----- Original Message ----- From: <Deb61298@aol.com> To: <NJMONMOU-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2000 8:35 AM Subject: [NJMONMOU] Marriage Custums Did anyone save the Marriage customs posted not long ago? I can't find the email that it was in. If someone has it, would they mind reposting? Thanks, Debbie ----- Original Message ----- From: Joyce <jt1161@earthlink.net> To: <NJMONMOU-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, April 09, 2000 1:58 PM Subject: Re: [NJMONMOU] Marriage Customs repeat of msg Pat Mount > Pat, thank you for the informative message about marriage customs for > widows. There is another marriage custom called "throwing the stocking" > which I have always been curious about. Jonathan Holmes described the > custom in his diary as follows: > > 25 Apr 1737 > "in the after part of the day I went unto John Bards: Peter Bowne being with > me it being wedding times there. at evening as the young folks was a > shoeing tricks in the outward room the Groom and Brid Luckeyly Sliped into > Bed and fastened the doore: Some notice was given of the matter before the > groom was gott to bed. Some indeavored to peep but the females hindered us > with a seeming desire to have all to themselves & that while the groom was > ondressing some said that they would open the doore and fe (see) that the > brid was rightly put to bed and would throwe the Stocken. after some time > the wind rose or something that drew the window sheet open & a person jumpd > in and opened the Doore then all hands in a seeking for the brides stocking > which after awhile I found in my hand and another I found under the bed then > to throwing the stocking after some I threw & hit the brids nose which made > lafter (laughter) and after we had done I saluted the brid and so shut the > door & window" (John E. Stillwell, "Historical & Genealogical Miscellany", > 3:368, Jonathan Holmes' Diary). > > Any ideas on what throwing the bride's stocking symbolized? > > Susan > > > > > Documents Relating to the Colonial History of NJ, Vol. 22 > > SOME PECULIAR MARRIAGE CUSTOMS. > > The popular application of certain well known principles of law > often leads to quaint and curious customs, and marriage is no exception to > such interpretation of the law. By the common law "the marriage is an > absolute > gift of all chattels personals (of the wife) in possession of her own right, > whether the husband survive the wife or not."1 Conversely, "a husband was to > be charged for all debts of his wife, dum solo."2 > These laws led to a peculiar custom in England, which was > transplanted to America, and was practiced in New Jersey, as appears by the > following entry in our public records: > > "Thomas Holmes of Woodbridge brickmaker and Lucracia the widow of > John Pierce of New York [marriage license issued July 14, 1679] were married > at Mr. Moor's house in Woodbridge Thursday 17 July 1679 by James Bollen. > > "The said Holmes disclaymed any of ye Widow's Estate, but took > her > naked only her shift."3 > > The observant Professor Kalm thus entertainingly explains the > custom and its practice in New Jersey in the middle of the eighteenth > century: > > "There is a peculiar diverting custom here, in regard to > marrying. > When a man dies, and leaves his widow in great poverty, or so that she > cannot > pay all the debts with what little she has left, and that, notwithstanding > all > that, there is a person who will marry her, she must be married in no other > habit than her shift. By that means, she leaves to the creditors of her > deceased husband her cloaths, and every thing which they find in the house. > But she is not obliged to pay them any thing more, because she has left them > all she was worth, even her cloaths, keeping only a shift to cover her, > which > the laws of the country cannot refuse her. As soon as she is married, and no > longer belongs to the deceased husband, she puts on the cloaths which the > second has given her. The Swedish clergymen here have often been obliged to > marry a woman in a dress which is so little expensive, and so > light. This appears from the registers kept in the churches,1 and from the > accounts given by the clergymen themselves. I have likewise often > seen accounts of such marriages in the English gazettes, which are printed > in > these colonies; and I particularly remember the following relation: > > A woman went, with no other dress than her shift, out of the house of her > deceased husband to that of her bridegroom, who met her half-way with fine > new > cloaths, and said, before all who were present, that he lent them his bride, > and put them on her with his own hands. It seems, he said, that he lent the > cloaths, lest, if he had said he gave them, the creditors of the first > husband > should come, and take them from her; pretending that she was looked upon as > the relict of her first husband, before she was married to the second."2 > > 1 Co. Litt. 351. > > 2 1 Rol. 321, 1. 25; 3 Mod. 186. > > 3 E. J. Deeds, Liber No. 3, f. 158. > > >From Documents Relating to the Colonial History of New Jersey, Vol. 22 > > A MARRIAGE LICENSE IN 1695. > > The following is the oldest New Jersey marriage license known to > be > in existence: > > "THE GOVERNOUR AND PROPRIETORS of the Province of East New > Jersey, > To Any of his Majesties Justices of the peace In the sayd Province, to whose > hands these presents shall come, GREETING Whereas Application hath beene > made > unto us In behalfe of Grasham Mote and Sarah Clayton both of Middletoun In > the > Countie of Munmouth to bee Joyned In Marriage, And WEE being certainelie > Informed that the sayd Grasham Mote and Sarah Clayton are free and unmarried > persones THESE are therefore to Authorize and Impower you to Joyne the sayd > persones In the holy bond of Matrimonie In usuall forme, for which these > presents shall bee your warrant GIVEN under the Seale of the sayd Province > the > twelth day of ffebruarie > Anno Dom: 1696. > > AND. HAMILTON." > > This document is written on white paper, both ink and paper > excellently preserved. In the upper left hand corner > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <der@redrose.net> > To: <NJMONMOU-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2000 3:12 PM > Subject: Re: [NJMONMOU] Marriage Customs > > > I missed them too. May I ask the same favor? They sound really > interesting. (and hilarious as well, from the way it sounds. :)) > > Date forwarded: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 08:33:47 -0700 (PDT) > From: LindaBch@aol.com > Date sent: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 11:32:40 EDT > Subject: Re: [NJMONMOU] Marriage Customs > To: NJMONMOU-L@rootsweb.com > Forwarded by: NJMONMOU-L@rootsweb.com > Send reply to: NJMONMOU-L@rootsweb.com > > > i think i missed the marriage customs listing by pat! does anyone have it > to > > forward to me? thanks=linda > > > > > > > > Regards, > Donna Ristenbatt > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > der@redrose.net > Visit: ON THE TRAIL OF OUR ANCESTORS > http://www.ristenbatt.com/genealogy > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Ships' Lists, PA and Mennonite Research Corner, > Dutch Research Corner, Cemetery Lists, > Rev. War Loyalists, Finding a Civil War Ancestor, > Many Surnames and More! > > >