ENG-LIVERPOOL-L Archives

Archiver > ENG-LIVERPOOL > 2005-03 > 1109828557


From: "Michael CALDER" <>
Subject: Reason for "Consent" to marry
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 16:42:37 +1100


G'day ,

I have a problem with the age of a woman whose birth I cannot find.
According to three successive census entries and her death registration
her year of birth varies as follows:

1841 - age 30 - yob 1811.
1851 - age 40 - yob 1811.
1861 - age 53 - yob 1808.
1866 - age 61 - yob 1805 (year of death).

Her husband was the Registrar of Births and Deaths for Liverpool
Sub-district 7 (Islington) at the time of the 51, 61 and 71 census so
you would expect him to know his wife's age ;-)

The registration of her marriage in 1831 says:

William Gracie of the Parish of Liverpool, Merchant and Mary Dickson of
the Parish of Walton on the Hill, Spinster were married in this Church
by Licence with Consent of her father this First day of December in the
Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Thirty-one.

Which would lead me to believe that she was at that time under the age
of 21....

BUT....

Her father had married a Manx widow in 1809 and although there are
records of three children born of this marriage in 1812, 1813 and 1814,
there is no record of Mary's birth. ADDITIONALLY in a codicil to her
will proved in 1859 the widow uses the expression "Mary Gracie of the
Town of Liverpool daughter of my late husband" which seems to indicate
that she was not Mary's mother.

As there was 9 months and 5 days from the wedding until the birth of
Mary's first child it would scarecly have been necessary to marry
without banns.

Can anyone please advise me of any other likely reason for a "Consent"
to marry being required for a person aged 25 or so.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Mike.

Mike CALDER
http://members.optusnet.com.au/mikecalder/
Researching: CALDER, DIXON, TUSON, GRACIE
D&GFHS #2979


This thread: