Genealogy Chat

Thought I was safe on the Ronnan tree with a brother marrying his brother's widow in about 1875. Do I confess I was watching Catherine Cookson film on the box...yes. And the final bit of the plot was that it was illegal to do the above until the 1940s. Anyone able to clarify? It will be tomorrow now before I'm signed back on. Thanks. Liz

The 1907 deceased wife's sister's marriage act. 'The Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act 1907 removed the prohibition (although it allowed individual clergy, if they chose, to refuse to conduct marriages which would previously have been prohibited). But the Act did exactly what it said and no more. So, for example, it was not until 1921 that the Deceased Brother's Widow's Marriage Act 1921 was passed. The Marriage (Prohibited Degrees) Relationship Act 1931 extended the operation of the 1907 Act to allow the marriages of nieces and nephews by marriage as well.' wikipedia.

Oooh how interesting! My ggranfather asked his brother to look after his wife & kids when he was dying in 1922. His widow & his brother then lived together (as husband & wife) but never married. I wonder if they were refused or just never wanted to.

Clare Far more likely that they knew they were doing something 'wrong' and didnt even ask! I know of a case where a man did marry his dead wife's twin sister - but concealed the marriage from everyone, including his daughter, who did not find out until after her father died, that her 'mother' was her aunty. OC

My husbands Gt grandfather married his dead wifes sister in Church in 1870 She was a widow so I suppose the vicar didn't realise that she was his sister in law. His first marrage had been at a different church Bren

closest I have is a man marring his dead wifes brothers widow as requested in a will (take her as your own)

I found this interesting because I have come across this kind of thing twice in my tree. Two years after my great grandfather's wife died in childbirth at twenty he married her younger sister. In another case the husband died, leaving her with several children, and the family seem to have sent the younger brother from Cornwall to Nurthumberland to marry and care for her. Did it only apply to men marrying widows? Anyone know how early this went back to?

I have this in my tree. The two sisters had both been left money in their father's will to be paid upon their marriage. The husband was a chemist, and I can't help but wonder if he made up some concoction to bump off the first wife so he could marry the sister and get the second inheritance. She only lasted for about 5 years after the marriage aswell. I am amazed that he could marry the sister given it was supposed to be illagal. The vicar may not have known to marry them, but you would think her family would have noticed!!!

Oh blimey, my great-grandfather married his dead wife's sister - later in the same year too (1898)! That part of my tree had already been researched by my aunt and a cousin, so it never occurred to me that he shouldn't have done it. Will have to investigate further now! Mandy :)

It was not that unusual. If you find a couple marrying away from their normal parish, it was sometimes done to conceal the fact that it was in illegal match, such as a man marrying his dead wife's sister or Bigamy. Jennifer

I have a gt aunt still alive who married one brother and when he died then married his brother and the brothers are now buried in the same grave.

I have an illegal case in the 1850's and a legal one in the 1930's. Both of a man marrying his deceased wife's sister.

I have one rellie who married his nephew's widow who was 21 years younger than him. When I hear the words 'deceased wife's sister' it always makes me think of the Gilbert and Sullivan song from Iolanthe which is about things that the parliament wants to change including 'marriage with deceased wife's sister'. Tra-la-la!! Guess that would have been in the late 19th century.

I'm 45, but I have a 'cousin' who's 70. We share the same grandad, but our grandmas were sisters.My grandfather's first wife died in 1919, and he married her sister in 1921, presumably legally according to the Act mentioned above. The three of them had originally met in Three Orphan's Asylum in Liverpool in the 1880's.

Thanks everyone. I must go over with a fine toothcomb the verification I thought I had on certificates that the 2 men were brothers. They lived in same house prior to the 1st husband's death. Perhaps if wife was pregnant with 2nd husband's child (born 8 months after marriage) a blind eye was turned. They both had the same surname and married in their home area. Liz

in my tree i had 2 brothers that married 2 sisters one brother died and the other brothers wife died and the remaining brother and sister married.In all marriages there was children born which has left us the people doing the tree very confused with whose children whose whose. hummmmmmmmm

Bloomin heck, with all the inbreeding in my hubby's family, they obviously didnt pay much respect to the law ;-))