From: G6JPG@255soft.uk   
      
   The preprinted forms for marriage bonds and allegations have this text:   
      
   .. made oath as follows (to wit) That he is of the age of [	] Years and   
   upwards, and a [	] and intends to marry [	] of the Parish of [	] in the   
   County of [	] and Diocese of [		] aged [	] Years and upwards ...   
      
   (or variations thereon). [The second box might be filled in with e. g.   
   Bachelor, Widower; the long one with name of diocese Spinster. They   
   aren't really boxes, just gaps.]   
      
      
   Can anyone explain the "Years and upwards" wording?   
      
   Fair enough if either age is filled in with "Twenty-one" - that's just a   
   way of saying the person is of legal age to marry without consent of a   
   parent or guardian. But I've seen it filled in with higher ages, such as   
   Twenty-three, which then makes the "and upwards" look puzzling.   
      
   If an age higher than 21 is entered, can one be sure that that is the   
   age of the person named, i. e. that the "and upwards" can be ignored?   
   --   
   J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf   
      
   "Mary Poppins is a junkie" - bumper sticker on Julie Andrews' car in the   
   '60s   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)