Was this Illegal?

[CJ]

I have just found that back in my family tree.  Not on my direct line, thank fully that there seems to have been a bit of "inbreeding".  I wonder if anyone can tell me if this was illegal "back then"?

It starts with Jabez MacKness bc1793 Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire.  He married and had amongst other children William bc1824, Rose Ann bc1829 and Jabez bc1830 all in Brigstock.  This is where it gets even more confusing.

William had a son called Joseph Thomas bc1865 Brigstock.  Jabez had a son James also bc1865 in Hinderwell, NRY.  Rose Ann married and had amongst her 11 children were Elizabeth (Betsy) and Rebecca.  I bet you know what is coming next.  Elizabeth married James and Rebecca married Joseph.  Elizabeth and James as far as I can tell had no children, but Rebecca and Joseph had at least 1 called Frank b1891.

The really strange thing is that Rebecca and Elizabeth had 2 brothers called Jabez (the first died in infancy) and other names have been passed down within the family, so I cannot believe that they did not know.

So was this illegal or just very close families?

All answers eagerly anticipated.

Many thanks for reading this.  Thank goodness I only married into this family and it is not on my other half's direct line!!!!!

CJ

[PaulineJ]

So the relationship would have been first cousin? and the period was 1890(-ish).

see http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,144824.msg657291.html#msg657291

[CarolBurns]

I know it was frowned upon. Two relatives of our married and they were first cousins. They were not allowed, by the family, to have children.

I know it is legal now though 2nd cousins cannot marry for some reason

Carol

[Bee]

.

I know it is legal now though 2nd cousins cannot marry for some reason

Carol

A problem arises if you are not a close family and you don't know who your 2nd cousins are.

Another problem is the number of young children around today who don't know who there father is and even if they do, they may not be aware of any other children he has fathered, so the potential is there for people to marry their siblings without being aware of the fact.

Bee

[Guy Etchells]

There are various lists showing the forbidden degrees of Consanguinity & Affinity throughout the years on my website at
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/%7Eframland/acts/affinity.htm

The basic concept was that when a man and woman married they became one therefore further relationships in that family were a form of incest. This view has gradually changed over the years and many forbidden practices are now deemed acceptable.
Cheers
Guy

[trish251]

I have found numerous instances of cousins marrying, both in Australia and England in the 19th century. In many cases, it seemed likely that they met very few folks outside family members, due to being in a small village or isolated part of Australia. They were mostly  married in Church and most had children.

Interesting being reminded of who might not marry in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, as in 1939 I have a relative who married her father's sister's husband (he was a widower). I notice that the "wife's brother's daughter" got removed at some stage & this appears to be the same relationship.

Trish

Could someone expand on this for me

I know it is legal now though 2nd cousins cannot marry for some reason

I wouldn't have thought there would be a legal impediment for 2nd cousins to marry 

[meles]

Beat me to it! I can understand why first cousins marriages are frowned on, but second?

meles

[Guy Etchells]

Interesting being reminded of who might not marry in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, as in 1939 I have a relative who married her father's sister's husband (he was a widower). I notice that the "wife's brother's daughter" got removed at some stage & this appears to be the same relationship.

Trish

Father's sister's husband was allowed by the 1949 Act as long as the sister was dead and not simply divorced.
Cheers
Guy

[Burrow Digger]

 I have a couple in my family tree who were first cousins when they were married.

Probably as a consequence of these two first cousins marrying, they had 6 children. The family story says that two children died young, another two were born mentally handicapped, and that two grew up to adulthood, but so far I can only find a marriage for one of them.

BD