Genealogy Chat

to marry your half uncle in the late 1800s? I've just found one of mine who did!! Her Grandmother and his mother were the same person!

Not sure quite what you mean. Cant make any sense of the relationship

I am assuming that the brides grandmother had the groom by a different father than the person who was the brides parent. Back then, I think it was legal for niece and uncle to marry anyway, but not certain.

Googled and found this information which is valid today - don't know about in the 1800's. Copy and paste has messed this up, but first of each pair is who men can't marry, and second of each pair is who women can't marry. Men cannot marry:- Women cannot marry:- Grandmother Grandfather Mother Father mother’s sister father’s brother mother’s half-sister father’s half-brother father’s sister mother’s brother father’s half-sister mother’s half-brother adoptive mother - see below adoptive father - see below Sister Brother half-sister half-brother Daughter Son adopted daughter - see below adopted son - see below sister’s daughter sister’s son half-sister’s daughter half-sister’s son brother’s daughter brother’s son half-brother’s daughter half-brother’s son Granddaughter Grandson Kath. x

Thanks, Jess, Carol & Kathleen. So, according to that Kathleen, it looks like the marriage was illegal then! The Brides grandmother was widowed young and remarried. The Bride married the son of that union, who was her half-uncle ie the Brides father was the half brother of the Groom! Looking at the Bride's history she was a bit of a wayward girl anyway, with 2 children already, outside of marriage. She married this man when he was about 64 and she was 37 and had one son before he died 10 years later!

I don't suppose anyone asked your relationship in those days, so if you didn't let on, I don't suppose anyone was any the wiser. Kath. x

I'm imagining them waiting with baited breath during the part where the vicar asks if there's 'anyone who knows of any just cause why..'!! lol The Brides father would surely have known! They were looking after her 2 other children at the time too!

Could it be possible that the groom was actually the son of the grandmother's second husband from a previous marriage - i.e. the grandmother's step-son? If that was the case, then they wouldn't have been blood-relatives. Just a thought! Richard

Hi Richard, nope he was definitely Granny's son! He was born a year after her remarriage and has her maiden name as his middle name. I only discovered it as I was going back on Granny's side, and recognised the name! It's kind of unusual but common for Devon!