what exactely is an idiot?!

[Redroger]

It was supposedly policed by the local clergy, and the asking for impediments during the marriage service. I know of several cases in rural Cambridgeshire during the 19th century where the clergyman must have been aware the couple were related, and attended a family history meeting in Doncaster where I asked the lecturer whether the laws on permitted relationships were enforced or not? The tree concerned was one in rural Lincolnshire.

[busylizzie123]

You know now that I think about it there were alot of Downs children/people around when I was younger,  never gave it much thought, but now realise it was due to the older mothers and of course in these times we have medical checks to detect the condition so not so common

[busylizzie123]

It was supposedly policed by the local clergy, and the asking for impediments during the marriage service. I know of several cases in rural Cambridgeshire during the 19th century where the clergyman must have been aware the couple were related, and attended a family history meeting in Doncaster where I asked the lecturer whether the laws on permitted relationships were enforced or not? The tree concerned was one in rural Lincolnshire.

So did he turn a blind eye? interesting....I know a family that adopted a child who was the result of incest, she was of normal intelligence but had very strange looks and did marry but was unable to have a child....a physical problem possibly due to her genes.

[Geoff-E]

As IQ is a 20th century notion, I don't really see that it can be "back dated" to cover an arbitrary array of 19th century mental deficiencies.  

[busylizzie123]

Very true Geoff E,

[rachelralph]

this particular man in my tree, is not from a family that kept the family close 

i do however have on my mother in laws family, a family that without a doubt married cousins, uncles, nieces, nephews etc. without a doubt the clergy here knew they were related. i guess he just turned a blind eye to it.

[stanmapstone]

I was under the impression that interbreeding was stemmed by a law or ban on marrying even 2nd cousins which apparently was lifted in the 20th century.

It is quite a common misconception that marriages of first cousins were either illegal or frowned upon by the Church. Cousin marriages have never been in the forbidden list of kindred. The list of forbidden partners are stated in the Book of Common Prayer.

 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. Before this all provinces of the Catholic Church did agree that marriage between first cousins was essentially unacceptable.

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.

See also http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,301920.msg1839225.html#msg1839225
Stan

[Galium]

mmm never seen Mongol on a census ...maybe not a term used in those times or as you say was an insult . so why use idiot

John Langdon Down first described the condition later named after him in 1862, and produced a more widely published report in1866.  He used the term 'mongoloid' to describe the characteristic facial features.  It was not a term used before this time.

Idiot was once a perfectly acceptable term used to describe someone we would now say was mentally challenged.   William Wordsworth's poem The Idiot Boy, published in 1798 was not intended in any way to make fun of or show contempt for the person who is the subject of the story being told.  Wordsworth just used the word that everyone used and understood.

[LizzieL]

A distant rellie of mine was listed on early censuses living with wife and children and occupation was a Painter, then in three subsequent censuses he was in an asylum and was listed as a lunatic. confirmed he was epileptic.  

.
In early days paint had lead in it and it's well known that it affects the brain.  I wonder if the paint content brought about the fits?

I hadn't thought about the lead in the paint - certainly a possible cause for him developing epilepsy or something with similar symptoms. I wonder if I can put occupation "painter" and disability "idiot" into FindMyPast and see whether there are a lot of painters similarly afflicted.