Genealogy Chat

I have found a female ancestor called spink, whose daughter married a spink, one of the possibilities is that they maybe married a cousin, does anyone know if it was legal for cousins to marry in 1814?? Thanks

Yes, there were all sorts of prohibitied relationships but that wasn't one of them.

www.home.clara.net is a site full of useful info. I found the following there which migh be of interest: Prohibited Degrees of marriage. The marriage of first cousins was not unusual and has been legal since the C16. However marriages between people who were related in some other ways [known as the prohibited degrees] were forbidden by acts of Parliament and ecclesiastical law. The present position is set out in the Marriage Act 1949 [as amended in 1986], but for most of the period you will be researching the relevant rules [reached in about 1560 and confirmed by church laws , known as Canons, in 1564] were listed in the Common Book of Prayer of 1662. The prohibitions prevented someone marrying his or her; a] brother or sister [ or their spouse] b] parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, child or grandchild[ or their spouse] c] niece or nephew[ or their spouse] d] spouse's child, grandchild,parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent. Statutes of 1907 and 1921 made an exception to the prohibition at a] above, allowing people to marry the spouse of their brother or sister, if that brother or sister had died. Some further exceptions were made in 1931,1949 and 1986 so that, for example, a man was allowed to marry his deceased wife's niece, aunt, or widowed mother.

Thanks Judith , thats very helpful an interesting too...will have a look at that site now..thanx

Hi judith cant seem to get that site did a little mooching around and found this one which looks very interesting..especialy aimed at genealogists http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb(.)com/~framland/acts/actind.htm

My great grandparents were cousins. I think thats why were all odd. Angie

My grt gran marrried her cousin in 1893 after her first hubby died The second hubby died in about 1898 & She married HIS bro (also her cousin) in 1900. So guess it was ok not only to marry your cousin,but also to marry your BIL (who was also your cousin) then Shirley

LoL at Angie

Shirley Blimey! I guess it definitely was legal then..I bet it was confusing tracing all that back

absolutly Was gobsmacked when I found the marriage of the third hubby & found he had been married to her younger sister!! Makes finding her 1st husbands birth familya problem too,as He didnt seem to be reg.in 1847. going by family names ,I found a poss on census, but the ma was Mary, & this was aslso her youger sis. so no further forward on her first hubby( my grt grandad family). A big brickwall Shirley

nudge