PREFACE

     In the third  volume of Dorset Registers are given the Marriage Records of nine parishes; it will be seen that a considerable destruction of parish Records must have taken place, as only one dates back to the sixteenth century, while of the rest, two do not begin till the eighteenth century.
     The Editors again desire to express their thanks to the parish clergy for leave to print the Registers.  Their names will be found in the prefatory notes to the respective Registers.
     The Editors desire to tender their thanks to Miss Gundry, the Rev. R. G. Bartelot, and Mr. Richard Hine, for their valuable help in transcribing Cerne, Great Toller, and Halstock.  For the other Registers Mr. Nevill has been responsible.
     It may be convenient to the reader to supply here a list of the parish registers already printed.

The abbreviations used in the former Volumes are again adopted.
     It is to be borne in mind that these transcripts are not legal "evidence," and that for certificates the clergy in charge of the registers must be applied to.
     Sufficient material is in hand for another volume, which the Editors hope to  issue during the present year.  It will go far towards the completion of West Dorset, and also will make a commencement upon the parishes in the south of the County.
     They desire to issue two volumes in each year, in order to ensure steady progress in the very necessary work of printing our ancient parish registers, and thus placing beyond risk of loss these personal records, which now have become of such world-wide interest.
     The importance of this is great, for it must not be supposed that even at the present day Parish Registers are always guarded with the care which should be given to these records.  Some even have been lost since this series of printed registers was started, hardly more than ten years ago, and it is to be feared that in some cases our descendants may reproach our apathy even as we now regret the lax custody of the Georgian period.
                                                   W. P. W. P.
                                                    E. N.
124, Chancery Lane,
May, 1908

Marriages at Beaminster,
1585 to 1736