1606 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 645

official of a religious order or body authorized by the rules
and customs of said order or body to join persons in
marriage.

No person within this State shall be joined in marriage
until a license shall have been obtained from the Clerk of
the Circuit Court for the County in which the marriage is
to be performed, or if in Baltimore City, from the Clerk
of the Court of Common Pleas.

The license required by this Article shall be in the fol-
lowing form, to wit: State of Maryland and County of
................................................. To any minister of the Gospel, or other

officer or person authorized by the laws of the State to
solemnize marriage. You are hereby authorized to join
together in the holy state of matrimony according to the
rules and ceremonies of your church, society or religious
sect and the laws of this State, or according to the laws of
this State, A. B., whose place of residence is..................................

....................................; who age is........................; color....................; and

who is (state here whether single, widower, or divorced,
as the case may be), and C. D., whose place of residence is
........................................................................; color.............................; and who is

(state here whether single, widow, or divorced, as the case
may be), and who are........................................(state here also

whether the contracting parties are in any way related).
Given under my hand and seal of the Circuit Court for
.................................... County (or the Court of Common Pleas of

Baltimore City) at....................................this-.........................day

of...............A. D., one thousand nine hundred and

................................................ The license shall have appended to it

two certificates framed to correspond with said license,
which shall be in form as follows: I hereby certify that
on this.................................day of........................... one thousand nine

hundred and...........................at........................................ A. B., and

C. D. were by me united in'marriage in accordance with
the license issued by the Clerk of the ................................................

Court for ................................. County (or City), Maryland,

which certificates shall be signed by the minister, or other
person who performed the ceremony, giving his name and
official character; one of said certificates shall be handed
to the contracting parties and the other shall within five
days from the date of the marriage be returned to the
Clerk of the Court from which it was issued, either by the
minister or other person who performed the ceremony, or,
in the event of his death or resignation, by any qualified
officer of the church or other person in a position so to
return the same.