The Manx church though a diocese in the Church of England had its own convocation and different rules re marriage - it also had its own book of Common Prayer (in Manx). The English church could allow marriage by licence (ie by permission of the Bishop) in place of the customary banns - in the Manx church by early 18th C the use of licence was the norm - the licences being supplied by the Bishop's surrogates (ie stand-ins) - the special licences allowing marriage in any church (ie not the parochial church of either party) were issued by the Bishop but being a small Island this was no problem.