Marriage between 1st cousins

[Huwcyn]

Not that I've any intention of proposing to such a relation, but is such a marriage valid ?
If not, would it have been valid in the late 1800s ?

[groom]

Yes you can marry your cousin.

Here is who you cant marry

http://www.genetic-genealogy.co.uk/Toc115570145.html


Jan

[Jeuel]

Marriage between first cousins has always been valid in this country and most of the royal families of Europe have many examples of this.

I have a few cousin marriages in my tree, including a couple who were cousins twice over, as two brothers married two sisters and their children married.

[stanmapstone]

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

[dragongirl]

My Grandfather and Grandmother married in 1900.
His Father and her mother were brother and sister evidently none of the family thought it Odd - only thing was I was a set of Grandparents short !!!

[Huwcyn]

Thank you all for your interesting comments.

[coombs]

I have a few first cousin marriages in my tree.

[Mark1973]

Yes my GGG Grandparents were first cousins, their Dad's were brothers.

[stanmapstone]

For a list of Prohibited Degrees cited by Archbishop Parker cited in 1563, see
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,301920.msg1838420.html#msg1838420
and for the current list of Prohibited Degrees see
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,301920.msg1838427.html#msg1838427


Stan