Frances You are going to be horrified. I believe that it was raised to 16 with parental consent 1885. Previously it was 13 If you google - age of consent - you will find a wealth of information Michael Allbrook -----Original Message----- From: essex-uk-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:essex-uk-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Fran Vose Sent: 08 September 2008 21:45 To: essex-uk@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [Ess] mARRIAGE AGE - 1600'S, 1700's, 1800-1850 for women Could anyone advise the official minimum legal marriage age (if there was one) in above centuries for women. Think it could be helpful for research purposes. Many thanks! Frances ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Any problems, please contact the List Admin: Essex-UK-admin@rootsweb.com ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ESSEX-UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hello Frances, Michael, ----- Original Message ----- From: <michael@allbrook.com> > Frances > You are going to be horrified. I believe that it was raised to 16 with > parental consent 1885. Previously it was 13 > If you google - age of consent - you will find a wealth of information > Michael Allbrook > > -----Original Message-----> On Behalf Of Fran Vose >> Could anyone advise the official minimum legal marriage age (if there was > one) in above centuries for women. Think it could be helpful for research > purposes. Many thanks! > > Frances Michael is on the right lines, but the changes were more recent. Until July 1929, the minimum age was 14 for men and 12 for women, when it was raised to 16 for both. Parental consent was needed for a party under 21. Consent might be deemed if they failed to object at the calling of the Banns. Written consent was required for marriage by licence. Marriages where at least one party was below the age of consent were null ab initio, IIRC. Marriage without appropriate consent was, again IIRC, legal but possibly voidable? I think that what Michael has in mind was possibly the raising of the age of consent for sexual relations *outside* marriage. The above applied in England & Wales only. I believe the age of consent was only raised in Ireland much more recently. I do not know about the Scottish situation. Cheers John Henley researching (and not finding much time for - but always very glad to hear of any) HENLEY, PARKER, RAPER, [London/Middlesex] DURDEN, PRENTICE [Essex/London/ Woolwich] , SECKER, [Suffolk, London/Middlesex] ROLFE, (O)RAFFERTY, EVANS, PARSONS, SYMONDS [ Berks/Hants/Wilts] HILL [IN Staffs/Cambs/Berks]