Could a 14 year old marry in SA in 1844

[grantleydawn]

I am trying to identify the parentage of Mary Ann SPENCER, who married William ELSEGOOD on the 17th Sep 1844.

The BD&M index records her as a minor, with father not recorded.

Their son William James ELSEGOOD was born 18th Jul 1845 in Adelaide.

The family then migrated to Western Australia.

I am trying to find the fate of my Mary Ann SPENCER, who was baptised 11th Jul 1830.

The best that I can deam up, is that my Mary Ann SPENCER "ran away" from home. Could she then pretend to be old enough to marry as a "minor"?

Regards
Grantley

[mum mum]

Hi,
I had some of my relie's who never actually married, they just said that they had. On of my Gg Grandmother's was married at 14 but that was with her father's permission.

Check for any other childrens birth, the certificates may give you more info.

mum mum

[tropicalj]

My understanding  would be as a Minor she would have been declared thus   for  the marriage and consent would have been given by someone to the marriage.

the earlier South Australian certificates  did not show  the fathers details

Jenn

[grantleydawn]

The "run off" part was just my way of trying to justify a 14 year old marrying.

The death of Mary Ann SPENCER, who married William ELSEGOOD, was registered as aged 63 in 1890. That makes a 3 year discrepancy to my Mary Ann SPENCER, which I am trying to ignore.

It appears that the descendants of William ELSEGOOD have not identified the parentage of their Mary Ann SPENCER.

If other girls married at age 14, in South Australia around that period, then I may be able to link the researches.

Regards
Grantley

[tropicalj]

Having a look at the marriages  there are an awfull lots of Minors marrying.

It appears to have been a very  common occurence,  a lot of course due to pregnancy or  the poor girl may not have had family and needed a husband and home.

I  gather  you  have a MAry Anne Spencer in your trre  that you are trying to find  what happened to?

Jenn

[grantleydawn]

On a seperate topic http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,389306.0.html I am left with two girls who left England in 1839 (with their family) and only 1 appearing in the SA 1841 Census (no names mentioned, just age ranges)

I am trying to identify which one;
Mary Ann SPENCER bapt 11 Jul 1830 or
Eliza SPENCER bapt 25 Dec 1832

I have a marriage of a Mary Ann SPENCER (minor) to a William ELSEGOOD (full age). I am trying to decide if that Mary Ann SPENCER just could be my missing child.

Regards
Grantley