Hi I know we have had a similar discussion on marriage with deceased wife's sister previously. Can anyone confirm that you were also not supposed to marry your deceased wife's sister's daughter (ie your neice)? I have one of these in my tree in 1852. Although I dont know exactly where they married it was in the Wareham registration district so it was close to where they were living. regards Caroline Western Australia -- I use Archive CD Books to help with my research http://www.archivecdbooks.org

At 11:48 20/07/2003 +0800, Caroline Ingram wrote: >Hi > I know we have had a similar discussion on marriage with deceased >wife's sister previously. Can anyone confirm that you were also not >supposed to marry your deceased wife's sister's daughter (ie your >neice)? I have one of these in my tree in 1852. Although I dont know >exactly where they married it was in the Wareham registration district >so it was close to where they were living. > >regards >Caroline >Western Australia The theory was that when you were married you became one flesh so then marrying any member of your wife's immediate family was incest. The Forbidden partners as stated in the Book of Common Prayer 1662 lists 60 prohibted combinations. At number 30 is a man's wife's sister's daughter. This was not removed from the list until 1931. Thus it would have been illegal by Canon Law in 1852. This means that any children would have been illegitimate. "Marriage Laws, Rites, Records and Customs" by Colin Chapman has the whole list of prohibited marriage partners as Appendix 11. All the best Helen Helen Jones, Weymouth, Dorset http://www.melcombe.freeserve.co.uk List Admin Rootsweb Eng Dorset & Scammell Lists, and British Genealogy Eng-Dorset, Surnames & Forenames list