Marriage Act

The Marriage Act of 1753 in Great Britain was enacted to combat clandestine marriages, which were marriages performed without official ceremony or public notice. Prior to this act, marriages could be legally established through mutual consent, engagement followed by sexual intercourse, or by community recognition (marriage by habit and repute).12

The act required marriages to be solemnized in a church or public chapel, with banns published or a license obtained, and the presence of a clergyman and two witnesses. This legislation aimed to prevent secret unions and ensure marriages were a matter of public record, reflecting a growing public interest in regulating marriage beyond private agreements. While common-law marriages were valid in England before this act, they were abolished by it.12