I have been researching marriages in Caroline Co. for a variety of families, mostly through the book "Marriage of Caroline Co., Virginia 1777-1853" by Therese Fisher, but also at the county archives when I was there last year. What I noticed is that when couples got married, someone signed a marriage "bond." In the case of underage couples, this would make sense and sometimes the bond says "consent." But in other cases, the couples were of an age of majority. So my questions are:

1.) What was the purpose of the bonds? In the case of Philip CHAPMAN, he signed at least six marriages between 1824-1848, though not his own. Some of them are for kin, others are apparently for families he was connected with. I know that he was a prosperous tobacco trader with up to 16 slaves in the early 1800s.

2.) Why would more than one person sign the bond? Sometimes the marriage is listed twice, sometimes with dates several days apart. Does this mean that the actual ceremony was not on that date?

3.) Why would someone sign for children who are not yours? As I mentioned in #1 above, my ancestor did this, but in looking through "The Marriages of Caroline County, Virginia, 1777-1853," it is not at all uncommon. Again, the father of the groom or bride was not always the one who signed, assumedly because of death, but I don't know. In the case of Philip CHAPMAN in #1 above, it has led to confusion as to whether Philip is my gr-gr-grandfather's father, uncle, older brother or what his relationship is.

All help is greatly appreciated.

Bill Cross

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