[Footnote 380: By BRIGHAM, _Mass. Hist. Soc. Proceedings_, IV, 283, 284. In general on civil marriage in New England see LECHFORD, _Plain Dealing_ (Boston, 1867), 86, 87, or in 3 _Mass. Hist. Coll._, III, 94; DUNTON, _Life and Errors_ (1686), in 2 _Mass. Hist. Coll._, II; _Mem. Hist. of Boston_, I, 196; READ, in _Coll. of Old Col. Hist. Soc._, No. 2, 9; FRIEDBERG, _Eheschliessung_, 470-78; DRAKE, _Making of New England_, 98; OLIVER, _Puritan Commonwealth_, 415; HILDRETH, _Hist. of U. S._, I, 192; WEEDEN, _Ecc. and Soc. Hist. of New England_, I, 217 ff., and Index; COOK, "Marriage Celebration in the Colonies," in _Atlantic Monthly_, LXI, 350 ff.; and especially the excellent chapter in EARLE'S _Customs and Fashions of Old New England_, 36-81. SEWALL'S _Diary_, in 5 _Mass. Hist. Coll._, V, VI, VII; and his _Letter Books_, in 6 _Mass. Hist. Coll._, I, II, are a mine of information on social usages connected with dowers, courting, and wedlock. For very interesting records of marriages celebrated by magistrates at Salem in the seventeenth century see _Hist. Coll. Essex. Inst._, I, II.] [Footnote 381: _Plym. Col. Rec._, II, 155; IV, 10, 22, 43, 65, 73, 74, 108, 186; VI, 217, etc. _Cf._ 3 _Mass. Hist. Coll._, II, 270. In one instance we find the court abrogating a commission: FREEMAN, _Hist. of Cape Cod_, I, 208.] [Footnote 382: WHITMORE, _Colonial Laws of Mass._ (1660-72), 172; _ibid._ (1672-86), 102. _Cf._ _Mass. Hist. Soc. Procds._, IV, 283, 284. Compare NEWHALL, _Ye Great and General Court_, 367.] [Footnote 383: So, in 1646, the court "granted co[=m]ission to M^r Edw^d Rawson to see people ioyne in marriage in Newberry," during pleasure, Watertown receiving a similar commission: _Mass. Col. Rec._, II, 166. In 1651, on petition, Captain William Gerrish was similarly appointed for Newberry: _ibid._, III, 256; IV, Part I, 65; _cf. ibid._, IV, Part II, 63; V, 483. Such commissioners were usually so appointed at the request of the inhabitants. See two further examples for 1654, _ibid._, III, 345, 346. On May 29, 1663, we find a "humble request by two men to _General Court_ that Lieu. Goodinnough be authorized to marry their son and daughter. Granted with addition that Goodinnough be authorised to marry all who apply to him in that town [Sudbury?] and who have been properly published."--_MSS. Early Court Files of Suffolk_, No. 519.]