Hi John My only surprise would be if this was the first, cousin marriage you have found I have several in my lines Not sure why you would be horrified as its perfectly legal Some States in the US bar it but far from all and even though some States banned it, they still happened Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 28/04/2013 10:53, John Palmer wrote: > Hello Folks, > Horrified at finding a notable first-cousin marriage > in Wirksworth in 1872, I looked up the matter in Wikipedia > to find the following: > "England maintained a small but stable proportion of > cousin marriages for centuries, with proportions in 1875 > estimated by George Darwin at 3.5 percent for the middle classes > and 4.5 percent for the nobility, though this had declined to under > 1 percent in the 20th century. > Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were a preeminent example". > The United States has the only bans on cousin marriage in the Western world. > Regards, > John Palmer, Dorset, England > Author of Wirksworth website > www.wirksworth.org.uk

From: Nivard Ovington <ovington.one@gmail.com> > Hi John > > My only surprise would be if this was the first, cousin marriage you > have found > > I have several in my lines > > Not sure why you would be horrified as its perfectly legal > > Some States in the US bar it but far from all and even though some > States banned it, they still happened > > Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) > > On 28/04/2013 10:53, John Palmer wrote: > > Hello Folks, > > Horrified at finding a notable first-cousin marriage > > in Wirksworth in 1872, I looked up the matter in Wikipedia > > to find the following: > > "England maintained a small but stable proportion of > > cousin marriages for centuries, with proportions in 1875 > > estimated by George Darwin at 3.5 percent for the middle classes > > and 4.5 percent for the nobility, though this had declined to > under > > 1 percent in the 20th century. > > Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were a preeminent example". > > The United States has the only bans on cousin marriage in the > Western world. > > Regards, > > John Palmer, Dorset, England > > Author of Wirksworth website > > www.wirksworth.org.uk> First-cousin marriages were more common among the upper classes and the aristocracy in order to keep money, property and estates inside the family, rather than admitting outsiders. Apart from Victoria and Albert, the obviously outstanding example of a first-cousin marriage in the royal family was that of William III to Mary II - both were grandchildren of Charles I. -- Roy Stockdill Genealogical researcher, writer & lecturer Famous family trees blog: http://blog.findmypast.co.uk/tag/roy-stockdill/ "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." OSCAR WILDE