Index to Marriage Bonds Filed in the State Archives of North Carolina: 1741-1861.

Before obtaining a marriage licence, the prospective groom had to take out a bond from the clerk of the court in the county where the bride had her usual residence as surety that there was no legal obstacle to the marriage. Legal obstacles could be: already married to someone else, under age, ineligible because of close blood relationship, vow of celibacy or lack of consent. The assurance was given in the form of a bond for a certain amount of money. The friend or relative signed as the groom’s security on the bond, commonly known as becoming a bondsman. If the groom had been sued for violating the marriage contract, the bondsman would have had to pay any legal costs associated. No money actually changed hands at the time the bond was issued. There was an alternate provision: marriages could be by licence, or by banns which were public announcements in the parish church that a marriage was to take place. If the banns were properly published according to the customs of the church, the marriage might take place without a licence or a bond. This could account for the absence of bonds for many marriages known to have taken place.