[43]: There was a law against marrying the heiress of a noble family before the age of twenty-one years without the consent of her guardians.
[44]: Postman, August 28/31, 1703.
[45]: Judging by the 8th and 9th Wm. III. cap. 26, which took away their pretended privileges, these were White Friars, the Savoy, Salisbury Court, Ram Alley, Mitre Court, Fuller's Rents, Baldwin's Gardens, Montague Close, the Minories, Mint and Clink or Dead Man's Place; but there were many others.
[46]: Lansdowne MSS., 93-17.
[47]: The Postboy, October 13/16, 1711.
[48]: The Postboy, April 18/20, 1710.
[49]: Bacon's Abridgment, Tit. Baron and Feme.
[50]: Usually at the father's or guardian's of the lady.
[51]: This custom partially survives, and originated in a division among the guests of the ribbons worn by the bride and bridegroom. These favours were worn for some weeks in the hat, and were made of a pretty large knot of ribbons of various colours—gold, silver, carnation, and white.
[52]: This was absolutely necessary, and mourning was also temporarily left off, unless for a very near relation recently deceased.