Hi, Edie, It was not uncommon for first cousins to marry, especially in times and places where populations were small. There just wasn't a large pool of eligible singles to meet, and in this country, in colonial times where people lived in small settlements, it wasn't anything that would raise eyebrows. Bet it was the same in Australia. I have found at least one instance, way back when, where two first cousins married in my ancestry. I had another family of ancestors who all lived on Nantucket, an island off the northeast coast of the USA. They were Quakers and there were several main families and several main surnames. There were many, many instances of "second" or first cousins once removed marrying there. I have several ancestors who shared a great grandparent, for instance. I think it is a lot less common now and may not even be legal in some places, I suppose. But for folks who are past child-bearing ages, I suppose nobody would even care! Good for them....hope they will be very happy. Cousin Marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob and Edie McArthur" <robmc@our.net.au> To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 25, 2002 4:47 PM Subject: Re: [ARMSTRONG-L] Brick walls and such > Hi Mary, > Between a Rock and a hard place, sounds the same meaning to me. Without > those middle names to help us out, it is hard to separate all the > Elizabeths, James and Williams and Johns isn,t it. > > Two of my first cousins on the same line as mine, married each other in May > this year, after I introduced them again after many years out of touch. > Both in their late fifties. They used to write to each other as children. > They fell in love and the rest is history. That will be confusing later on > when someone is researching our family. What is the incidence of the > Armstrong families having that happen. The thing is, most of us would maybe > not even contemplate that two first cousins would marry so wouldn't even > look for it. Or dismiss it as a possibility. So could miss a clue. Has > that happened to anyone else's family? > > Edie > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <LITMAR@aol.com> > To: <ARMSTRONG-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 1:43 AM > Subject: [ARMSTRONG-L] Brick walls and such > > > > Is the brick wall and a hard basket the same as between a rock and a hard > > place? > > > > Recently I noted in one of those county histories, a person with another > name > > who was married to a person with a surname that married into my Armstrong > > family. The problem I have is that sisters with the same surname married > > brothers with another common surname, and that they didn't have that many > > names to CHOOSE from - how many Elizabeths and James can there be? > > > > Anyway I am on the trail. Happy giving thanks and eating everyone!! My > kids > > are coming home, and I am very thankful. Mary > > > >