1881 London Marriage Declaration Document

Updated September 22, 2026

Declaration of contribution for marriage - London 1881 - Tax stamps and seals - Hussars of Dinan. Important marriage contribution declaration, handwritten on two large pages, drafted and signed in London in 1881, concerning a French officer in active service and his future wife, with French consular legalization. The act was executed before a royal and public notary admitted in London, on British stamped paper, and concerns. Louis Marie Eugène Napoléon de Gouy d'Arsy, second lieutenant in the 12th Hussars regiment, residing in Dinan (Côtes-du-Nord), and Miss Mabel CHAPMAN, residing in London. The document specifies the formation of dowry and contributions, patrimonial guarantees, as well as the allocation of assets for the planned marriage, in accordance with the legal customs of the late 19th century for unions contracted abroad. Two British fiscal stamps 'Six Pence' affixed at the top. Round stamp from the French Consulate in London (official legalization). Perfectly preserved large blue embossed seal. Numerous autograph signatures and initials. Watermarked paper, original pink ruling. Neat, formal cursive handwriting. A document of legal and historical interest, illustrating Franco-British diplomatic and notarial relations at the end of the 19th century. Notarial act / Declaration of contribution for marriage, 1881 London (United Kingdom). French language, British stamped paper support. Dimensions 21cm × 34cm (per page) 2 large handwritten pages. French Consulate cachets in London, fiscal seals, original autograph signatures. Good overall condition, paper well preserved, signs of age with minor creases, slight marks and patina of time, inks clearly legible, seals and stamps very sharp. No restoration. Carefully curated collection for a notarial and diplomatic archives collector, enthusiast of French military history (Hussars), genealogical research on the Gouy d'Arsy and Chapman families, and a collection of 19th-century Franco-British archives.

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