Genealogy Chat

Marjorie, Reckon thats what happened with my lot as my Great grandfather was defintely not registered at birth (have the wrong birth certs to prove it), and there are no more on 1837 for anywhere near his years of birth. Another funny thing is the first census he is on (7months old he is a son) his mother/grandma is 54 and in all the other census he is a grandson???? I have three marriage and birth certs so far of the other rellies who were definetly carrying when they got wed. Funny when I was growing up the older folks thought our generation was the permissive society??? LOL> Pat x

After the age changed to 16, did they have to have parents permission? I ask because my mum told me that she coldn't get married before she was 21 as she didn't have her fathers permission. Her mother was dead, and she didn't know who her father was as she was illegitamate. She told me that she had to wait until she was 21. Pat

Oh, yes, and all the thumping great 10 lb premature babies! The other thing that makes me laugh, in my family anyway but I daresay plenty more, is the 64 year old women giving birth! My Auntie told me it was very common in her day for the naughty daughter to be sent away "to look after a sick relative", Mother would stick a cushion up her skirt for six months, then be called away to the sick relatives bedside, to return shortly with her new baby and a rather pale-looking daughter. My Auntie said everyone knew what was going on, but no body dared say anything, especially if they had daughters themselves - they never knew when it would be their turn for the cushion!

Lots of people did and do get married when there is a baby on the way, or when they've already had a baby. My grandmother had her first child the same year as her marriage and only when I looked at the dates did I realise she was "respectable" as the wedding occurred in January and the baby arrived in December. Contraception was not as reliable then, and was frowned upon - but people's urges and desires were the same. nell

My grandmother kept telling me that they didnt do things like that in her day. Yet she married just 4 months before my mum was born.

Good god! I thought when my mother said she thought her g mother was only 16 when she married was wrong, but have just found out that she had her first child at 15, and i've been looking for a marriage after her 16 th b day. Now she could have been married a few years before that. And they said the 60's was a time for unmarried young mums!! Joanne.

12 for girls and 14 for boys. This was changed to 16 for both in 1929

What was the earliest age you could get married in early 1900's. Joanne.