Why did my gg grandparents wait so long to get married?

[hsproutl]

Hello,

My gg grandparents had their first child in 1875 but did not marry until 1922 and were aged 71 and 67.

Other than one of them already being married, is there any other reason why they may have waited so long to tie the not? Was there any important legislation around that time that would prompt a sudden marriage?

I am curious to see if anyone else come across this before and what the reasons behind it were?

Thanks

[CaroleW]

Hi and welcome to Rootschat

Have you traced their ancestry to check if one or other was already married and had to wait for their  spouse to die before re-marrying?

Do you have a copy of the 1922 marriage cert showing what their marital status was at that time (ie) bachelor/spinster or widow/widower

Could it have been religious differences?? 

Although both were single, my friends grandparents only married 26yrs after their first child was born as she was RC and he was C of E.  Both were regular churchgoers but he must have mellowed in his old age as they married in the RC church where all their children were baptised

[c-side]

There was 'The Deceased Brother's Widow's Marriage Act' in 1921.

Sounds complicated but if she had been previously married to his brother who died then they would not have been legally able to marry until this time.

Christine

PS Welcome from me, too 

[Rosinish]

There was 'The Deceased Brother's Widow's Marriage Act' in 1921.

How interesting.............I'd never heard of it but it sure seems absurd  considering they would not have been blood connections yet 2nd cousins were allowed to marry (& sill are) as far as I know (who are blood connected) ? 

[c-side]

What's even more absurd is that the 'Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act' has been around since 1907!  Why the difference 

Not blood related - that's consanguinity - but related nonetheless under the heading 'affinity'

Christine

[hsproutl]

Hello all,

Thanks for your replies.

Yep. I have their marriage certificate and they are listed as bachelor and spinster.

I have traced my gg grandfather, and as far as I can tell from online records he had never been married before, especially as he was only 19 when they had their first child.

My gg grandmother on the other hand is a complete enigma. I have her history traced after 1875 but before that I know nothing of her life.

She was older than her husband and I did suspect that she could have been married before. However her name is so common and changeable that I have no way of narrowing down any possible marriages with other people. Also her being listed as spinster made me question this.

I had never thought about the religion aspect before. They had a civil service - maybe this was neutral ground!
There is a slim chance of her being married to his brother, though she is proving so complicated I would not be surprised if this turned out to be true

Out of curiosity, are there any reasons why a marriage would not be recorded officially? Say if they were of a minority religion, or if one was under age or something? I was just wondering if they had maybe had some kind of unofficial marriage before.

 

[CaroleW]

Civil Registration was introduced in 1837 in England and Wales so unless they married in  another  country or in Scotland their marriage would have had to be registered and would show on the GRO index

[stanmapstone]

How interesting.............I'd never heard of it but it sure seems absurd  considering they would not have been blood connections yet 2nd cousins were allowed to marry (& sill are) as far as I know (who are blood connected) ? 

 It was not only possible for first cousins [cousins-german] to marry each other; it was also quite common, having been legalized in the 1540s. The Act was 32 Hen VIII, c.38 (1540). [Marriage]. (Precontracting & Degrees of Consanguinity). Which says in effect that all marriages were valid unless prohibited by God's laws.  2nd . July 1540.
Among its other provisions it declared that the relationship between first cousins did not constitute a divine prohibition of affinity.

Stan

[clairec666]

Hi all
I'd be interested to know more about the The Deceased Brother's Widow's Marriage Act. I've found a couple of occasions in my family where a man has married his dead wife's sister. Presumably the local community were aware of the existing relationship between the couple? Were their marriages technically invalid? Could they have been prosecuted for marrying each other?

hsproutl - Perhaps you could give us the names of our ancestors to see if anyone else can shed any light on the mystery!