matrimonial court, noun phrase

Forms:
Also with initial capitals.
historical
A court established at the Cape (in 1676) by the Dutch East India Company, before which every engaged couple had to appear in order to establish the legality of their forthcoming marriage. Also attributive.
[1731 G. Medley tr. of P. Kolben’s Present State of Cape of G.H. I. 340The Court of Marriages, as it is call’d, looks to the Lawfulness of all Marriage-Contracts, before the Celebration of Marriage.]
[1806 Cape Town Gaz. & Afr. Advertiser 26 Apr.The Court for Matrimonial Affairs in Cape Town.]
1808 Earl of Caledon in G.M. Theal Rec. of Cape Col. (1900) VI. 386To constitute a legal marriage by the colonial law it is necessary for the parties to appear in the matrimonial court.
1819 G. Barker Journal. 1 Oct.Mr Arnot passed on his way to Uitenhage to appear before the matrimonial court.
1831 S. Afr. Almanac & Dir. 236Two couples had been Married, with regular Matrimonial Court Certificates.
1861 P.B. Borcherds Auto-Biog. Mem. 23There was but one matrimonial court in the colony, holding session every Saturday in an upper room of a building occupying the site of the late Cape Town prison.
1873 Cape Monthly Mag. VII. 208They might appear before the Matrimonial Court next morning.
1898 W.C. Scully Vendetta 128In the days we tell of no marriage could be solemnized in the Cape Colony unless the parties had previously appeared before the matrimonial court in Cape Town.
1921 H.J. Mandelbrote tr. of O.F. Mentzel’s Descr. of Cape of G.H. I. 147The Matrimonial Court (Raed van Huuwelijke Saaken) had for its duty to inquire into the legality of proposed marriages.
1949 L.G. Green In Land of Afternoon 88The records of the Matrimonial Court.
1955 V. De Kock Fun They Had 29Before banns of marriage could be published, it was necessary for the parties to appear before the Commissioners of the Matrimonial Court.
1966 F.G. Butler Take Root or Die (1970) 45We have walked..thirty miles, because we are told the Dutch law of the country states we have to pass a thing called a matrimonial court, which meets in Grahamstown, once a month.
1979 A. Gordon-Brown Settlers’ Press 4The 1822 edition contains a heading, ‘District of Albany’ in large capitals, with Harry Rivers, Landdrost, six Heemraaden, a Matrimonial Court.
A court established at the Cape (in 1676) by the Dutch East India Company, before which every engaged couple had to appear in order to establish the legality of their forthcoming marriage. Also attributive.
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historical
matriculation exemption, noun phrasen. phr.mat-rush, nounn.
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