It is only recently that I heard about "irregular marriages" from someone in the U.K. of Scots birth. Had mentioned that a number of my ancestors seemed to be married a very short time prior to giving birth to their first child and also could not find marriages for two of my ancestors. For anyone wanting information on "irregular marriages" in Scotland see: http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=8397 Apparently these marriages were quite legal but the kirk (church) put pressure on couples to have a union blessed - which cost money. In North America, there were country marriages and handfasting. In earlier times, a minister or priest was not often that handy. Lauraine Lauraine > > From: "MASmith" <momsmith@fnwusers.com> > Date: 2009/07/09 Thu PM 06:37:22 CDT > To: <can-usa-migration@rootsweb.com> > Subject: Re: [CAN-USA-MIG] Marriages not Appreciated in past decades > > I think the "morality" standards are a lot more lax today than they used to > be.... and therefore, more kinds of marriages, arrangements, matches, etc. > are going on all the time. People are not as strict about what is "proper" > and what is to be banished as they used to be. > > Part of this may have come about because the guys in the service were sent > to all parts of the world with different customs, etc. and brought back > wives who were not completely versed in "our way of life." (For better or > worse!!) And part of it is because there are no longer all the strict > laws, morals, "proper" actions, etc. that there used to be. We have come a > long way since Victorian times.........but if you really know a lot about > what "went on" in those times, you'd probably realize that not all people > really lived up to them at the time, even!!! > > Just my "take" on the subject..........right or wrong? > > mas > > -----Original Message----- > From: can-usa-migration-bounces@rootsweb.com > [mailto:can-usa-migration-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Betty > Sent: Saturday, July 04, 2009 8:07 AM > To: can-usa-migration@rootsweb.com > Subject: [CAN-USA-MIG] Marriages not Appreciated in past decades > > Hello, > > Both of my parents had a much younger brother, both of whom were born on > "Valentine's Day." Both born in 1930's. My father's younger, > half-brother, joined the Army either during or right after high school. As > > many other soldiers did, he ended up in Germany. He met a young lady > there and they fell in love. He brought her back to the US, and I think > they married here. He was only 10 years older than me. So I have an > aunt who is only 6 yrs. older than me. I don't remember there being any > "discussions" in my father's family about having a lady born in Germany in > their family. > > Over to my mother's younger brother, he also joined the Army - even before > he graduated. While in the Army, he met a young lady in MA, and they fell > > in love and wanted to marry. But, horrors, she was a "divorcee" and worse > than that, she had - a child. There were many "discussions" about this > situation. Both my uncle and his wife had a nice wedding but both were > hurt by all the "discussions" and they became partly estranged from the > family because of it ! That was the 1950's ! They were an "Army > family" and moved to many states. And I don't think I've seen this uncle > and aunt since the 1960's; they didn't even come home for the parents' > funerals. They had a daughter of their own, and then adopted a son. > I've never met their son. > > Cousins will be cousins, and we tried to keep in touch with the 2 daughters. > > Some cousins traveled to their home for vacations. Last summer one of the > > daughters surprised all of us at our annual "cousins get-together" - when > she flew up from a southern state to attend the cookout ! She was the > daughter from her mother's first marriage, and she was made to feel "family" > > last summer, and she really appreciated it. > > My parents came from 2, different kinds of families. One with a lot of > "pride" and one with - not quite so much. > > "Proper Bostonians" were not always in MA/US. > > Betty (near Lowell, MA, USA) > > > (We know a man who fathered a child while in the Army and in Germany. We > don't know the circumstances, but he came back and married here and had > children with his wife. As it turned out? Both daughters ended up with > > the same first-name - unbeknownst to him.) > > > > When you want to respond to a query or comment posted on this List, I find > it MUCH easier to post a new message -- remembering to include the SUBJECT > from the post you are responding to !! Please make sure there is a > SURNAME or place-name in the Subject. > > To search the archives: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/search?path=CAN-USA-MIGRATION > The information page is: > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Immigration/CAN-USA-MIGRATION.html > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > CAN-USA-MIGRATION-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > When you want to respond to a query or comment posted on this List, I find it MUCH easier to post a new message -- remembering to include the SUBJECT from the post you are responding to !! Please make sure there is a SURNAME or place-name in the Subject. > > To search the archives: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/search?path=CAN-USA-MIGRATION > The information page is: > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Immigration/CAN-USA-MIGRATION.html > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CAN-USA-MIGRATION-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >