Women's legal marriage age in 1853

[Guy Etchells]

16 years of age referred to being old enough to give informed consent to intercourse between a girl and a boy who were not married to each other.  Nothing to do with NSW marriage Acts.

In NSW "carnal knowledge" (criminal intercourse)   was a very serious significant criminal matter, the perpetrator was prosecuted through the criminal court system.


JM

I don't kow about Australia but here in England it did not make any difference if the couple were married or not as the girl/woman could not give consent to intercourse until she was 16 therefore even if she agreed to the act it would be in the eyes of the law statutory rape.

Cheers
Guy

[LizzieW]

Probably why my husband's g.gran said she was 18 when she married, even though she was 15.  Obviously nobody checked.

[majm]

16 years of age referred to being old enough to give informed consent to intercourse between a girl and a boy who were not married to each other.  Nothing to do with NSW marriage Acts.

In NSW "carnal knowledge" (criminal intercourse)   was a very serious significant criminal matter, the perpetrator was prosecuted through the criminal court system.


JM

I don't kow about Australia but here in England it did not make any difference if the couple were married or not as the girl/woman could not give consent to intercourse until she was 16 therefore even if she agreed to the act it would be in the eyes of the law statutory rape.

Cheers
Guy

Marital rape did not exist as a crime in NSW. See the article :  https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126160623 Canberra Times 26 November 1980.

JM