Find your ancestors in Marriages of Frant, Sussex

What can these records tell me?

While the amount of available information varies, most transcripts include the following:

• First name(s)
• Last name
• Marriage date
• Place
• Church
• Groom’s first name(s)
• Groom’s last name
• Groom’s notes
• Bride’s first name(s)
• Bride’s last name
• Bride’s notes

Discover more about Marriages of Frant, Sussex

These records were provided by Tunbridge Wells Family History Society, which was established in 1991. The Society focuses its research on Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding area. Frant, a civil parish and village located about 5 km south of Tunbridge Wells, is one of twelve parishes of interest for the Society.

St Alban’s church in Frant is dedicated to St Alban and is the church of record for these marriages. There has been a chapel in Frant since 1087 but it was only around the thirteenth century that they began construction on a stone church to replace the timber structure. Major repairs and reconstruction occurred in the nineteenth century. However, almost all the stained glass was destroyed in 1944 when a bomb landed near the church.

Since censuses and official birth, marriage, and death records only go back to 1837 when civil registration was instated, parish records are vital to researching your family history. The requirement for parish priests to maintain a weekly register of baptisms, marriages, and deaths began in 1538 following King Henry VIII's split from the Roman Catholic Church. A fine was put in place for failure to comply, and from 1733 onwards, entries had to be written in English instead of Latin.