Duties on Marriages etc. Act 1697

III. Ecclesiastical and other Persons required by the said Acts to keep Register of Christenings, &c., are to make Entries therein as hereby required.

Entries, in case of Burials; in case of Births; in case of Marriages.; Neglect or false Entries, &c.; Penalty £20; Persons chargeable to the Duty to give a true Account of Name, &c. of Party to the Minister; Penalty £20.

And to the end all Persons liable to the Payment of the said Duties may be duly charged therewith according to the respective Degrees Conditions and Qualities chargable in or by the said former Acts Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That every Ecclesiastical or other Person required by the said former Acts or any of them to keep a Register of Persons buried christened born or married shal in the same Registers respectively according to the best of his Knowledg or Information together with the Name of every Person so married buried christened or born sett down and express or cause to be sett down and expressed in Writing the respective Degree Condition or Quality according to which His Majesties Duty ought to be paid for every such Burial Birth or Marriage respectively And in the Case of Burials the Names of the Heirs Executors Administrators Fathers Mothers Guardians Church-wardens Overseers or others who by the said Acts ought to pay for the same and where they dwel respectively And in case of Births the Names of the Fathers Mothers or those that take on them the Guardianshipp or Care of such Children so born and where they live respectively And in case of Marriages the Place of Abode of the several Husbands upon pain that any Dean Parson Register Deacon Vicar Curate Substitute or Ecclesiastical Person whatsoever having due Knowledge or Information whereby such Addition may be made in his Register and neglecting to insert the same or wilfully or knowingly setting down or consenting to the setting down in His Register any Matter of Falshood as to the Degree Quality Condition Person or Place of Abode with intent that His Majesty may be defrauded of all or any part of the Duty payable for or upon any such Burial Birth or Marriage shal for every such Offence forfeit the Sum of Twenty Pounds (that is to say) one Moiety thereof to the King and the other Moiety thereof to such Person or Persons as will inform and sue for the same And that every Person who ought to pay the said Duty for any Marriage Birth or Burial shal and he she or they are hereby strictly enjoyned and required to give or cause to be given to the respective Minister or Parson who shal perform the Office of such Marriage or Burial or the christening upon any Birth a true Relation of the Degree Quality or Condition according to which His Majesties Duty for such Marriage Birth or Burial ought to be paid and where such Person or Persons who ought to pay the same do live or reside to the end such additions may be inserted in the Regester as aforesaid upon pain that every such Person for every Default or Offence in not giving as aforesaid such Relation (being demanded) or giving any untrue Relation as to the Degree Quality Condition or Place of Abode shall forfeit the Sum of Twenty Pounds (that is to say) one Moiety thereof to the King the other Moiety thereof to such Person or Persons as will inform and sue for the same.