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Archiver > LANCSGEN > 2011-05 > 1304798220


From: Ruth Appleby <>
Subject: Re: [LAN] Marriage age 16th and 17th centuries
Date: Sat, 7 May 2011 20:57:00 +0100
References: <C0296AF49C2F479D92F556FAFEB5ED57@susaned87bc4bf>
In-Reply-To: <C0296AF49C2F479D92F556FAFEB5ED57@susaned87bc4bf>


Until the mid-19th century there was no legal age for marriage. As you say, marriages were arranged among the upper classes when children were very young, although while a marriage ceremony may have taken place, they did not "live together" until the girl was about 14 and of chldbearing age. In the lower classes (for want of a better phrase) marriages were not necessarily contracted, but generally speaking couples would usually go through a first marriage ceremony at approximately 18 - 22, give or take.

Ruth

> From:
> To:
> Date: Sat, 7 May 2011 20:48:41 +0100
> Subject: [LAN] Marriage age 16th and 17th centuries
>
> I am currently trying disentangle one of my families from 16th and
> 17th-century parish registers. As you know, there's often very little
> information and it's not an easy job. In later centuries the average age
> for marriage for a man appears to be around 25. Does anybody know what the
> average age would be in previous centuries? I know that the wealthy would
> have arranged marriages at very young ages but what about the ordinary
> working folk like my lot?!
>
> Any information would be greatly appreciated
>
> Thanks
>
> Sue
>
>
>
>
> :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-:
>
> PLEASE and THANK YOU -- Don't cost a thing and mean so much.
>
> :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-: :-+-:
>
>
>
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