'd paid for it - and in any case the fee would have been paid to the church rather than the king. However, I don't know what else it could be.