Howard Laver wrote: > The Hardwicke Act of 1753 set the age of consent by parents at 21 but > English Common Law managed quite well without any statutory age of consent > until 1885. Under ancient Common Law, in line with Canon Law - which was > observed throughout Europe - a girl could marry at 12 and a boy at 14. That didn't change until 1927 in England and Wales but didn't change until comparatively recently (1960s?) in Ireland. I believe the change happened when the age of majority was dropped from 21 to the Royal coming of age of 18 in 1969.