I have one grandmother not ggrandmother but grandmother who was 13 and the other who was 14 both married older men.In Al in the 1900's. Thanks Betty D. Sjoberg wrote: > > >For some reason a lot of southern women married young. I > > think it was to get away from a big family with too many > > mouths to feed or since women were considered property > > of the father, maybe to avoid sexual abuse. Or the sons > > moved out and needed a wife to take care of them and > > maybe children from a first wife. > > I have several lines where the women married very young. > > Unfortunately, marrying at 11 is not that uncommon. > > WOW! I haven > t yet seen one that early. About the earliest I've seen is 15. I would > think that marryin' off the girls would be to attract more workers to the > farm or to keep the boys on the farm. I definitely agree with the children > needing taking care of . . but I have doubts that someone would want a child > taking care of the children...