Quaker marriage document

The Society of Friends, the Quakers, kept the most detailed marriage records of any religious group in early America. The following is found in Volume-1 of the “Friends Society Marriage Records” in Dover, New Hampshire. The title page contains the notation March 1701. Within the Quaker community the church rules called for a young couple to publicly declare their intentions to marry in several public places over several months time. After such a declaration the Society would investigate the young couple to make sure they were “clear of all others” and sufficiently worthy by Church standards to marry. Once given the approval of the Society a marriage ceremony was held the essence of which was the signing of the marriage certificate. “Whereas Henry Estes son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Estes of Barwick in the county of York in the Provence of the Massachusetts Bay in Newengland: and Mary Varney daughter of John and Sarah of Dover in ye Province of Newhampshire in Newengland aforesd, having declared their intentions of Taking Each other in marriage before several Publickmeetings of the People called Quakers in Dover aforesd according to the good order used amongst them whose Proceedings therein after a deliberate consideration thereof with a Regard to the Righteous Law of God and the Example of his People Recorded in the scriptures of Truth in that case were approved of by the sd meeting they appearing clear of all others and having consent of Parents and Relations concerned—Now these are to certifie all whom it may concern that for the full accomplishing of the sd intentions this seventeenth day of ye second month called April in ye year according to ye English account one thousand seven hundred and forty five---They ye sd Henry Estes and Mary Varney appearing in Publick assembley of ye aforesd People met together in the Publick meeting Place at Cochecha in Dover aforesd---And in a solemn manner he ye sd Henry Estes Taking ye sd Mary Varney by the hand did openly declear that he Took her to be his wife Promising by ye Lords assistance to be unto her True and Loving husband until death makes a separation. And ye sd Mary Varney did then and there in Like solemn manner declear that she Took him ye sd Henry Estes to be her husband Promising by ye Lords assistance to be True and Loving wife until death makes a separation. And ye sd Henry Estes and Mary Varney as a further confirmation hereof did then and there to these Presents sett their hand , she the sd Mary Varney assuming ye name of her husband, and we whose names are hereunto subscribed being Present amongst others at ye solleminizing of the sd marriage and subscription in manner as aforesd as witness hereunto have also to theses presents subscribe our names ye day and year above written. Henry Estes, Mary Estes, Silvanus Hussey, Stephen Varney Jr. Ebenezer Varney, Timothy Emerson, Joseph Estes, Ephraim Tibbets Jr. Stephen Varney, William Frost ……….. Entered ye 22 of ye 2mo 1745 P William Fry Jr. Clerk”