Legal marriage age in the 1700s

[KeithJohn]

I have a girl born on 24 Feb 1785 in West Yorkshire. She is the only one of her name that I can find, and there is a marriage on 26 Jul 1796 to a soldier. On 16 Jul 1797 there is a birth to a mother of the same name.
My questions are: Firstly, bearing in mind that the legal marriage age for girls at the time was 12 years, is it possible that the church would stretch a point to 11 years 5 months? Secondly, would a girl of that age be fertile?

[PaulineJ]

OK,
How common is the surname?
Where did these events take place?
What is the full detail on each event?

Pauline

[stanmapstone]

Hi "Pure White"

Welcome to RootsChat. It always helps with this sort of question if you give as full details as possible so that other RootsChatters can look at the record in question if it is available on line.


Stan

[stanmapstone]

The Incumbent would have no way of knowing her true age if she lied, and in any case as a minor she should have had the consent of her parents or guardian under Hardwicke's Marriage Act 1753. Although the legal age was 12 for girls and 14 for boys in his book "Marriage Laws, Rites, Records & Customs" Colin R. Chapman says that some marriages of younger children still took place.

Stan

[HeatherLynne]

Hello there, are you sure that's her birth date and not a baptismal date?  That could make her actually 12 at the time of marriage possibly?

I suppose she could be fertile at that early an age but it would mean that she was quite well fed as the onset is linked to body weight, so that might be an indication that she had plenty to eat and wasn't a pauper.

Heather

[stanmapstone]

Hello there, are you sure that's her birth date and not a baptismal date?  That could make her actually 12 at the time of marriage possibly?

I suppose she could be fertile at that early an age but it would mean that she was quite well fed as the onset is linked to body weight, so that might be an indication that she had plenty to eat and wasn't a pauper.

Heather

This why the source of the information is useful, for instance it could be from a 'submitted' entry on the IGI 

Stan

[KeithJohn]

The details given are taken directly from the parish records of Darton YKS. The chronological order of the extracted information is:
Mar 21 1756 Chr of Hannah daughter of Richard Goldthorp
Dec 10 1776 Chr of Thomas illegitimate son of Hannah Goldthorp (note in
                        margin reads "an idiot as is also his mother")
Mar 6 1785 Chr of Sarah illegitimate daughter of Hannah Goldthorp b.
                     Feb 24
Jul 26 1796 Marr of James Yates a private in the 21st regiment of
                      Light Dragoons and Sarah Goldthorp spinster botp.
Jul 16 1797 Chr of Elizabeth illegitimate daughter of Sarah Goldthorp
                      alias Yates

One would have to assume that it would have been obvious that Elizabeth
was conceived after James went away. I hope this adds some depth to my question.           

[stanmapstone]

Christenings/Baptisms can take place at any time after the birth so is no reliable guide as to the age of the person.

Stan

[KeithJohn]

The date of birth was given in the baptism entry (Feb 24). I assume it to be the same year.