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Massachusetts law stated that couples must publicly declare their plans to marry on three Sundays in a row before the day of the wedding. These plans were called "banns" and could either be written and posted for all to see or "cried," that is, announced during Sunday meeting. The banns for Elihu Hoyt (1771-1833) and Hannah Taylor (1772-1864) who were married December 10, 1794, and Samuel Wells (1772-1816) and Esther Arms (1772-1853) who were married October 30, 1794, were registered on July 12, 1794. Once the banns were read or posted, it was assumed the wedding would, indeed, take place.