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From: "Robynne" <>
Subject: Re: [AUS-MELB] MARRIAGE BANNS ALLEGATIONS AND UNDER AGE -2
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 10:42:18 +1000
References: <000a01c5a063$82effea0$86481bd3@yourwxrsc38umf>


Thank you for sharing this information Cara, I'm sure there are many 'quiet'
listers out there that will be reading your emails with interest.

Cheers, Robynne

----- Original Message -----
From: "Cara_Links" <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, August 14, 2005 10:02 AM
Subject: [AUS-MELB] MARRIAGE BANNS ALLEGATIONS AND UNDER AGE -2


> Age of Consent
> Remember that unless the bride or groom appeared to be under the age of
> consent they were not asked for proof of their age or identity.
> There are many instances when the age was "massaged" to make it a little
> more palatable! Brides who were older than their grooms often "lost" a few
> years or grooms who were younger "acquired" a few. Some people genuinely
> wouldn't know precisely how old they were.
> ( this idea above was proven when the first census that would show people
> ages in Ireland prior to the old age pension being paid where many gained
> 10 years in 1901 and lost it in 1911)
>
> In the past, at the age of 21 a man or a woman was considered old enough
to
> give their own consent to their own marriage. Under that age, the consent
of
> the parent(s) or the legal guardians or the court was required. Parents of
> people under the age of consent were notified separately that a notice of
> marriage of their child had been taken - giving them time to object to the
> marriage if they should wish. If one or both parents objected and stated
so
> (no reasons need be given) then the marriage cannot take place until the
> bride or groom reaches the age of their own consent. Technically, a
marriage
> of a couple who should have had consent of parents and have married
without
> it is not legal.



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