Henry St.John marriage announcement, 1812

An announcement in The Courier newspaper on June 5th 1812 of the marriage between Henry St.John and Miss Mildmay (later 4th Viscount and Viscountess Bolingbroke).

The newspaper records that the couple were married by Special Licence in St. George's Hanover Square, a fashionable church in the heart of Mayfair much frequented by the local nobility and renowned for society weddings.

A Special License allowed a couple to marry in any location and at any time without the need for reading the Banns or for the church to be in either the bride or groom's own parish. This was a privilege only allowed to the aristocracy and members of parliament and required the consent of the Archbishop of Canterbury, which was rarely given.

There is no indication that there was any need for the couple to marry quickly or to avoid the Banns being read in public and be subject to a challenge. A more likely scenario is that Henry did not live or had not lived in the area long enough to qualify for the ceremony to be held at St. George's. Perhaps the fashionable venue held a greater attraction than a more intimate affair in either of their respective parish churches.