Did they tell lies ??????

[BJMYJB]

The couple you refer to are actually my great grandparents and Harriet's maiden name was Phillips. To my knowledge there was actually a 17 year age gap between them as I was always told that Harriet was 17 and Arthur was 34 when they married. I do not believe there was any issue with Harriet not having the blessing of her parents in order to marry - indeed I have a photograph that was taken on their wedding day and her parents are present. James (Jimmy) and Mary Ann (Molly) were the eldest of nine children.

[Annette7]

And just to confirm - Arthur Jones and Harriet Phillips married in June qtr. 1908 Pontardawe, Glamorgan (wonder why they married there?).

New GRO index site confirms that both James Charles b.Jun.qtr.1909 and Mary Ann b.Sept.1910 Haverfordwest have mothers maiden name of Phillips.

Harriet Phillips birth reg'd Sept.1889 and census shows her as dau. of James and Mary.

Later records show Arthur Jones b.23/9/1873 (b.reg'd Dec.1873 Haverfordwest which concurs)  died Mar.qtr.1957 and Harriet b.8/8/1889 (d. Jun.qtr.1964) so 16 years between them.

Annette

[BJMYJB]

Thank you Annette for your reply.

Apparently Harriet was from the Swansea area so that would be why they married there...also the age gap seems right (my grandmother probably rounded it up to 17 years!)
 
I didn't know Harriet's parents names were both James and Mary too!

Arthur died Feb 8th 1957 and Harriet on June 2nd 1964.

[Nifty1]

imstillstanding
Have you thought about the idea that maybe Harriet's parents never gave her permission to marry.Because he was so much older.If one child was 2 years old and Harriet was 22,that means age 2 plus 8 months, she would have only been around 19 or 19 and a half.Without parential permission she couldn't get married till she 21.Then another baby,maybe they didn't have time ,and married later.The census doesn't give when people got married and couples have been living in sin since Adam & Eve

Celia

Sorry but that is another of those fallacies that keeps cropping up in family history.
The requirement of parental consent before a minor could marry was repealed in 1823.
After that date no consent was needed for a minor to marry.
Cheers
Guy

Just to muddy the waters further, according to Wiki 'The age of consent was set at 11 in 1832, at 13 in 1863. '
Edit. Posted before I'd read the whole thread.

[Annette7]

BJMYJB - Harriet was actually born in Ambleston, Pembrokeshire mmn Thomas(her parents born Pembrokeshire too) but sometime after 1901 they moved to Rhyndwyclydach, Glamorgan (registration district of Pontardawe) which explains why she married there.   Her father - previously a Cattleman on farm - became a Farm Bailiff there.

Believe this is probably the marriage of her parents:

James Phillips and Mary Thomas - Dec.qtr.1880 Haverfordwest

Annette