Author Topic: Am I being ridiculous?  (Read 5762 times)

Offline mr pinkwhistle

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Am I being ridiculous?
« on: Tuesday 04 December 12 15:02 GMT (UK) »
I am in a bit of a quandry and I wondered if anyone else could help?I am researching the Chaloner(Holt,Denbighshire,Wales) tree in the 1700s and doing really well but I came across a marriage for a John Chaloner(born 1761 in holt,Denbighshire to Charles and Mary) in 1774 to a Mary Chaloner in Holt,Denbighshire.At first I thought no way but the witness on the marriage record is a James Tomlinson and his sister Penelope was John Chaloners sister in law.Then when I checked the burials in Holt John Chaloner was indeed born in 1761 and Mary 1757.So the baptisms,Marriage and Burials all tally.They were not of full age as I have checked this on the marriage also but there are no other clues.What were the laws on marriage at this time and could they have married so early or am I wrong?I would love to hear from anybody who has any advice or ideas or information on the age you could marry at this point.Thank you.

Offline MargP

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Re: Am I being ridiculous?
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 15:17 GMT (UK) »
Hi

I think it was 12 for a girl and 13 for a boy, I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, these are baptist records and they may have been born earlier

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Offline groom

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Re: Am I being ridiculous?
« Reply #2 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 15:22 GMT (UK) »
Hi

Just found this

1763 – Minimum age for marriage set at 16,  (earlier only with a Licence from the Bishop, previously the Church accepted marriage of girls of 12 and boys of 14). Those under 21 still needed the consent of parents. On marriage records individuals that are over 21 often have their age listed as “full age” rather than an exact year.
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Offline mr pinkwhistle

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Re: Am I being ridiculous?
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 15:30 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for that.That clarifies it a bit more but I must say I find it odd as the burial records of this John and Mary chaloner tie in with their date of birth.Oh well,always a bit of a minefield when you are going back that far.Thank you.


Offline Redroger

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Re: Am I being ridiculous?
« Reply #4 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 15:38 GMT (UK) »
See thread: Age of consent -help please. Up to 1929 tne legal ages were 12 for a girl and 14 for a boy. Since then it has been 16 for both sexes. The age does however vary throughout Europe. I believe it is 15 for a girl in France, and 14 in Italy, which can and does lead to problems.
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Offline alpinecottage

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Re: Am I being ridiculous?
« Reply #5 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 15:48 GMT (UK) »
Mary was 17 at the time of her marriage, so that's not unreasonable, but 13 for John seems too young.  Although the law allowed marriage from that age, it very rarely happened other than for royalty etc.  There are 2 possibilities - that John was actually older than a newborn when he was christened and when he was buried, someone calculated his age from his baptismal record.  Or there was another John Challoner, perhaps a cousin, who married Mary and was christened elsewhere and whose burial hasn't been identified yet.  In other words, how sure are you that the John that was buried is the same John who was married to Mary?
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Offline groom

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Re: Am I being ridiculous?
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 15:49 GMT (UK) »
Is the age of consent different to the age that a marriage can take place?
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Offline mr pinkwhistle

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Re: Am I being ridiculous?
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 15:58 GMT (UK) »
It is a bit of a conundrum,I am not sure I will ever solve it because it is so long ago and records are not great but I found it intriguing that James Tomlinson was a witness at the marriage and his sister Penelope married Peter Chaloner who was Johns brother.Perhaps I am looking for something that really isnt there?

Offline stanmapstone

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Re: Am I being ridiculous?
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 04 December 12 15:59 GMT (UK) »
Is the age of consent different to the age that a marriage can take place?

If you mean the age of consent to sexual intercourse, yes it is.

Stan
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