The life expectancy of a colonial was short.   As many as 50% of all women died in childbirth or from childbed disease. The infant mortality rate was also high.   If a child could reach the age of eleven, they stood a better chance at survival.   Individuals in their forties and fifties during the 17th century were considered "old."  Statistics peering back to the 18th century indicate the average life expectancy was the age of 45! For families of consequence, marriage was viewed as a business transaction, love not being made a part of the arrangement.   Love was saved for affairs outside of the marriage contract.   Marriage, on the other hand, was the institution in which legitimate heirs were produced, a title obtained or additional monies and properties achieved. The children of poor families had an easier time selecting a mate. Property and money didn't play a role in their decision.  Love could be taken into the equation when it came to spouse selection. A marriage in colonial America could be viewed as an absolute partnership with the man and woman having a specific role to fulfill.   A man's sphere of influence was in the area of war, politics, and business.   Although women did not have a legal right to property ownership, they could hold influence over the running of the internal affairs of the home. A high stationed, literate wife would be expected to handle basic accounting and management affairs within the household.   The overseeing of servants in the higher classes also demanded her time in addition to her other traditional duties including child rearing and sewing. When death took a spouse, little time was put aside for mourning. Within four weeks of a spouse's passing, the surviving spouse might remarry.   The challenges of day-to-day living demanded that a partnership always be in place. Early marriage was typically not done for immigrants to Colonial America.   Immigrants did not enter into being indentured* until the age of 21.   As such, it might be five to seven years before they could marry. For ladies living in the South during this period,  they could marry as young as fourteen.  (*indenture: a written agreement or contract which an apprentice is bound to service.) The wealthy aristocracy of the Southern colonies arranged marriages of their offspring.   A young man simply did not go off on his own and begin a courtship without attending to business first.   Restrictions existed on the inheritance a couple received if they married without the permission of their parents.   As such, a young man approached his father first before soliciting his attentions to a local girl. If a young man's father approved of the match, he would write a letter to the girl's father outlining the financial particulars of the match.   Upon receipt of a letter from the girl's father approving the match, including his own financial tribute, the couple could commence with their courtship.Courting took place in the typical places:  dances, church, and visiting the young girl's home. Everyday Life in Colonial America: From 1607-1783, Dale Taylor Writer's Digest Books, 1997 Judy Neu Springwater, NY

Dear Judy, Hmm, it seems my family, poor & the well off ,did not follow these standards of life expectancy, and with many being farmers, I know they had many long years of work, although I believe many received their lands land from military service or inheritance. I do want to believe they married, not just for partnership, but also for love & companionship. I believe their long life spans which their descendants are NOT matching are due to the fact they most likely did not smoke, drink (many were Quakers or very religious) and they ate no refined foods & had less environmental stresses. If they could survive without acquiring one of of the numerous contagious diseases, influenza, measles, & smallpox, etc., they were basically healthy & long lived. Life spans varied, but in Cayuga County alone: Charles Brown was born in 1774 & lived to 1861...87 years young when he died in Owasco. He did marry 3 times, but with the first wife, Ann Christian, she born in 1782-1844, at age 62, he was married about 35+ years and she had 11 children, all lived to adulthood & married, I don't know if she lost any children. He then married a Leah unknown, & then a Polly unknown, who was his widow in 1861. Ann Christian's parents follow & are buried in Christian family plot in Throop, Cayuga County, NY: John Christian, born 1 November 1753, died 9 January 1835, age 82 years old at death, was also in the Revolutionary War. He married Jane Brower, born 22 February 1755, died 14 March 1813. Age 58 at death. They also had 11 children & all survived to at least marry. In my Denison & Tainter lines I also note longevity and long marriages. Daniel Tainter born in Erie County, NY in 1839 lived until 1922, served in the Civil War, married in 1865 and was married to his FIRST wife until he died in 1922, he died at age 83 & was married 57 years and they had 4 children. His father, Benjamin Tainter of Batavia, NY was born in 1751 & died in Batavia in 1822 at age 77, his widow Hannah Norton died in 1825 at age 70+. My Decker's of New Jersey lived into their 80's, Alexander Decker was b. in 1789 & d. 1870, age 81 & his wife Keziah Adams was b. 1795 & d. in 1881, age 86, so.... Captain George Denison was born 1620 & lived 74 years, he died in 1694. However, in the 1900's their great grandchildren & great great grandchildren have been lucky to live past 75 years of age. Some dying of cancer, my 2 siblings died, one at age 46 & the other at age 55, both from cancer, with only me left. Just sharing & wondering why my family is going in reverse?! Marilyn (Brown) LeVeque -------Original Message------- From: [email protected] Date: 03/14/05 11:12:43 To: [email protected] Subject: [NYCAYUGA] Colonial America Marriages The life expectancy of a colonial was short. As many as 50% of all women died in childbirth or from childbed disease. The infant mortality rate was also high. If a child could reach the age of eleven, they stood a better chance at survival. Individuals in their forties and fifties during the 17th century were considered "old." Statistics peering back to the 18th century indicate the average life expectancy was the age of 45! For families of consequence, marriage was viewed as a business transaction, love not being made a part of the arrangement. Love was saved for affairs outside of the marriage contract. Marriage, on the other hand, was the institution in which legitimate heirs were produced, a title obtained or additional monies and properties achieved. The children of poor families had an easier time selecting a mate. Property and money didn't play a role in their decision. Love could be taken into the equation when it came to spouse selection. A marriage in colonial America could be viewed as an absolute partnership with the man and woman having a specific role to fulfill. A man's sphere of influence was in the area of war, politics, and business. Although women did not have a legal right to property ownership, they could hold influence over the running of the internal affairs of the home. A high stationed, literate wife would be expected to handle basic accounting and management affairs within the household. The overseeing of servants in the higher classes also demanded her time in addition to her other traditional duties including child rearing and sewing. When death took a spouse, little time was put aside for mourning Within four weeks of a spouse's passing, the surviving spouse might remarry. The challenges of day-to-day living demanded that a partnership always be in place. Early marriage was typically not done for immigrants to Colonial America. Immigrants did not enter into being indentured* until the age of 21. As such, it might be five to seven years before they could marry. For ladies living in the South during this period, they could marry as young as fourteen. (*indenture: a written agreement or contract which an apprentice is bound to service.) The wealthy aristocracy of the Southern colonies arranged marriages of their offspring. A young man simply did not go off on his own and begin a courtship without attending to business first. Restrictions existed on the inheritance a couple received if they married without the permission of their parents. As such, a young man approached his father first before soliciting his attentions to a local girl. If a young man's father approved of the match, he would write a letter to the girl's father outlining the financial particulars of the match. Upon receipt of a letter from the girl's father approving the match, including his own financial tribute, the couple could commence with their courtship.Courting took place in the typical places: dances, church, and visiting the young girl's home. Everyday Life in Colonial America: From 1607-1783, Dale Taylor Writer's Digest Books, 1997 Judy Neu Springwater, NY ==== NYCAYUGA Mailing List ==== Going on vacation? Unsubscribe from NYCayuga-L by sending a message to [email protected] (or NYCayuga-D-request.com if you receive the digest) with just the word "unsubscribe" (no quotes) ============================== Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx