Legal age for marriage

[jancan]

Hi,
 just found on the 1871 census that my gg grandfather daughter        was married at 11yrs old and her husband was 13 yrs old ?
jancan

[Boongie Pam]

Hiya Jancan.

Well well - I can't believe that!?  I don't think it has ever been legal that young!

What's the census entry?  Have you found a corresponding birth to both bride and groom -  it could be dodgy census enumeration?

Pam
 

[RJ_Paton]

In Scotland the "legal" minimum was set at 14 for boys and 12 for girls... although doing a search on Google brings up the following
http://www.lawsons.ca/isleoman/iom_006.html

which records the marriage of a couple  where the groom is between 11 & 12 yrs of age
... he obviously like older women as she is listed as 21 yrs of age.

[jancan]

Hi
the 1871 census  was looking up the jays family,
Ann Jays 43 wife Heanor Derbyshire
Eliizabeth j Jays 6 daughter Whitwick liecestershire
John Jays 16 son whitwick leicestershire
Lucy Jays 11 daughter whitwick Leicestershire
William Jays 43 Head  Whitwick Leicestershire
George Musson 13 son in law Heanor Derbyshire
Harriet Musson 11 Heanor Derbyshire daughter
just come to it looks like they are possible step children?
jancan
 

[scotmum]

England and Wales

1836 - 1926  Minimum age at marriage = 14yrs Male 12yrs Female
1929 - Age of Marriage Act - marriage void if either person <16yrs

[JacquiY]

I've just received an 1857 marriage certificate which states "of age" in the age column (drat!!) - does this mean that they could have been as young as 12/14 when the couple married!  Were they so much more mature than kids these days??!! Looking at my 14yr old son they would have to be!   
Jax

[C P Rayson]

Hi

Be careful of the term "son in law" or daughter in law for that matter, the interpreation we use today is somewhat different than used  in years gone by

I believe the term at this time should be read in a way that implies an accepted responsibility i.e that the child is his son in the eyes of the law. Remember that adoption was perhaps not the norm, a grandparent or other relative would take responsibilty for a child following the parents death

Hope this is of use

Lacie

[Candolim_Imp]

Scotlandspeople discusses the legal age issue, as they changed it around the same time as England & Wales... and the reasoning would probably be the same:

Basically, although it was technically legal to marry at 14 for boys and 12 for girls with parental consent, people had long since abandoned the practice (and even when it was done, it tended to be amongst the landed gentry in order to merge/reunite property & wealth).

For many generations it was one of those ridiculous laws that people didn't actually take advantage of, and it was changed so late because it wasn't posing  moral problem in society (ie it never cropped up as an issue).... had people been regularly taking advantage of the legal right to marry at such a young age, they would've changed the law at a much earlier stage.

I'm not saying it's impossible, but when ancestors look like they may have been married so young... consider the other possibilities, as those are probably more likely... son/dau-in-law so young will probably be a step-child or other dependant.

I have around 3500 names in my tree from about 1570-present, and never once found a marriage below the age of 16.

[liverpool annie]

Hi

I was reading today that in the 1841 census - Childrens actual ages were rounded down to previous 5 year step  - as a practice -  for the recording for aged 15 or over ! No wonder all our ancestors were married so young!!