PROCLAMATION
[January 22, 1819] Copied from the British Newspaper Library at Colindale, Shelfmark MC 558;
The Royal Gazette, Vol. XIV, No. 1281, Thursday, January 23, 1819 By Inge Veecock
Demerary & Essequibo ___
By His Excellency Major General JOHN MURRAY, Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief, In and Over the United Colony of Demerary and Essequibo, &c. &c. &c.
WHEREAS, I have received from the Right Honourable Earl BATHURST, a Communication of the Determination of His Royal Highness, the Prince Regent, respecting the illegality and consequent invalidity of certain Marriages, heretofore contracted in this Colony, contrary to the Laws in force herein, under the assurance of a Proclamation, issued by the late Major General H. L. CARMICHAEL, during the period that he, as Commander of the Troops, administered the Government of this United Colony:
AND WHEREAS, His Royal Highness has been graciously pleased to take into consideration the serious inconvenience likely to result to many innocent persons, from the irregular manner in which their marriages have been celebrated; and hath signified to me his commands, that the marriages which have heretofore been so contracted and celebrated, should be duly confirmed in this most public and authentic manner:
I DO, therefore, in obedience to the commands of His Royal Highness, issue this, my Proclamation, declaring, as I do hereby declare, is to be the most gracious will and pleasure of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, acting in the name and behalf of our Sovereign Lord the King, that all marriages, which may have been contracted and celebrated within this Colony, in the manner prescribed in a Proclamation of the late Major General H.L. CARMICHAEL, bearing date the 2nd day of June, 1812 [Note, the text is on a fold and it is not clear if the year is 1812 or 1813] and they hereby are confirmed and established as legal and valid, to all intents and purposes whatsoever, and to have the same force, effect, and validity, as though they had been originally contracted and celebrated conformably to the laws or ordinances then existing, and in force within this Colony; any defect of legal form in the original contract and celebration thereof notwithstanding:
And I DO hereby require all Courts of Law, Judges, Justices, Magistrates, and all other His Majesty’s Liege Subjects, to recognize and acknowledge the force and validity of the said Marriages, of which the following is a list as certified by the Reverend W. G. STRAGHAN, Minister: [NOTE: The original list was numbered; To make finding a couple easier, the list was sorted by Husband's Surname.]
HUSBAND |
WIFE |
||
| LAST | FIRST | LAST | FIRST |
Backer |
Philip |
Agard |
Jane |
Battalier |
Andrew |
Cornelissen |
Mary |
Bentham |
Joseph * |
Smith |
Margaret |
Blackman |
Henry |
Oxley |
Ann |
Blackman |
Peter * |
Williams |
Louisa |
Bollers |
Henry * |
Gibbs |
Sarah |
Bulcock |
Samuel |
Post |
Marsiella Colette |
Carrol |
Francis |
Lucas |
Frances |
Clement |
Peter |
Emery |
Cora |
Colin |
Abel |
Bennett |
Elizabeth |
Cordew |
Samuel |
Wake |
Sarah |
Crozier |
William Augustus * |
Shillingford |
Ann |
Cugler |
Christian Frederick |
Bollers |
Mary |
Daley |
James |
Staunton |
Kitty |
De Ryk |
Johannis Cornelis |
Thompton |
Janette Elizabeth |
Desbras |
Frisco |
Paadevoort |
Maria |
Fox |
Lewis |
Berrow |
Elizabeth |
Hall |
John Anthony |
Arthur |
Elizabeth |
Heyliger |
Peter |
Cartenche |
Mary |
Lambley |
Thomas * |
Corbin |
Charlotte |
Lawrence |
Thomas |
Merrick |
Frances |
Miller |
Anthony |
Haselmeir |
Johanna |
Mings |
James |
Susannah |
Archer |
Mollet |
Mauritz Johan Jacobus |
Stumper |
Ann |
Neischer |
John Anthony |
Howard |
Princess |
Ouckama |
Paul Augustus |
Dawner |
Mary Elizabeth |
Oxley |
William |
James |
Christina |
Perry |
George Firebrace |
Taylor |
Anne |
Peterson |
Peter |
Carvelje |
|
Phillips |
Philip |
France |
Christina |
Pieters |
Peter Chapelhof * |
Langeobi |
Maria |
Roach |
William M. |
Nurse |
Mary Jane |
Runnels |
John |
McDaniel |
Elizabeth |
Samms |
William Kennard * |
Desullie |
|
Smith |
Michael |
Garbin |
Johanna Rebecca |
Stephens |
James Thomas |
Cuvilje |
Ann Walker |
Thompton |
Petr Henry |
Stoll |
Sophia Elizabeth |
Tobie |
Christian Marcus |
Watherham |
Wilhelmina |
Vialand |
John |
Hennecey |
Elizabeth |
Wade |
John |
Wagear |
Maria Margarita |
Whittacker |
John |
Cuvilje |
Anne |
Williams |
Eran Hughes |
Knight |
Elizabeth |
Williamson |
John * |
Hunter |
Harriet |
* Scroll down to see notes for these marriages.
And in further obedience to the commands of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, I do hereby repeal and annul the said Proclamation of the late Major-General H.L. CARMICHAEL, bearing date the 2nd day of June, 1819, and the same is hereby repealed and annulled; and I declare it to be the will and pleasure of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, that no marriages hereafter contracted within this Colony, can be legally valid, nor shall be recognized or acknowleged as such, unless contracted and celebrated in the manner prescribed by the Laws and Ordinances actually in force within this said United Colony.
Given under my Hand and Seal of Office, this 22nd day of January, One thousand eight hundred and nineteen, and in the Fifty-ninth Year of His Majesty’s Reign.
His Excellency’s Command
R. CHAPMAAN, Gov. Sec.
God Save the King !
WEBMASTER'S COMMENT:
Note that Mr. Chapman's Proclamation did not state what caused the above marriges to be invalid, other than referring to the Proclamation of Gen. Carmichael dated 1812 [or possibly 1813]. Although one wouldn't expect to find the Carmichael Proclamation online, I did do a brief search but no mention of this Proclamation was to be found. It would be interesting to know how Carmichael had deviated from English and the Colony's marriage laws, causing this new Proclamation of 1819.
Maj. Gen. Hugh Lyle Carmichael (pictured at left) was the Lieutenant Governor of the Colony from February 1812 to his death in 1813 [He died in office] and is buried at Eve Leary Cemetery. Just how did the proclamation issued by Gen. Carmichael deviate from English law? Why did this proclamation affect only a handful of marriages? This is quite a mystery!
As far as can be found, English law and the colony of British Guiana at that time required a couple to either obtain a special marriage license authorized by the Governor or post marriage banns. According to the marriage laws printed in the British Guiana Directory and Almanack (1882, 1898, 1904), ...."Marriage by Banns have to be solemnized with open doors between the hours of eight in the forenoon and four in the afternoon, in presence of two or more credible witnesses besides the minister." There were no special hours noted for those choosing to marry by License.
* NOTES FOR MARKED MARRIAGES
The following marriages and/or persons were found listed on British Guiana Colonists website.
BENTHAM, Joseph (Married SMITH, Margaret)
- Born: Barbados
- Married: 16 6 1815, Banns of Marriage
BLACKMAN, Peter (Married WILLIAMS, Louisa)
- Born: Barbados
- Married: 30 11 1816, Banns of Matrimony
BOLLERS, Henry (Married GIBBS, Sarah)
- Born: in this Colony
- Married: 14 8 1815, Banns of Marriage
CROZIER, William Augustus (Married SHILLINGFORD, Sarah Ann)
- Born: Grenada
- Married: 20 5 1815, Banns of Marriage
LAMBLY, T. O. (Could this be Thomas Lambley ??)
- Died: 13 5 1865, at his residence
PIETERS, Peter Capelhof
- Born: in this Colony
- Married: 9 9 1815, Banns of Marriage
SAMMS, William Kennard
- Born: Grenada
- Married: 26 9 1817, Banns of Marriage
WILLIAMSON, John
- Born: Scotland
- Married: 25 3 1815, Banns of Marriage