marriage age

[jenlouk]

Does anyone know the lowest marriageable age in the seventeenth, eighteenth centuries, and when it became sixteen with parental consent?  The reason I ask as I read in an article that it was as young as twelve, surely that cannot be right?

[osprey]

Actually it was right. Hardwicke's Act which came into force in 1754 required, amongst other things, parental consent for those aged under 21, but with such consent boys could marry at 14 and girls at 12. Age of consent was changed to 16 in 1929, but parental consent needed for under 21s until 1969.

[jenlouk]

Thanks for your reply.  It seems hard to believe that it was so relatively recent, butb it does show that there maybe a smaller gap between generations than I previously thought. regards jenny.