Subject: [NFK] Wendling baptism and marriage From: "Jan Rockett" <jan.rockett@ntlworld.com> Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:46:22 +0100 To: <norfolk@rootsweb.com> To: <norfolk@rootsweb.com> I know this may seem a strange question but what was the age that a man had to get permission to marry and would this require a licence below 21? I have a chap, Thomas Rockett, marrying at Wendling 3 Sept 1822. In the later census returns he indicates he was born c1805, making him 16-17 when marrying. This is borne out when he dies and his birth year is estimated at 1805. I cannot find his baptism anywhere and have looked at the Wendling baptisms from 1790 onwards to no avail. I can find a chap by that name in Chardstock and know from a surname atlas that there were a lot of Rocketts' from there but can find nothing to indicate he was born there. Can anyone throw any light onto this please?? Jan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jan I have some Rockett ancestors so I thought I would take a look at this. Questions about the age someone had to be to marry comes up a lot. You will find the definitive answer on the UK Parliament website and the adress for the bit you want is here http://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/relationships/overview/lawofmarriage-/ I then had a prowl about to find your Rockett ancestor. As you have said, the Parish Register does not give the age of either Bride or Groom which is unusual and unhelpful (no sense of history, these 19th century clerics). As to his actual age, the various census records give his year of birth anywhere between 1804 and 1808. I would not take too much notice of that. One of my ancestors who we know was 66 at the time knocked several years of his age when he managed to get pregnant and then marry the neighbours Daughter. It does look as though Thomas has signed the register himself though, at least it doesn't say "his mark" next to his name. Having a look through the Wendling registers, there do not seem to be any Rocketts at all that I could find which suggests that he has arrived from elsewhere. If he has, they would have needed a licence to marry and the register clearly shows they were married by Banns. If he was under 18, who gave their consent? The 1841 census shows them living in Wendling. The 1851 shows Thomas living in Wendling with his Daughter Elizabeth. Wife Elizabeth seems to be visiting the In-Laws at Great Ryburgh. 1861 sees then both back in Wendling but Thomas seems to have forgotton where he was born. There is no sign of them at all in the 1871 census which is a bit of a mystery. In the 1881 they are living in Yorkshire. Elizabeth is shown as "Betsy". I hape you get to the bottom of it but you probably never will, good luck trying though. Richard